The Government of India’s Entrepreneurship-cum-Skill Development Programme (E-SDP), implemented by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), is a flagship initiative aimed at promoting self-employment and entrepreneurship among youth, women, and marginalized communities. The programme combines technical skill training with entrepreneurship education, helping participants to become capable of starting and sustaining their own enterprises.

Among the many institutions contributing to this national mission, People’s Foundation also stands out for its remarkable work in translating policy into practice — taking the national agenda of “Self-Reliant India”.It is an economic vision and a development philosophy adopted by the Government of India to make the nation more independent, resilient, and globally competitive, while ensuring that growth is inclusive and sustainable to the grassroots.

Bridging National Vision and Local Reality

People’s Foundation has always believed that social empowerment is sustainable only when people gain the skills, confidence, and opportunities to generate their own livelihood. Recognizing this, the Foundation has conducted numerous Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programmes (ESDPs) in association with the MSME Development & Facilitation Office (MSME DFO) and other agencies . Through these initiatives, hundreds of young men and women — including those from backward, minority, and tribal communities — have been trained in trades such as food processing, tailoring, electrical works, and service-based micro enterprises. Beyond training, the Foundation provides mentoring, handholding, and finance  linkages, ensuring that trainees transform into entrepreneurs, not mere job seekers.

Why People’s Foundation Chose to Engage in E-SDP

• Alignment with Its Core Mission: People’s Foundation’s vision is to create a society where every person has the means and access to realize their full potential. E-SDP perfectly aligns with this mission by equipping people with skills and entrepreneurial ability — empowering them to rise from dependency to self-reliance.
• Reaching the Unreached: The Foundation’s strong community presence allows it to reach rural, marginalized, and disaster-affected populations who are often excluded from mainstream development programmes. By partnering with agencies like MSME DFO, NABARD ,People’s Foundation ensures that these groups access national-level opportunities without bureaucratic hurdles.
• Integration with Livelihood and Rehabilitation Initiatives: Skill and entrepreneurship training form a natural extension of People’s Foundation’s other programmes — such as Community Empowerment, People’s Start-Up, and Arise Meppadi (Wayanad Rehabilitation). For example, E-SDPs have helped victims of the Wayanad landslide and women from poor families to start small ventures like garment making and agro-processing.
• Sustainable Development Through Capacity Building: Unlike welfare or charity models, skill-based entrepreneurship creates long-term livelihood assets. Each trained person becomes capable of supporting their family, generating local employment, and contributing to the local economy.

What the Government Expects – and How People’s Foundation Delivers

The Ministry of MSME expects E-SDP trainees to start their own micro or small enterprises, adopt self-employment in trades where they are trained, form clusters or SHGs, and access credit, technology, and market support through MSME and other schemes.

People’s Foundation ensures these expectations are fulfilled by guiding trainees in Udyam registration, finance  linkage, and project proposal preparation; helping them apply for related  schemes; and organizing follow-up workshops and mentoring sessions to monitor progress.

Creating Local Role Models

Each batch of trainees under the E-SDP leaves behind stories of transformation — of youth who once sought jobs now running their own units, employing others, and becoming symbols of empowerment in their community. These stories validate the Government’s faith in grassroots implementation through trusted partners like People’s Foundation.

Partnerships that Multiply Impact

By partnering with MSME DFO, People’s Foundation not only gains access to technical expertise and standardized curricula but also opens doors for CSR collaborations with industries seeking to support livelihood development, institutional visibility as a credible training partner, and capacity building for its own staff and volunteers through exposure to national frameworks. This synergy between government initiative, NGO outreach, and community participation ensures that the impact is both measurable and sustainable.

From Training to Transformation

People’s Foundation believes that training is only the beginning. The ultimate goal is entrepreneurial transformation — where individuals use the acquired skills to start viable enterprises, employ others, continue upgrading their skills, and inspire others to follow the same path. By combining technical skill development, entrepreneurial mentoring, and post-training support, People’s Foundation ensures that every E-SDP participant becomes a change agent in their own community.

A Step Toward an Atmanirbhar Bharat

Through its continuous collaboration with the Ministry of MSME and MSME DFO, People’s Foundation is not merely implementing a scheme — it is translating the national mission of self-reliance into everyday realities at the village and community level. This partnership demonstrates how civil society organizations can serve as effective vehicles of inclusive development, transforming national policies into local progress.

“People’s Foundation – where empowerment meets opportunity, and national vision becomes grassroots reality.”

(M. Abdul Majeed is the Vice Chairman,People’s Foundation)