Officials from Ministry of Skill Development visit PCMC’s Sakhi Angan, Nigdi Kaushalyam projects

The officials inspected the Kaushalyam (Lighthouse) project in Nigdi, implemented jointly by the PCMC Social Development Department and the Lighthouse Foundation. They reviewed the skill training programmes being conducted for youth and women and interacted with trainees to understand their experiences related to employment opportunities, skill development and increased self-confidence, according to a civic press release.

Trainees said the project offers skill training aligned with industry requirements, leading to job opportunities. Women trainees, in particular, said the initiative had motivated them to overcome career challenges after marriage and re-enter the workforce. The officials appreciated the progress made by the trainees and noted that the project was proving effective in generating skill-based employment.

The delegation later visited the Sakhi Angan project run by women’s self-help groups near Akurdi railway station. The complex comprises 49 stalls where women manufacture, process, package and directly sell food and non-food products. Items sold include breakfast and lunch foods, papads, pickles, spices, ready-to-eat products, bakery items, handicrafts, decorative articles, cloth bags, incense sticks and cosmetics.

Implemented by the PCMC Social Development Department, the Sakhi Angan project enables women’s self-help groups to directly access consumers, eliminating intermediaries and increasing financial returns. The initiative also provides hands-on training in financial transactions, marketing, customer interaction and business management, leading many participants to emerge as job-creating entrepreneurs. Officials said the project was proving to be an effective model for women’s empowerment.

The Kaushalyam and Sakhi Angan initiatives go beyond training and sales to function as sustainable models for job creation and women’s entrepreneurship by focusing on industry-linked skill development, direct market access and financial self-reliance. The Municipal Corporation is working to expand such initiatives in coordination with the central and state governments to empower more youth and women, said PCMC Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar.