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Time of India
18 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Women lead India's 1st outcome-based skilling drive
New Delhi : Puja Kumari from a village near Bokaro, Ishrat from a conservative Delhi household, Simran Pandey from the capital's workingclass lanes, and Sakshi from Jharkhand's tribal heartland are part of a quiet but distinct shift in India's skilling landscape. This change is being driven by the Skill Impact Bond (SIB) — the country's first outcome-based skilling initiative. Launched in 2021 by the ministry of skill development & entrepreneurship through the National Skill Development Corporation, SIB is backed by a consortium of philanthropic and private partners, including the British Asian Trust and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) — two key organisations that helped conceptualise and fund the initiative. Along with JSW Foundation, HSBC India and Dubai Cares, they are driving one of India's most ambitious public-private partnerships focused on women-led growth. SIB aims to train 50,000 youth, with at least 30,150 retained in jobs for a minimum of three months. So far, over 23,700 youth—72% of them women—have been trained across 30 job roles in 13 sectors, working with more than 700 employers. Of these, 75% have secured jobs, and 60% have stayed employed for over three months — well above national averages. As India approaches its demographic peak and eyes a $30-trillion economy by 2047, models like SIB offer a roadmap — targeted training, outcome-focused frameworks and sustained post-placement support. 'We are not just experimenting with outcome-based financing—we are institutionalising it to build a resilient, inclusive skilling ecosystem,' said Jayant Chaudhary, minister of state (independent charge) for skill development and entrepreneurship. He cited the Skill Impact Bond and Project AMBER as examples of how public, philanthropic and private investment can together deliver measurable social impact at scale. Outcomebased financing, he added, is becoming a powerful tool to ensure public investment leads to tangible results—particularly in skilling, employment, and women's empowerment. Puja, 26, trained as a CNC operator through Pan IIT Gurukul and moved to Chennai to work with IM Gears, becoming the sole breadwinner for her family. Ishrat, 18, began working in Noida in a data-entry role while pursuing a BA through Delhi University's School of Open Learning—without telling her father. Simran, 21, joined an IT training programme and now works as a customer care executive in Delhi, saving to become an air hostess. Sakshi, 23, a school dropout from the Malto tribal community, enrolled in Pan IIT's apparel programme in Bengaluru and now earns Rs 15,000 a month, supporting her siblings' education. Their journeys reflect a fragile but significant transformation. Many are first-generation formal workers navigating rigid social norms, migration, and financial strain to pursue aspirational livelihoods. Jharkhand leads enrolment figures with 26% of trainees, followed by UP and Delhi. But the broader skilling landscape remains challenging still: only 4% of India's workforce is formally skilled, and nearly 30% of trained individuals are without paid work. Retention is especially challenging for women who have availed traditional schemes. While 84% of those enrolled under such schemes complete certification, fewer than 10% stay in jobs beyond three months. The SIB seeks to reverse this trend by tying funding not to enrolment or certification, but to job placement and retention. Training providers are incentivised to support outcomes through onboarding, counselling and alumni engagement. 'Till we come out of our comfort zone, we can't achieve anything,' says Ishrat. 'At first, I wasn't sure I could manage the machines,' says Puja, now a trainer. 'Now I want girls in my village to see what's possible.' Sakshi says her job gave her more than income, it gave her purpose. 'I didn't want my siblings to face what I did.' Simran says the job gave her confidence. 'I feel I can take care of my dreams & my family's needs too.' For them, skilling isn't just about employment—it's about identity, agency, and finding a place in the formal economy.
India Today
5 days ago
- Business
- India Today
What is Skill Impact Bond, helping thousands with jobs and training across India
India's Skill Impact Bond (SIB), launched in November 2021, is the country's first development impact bond focused on by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through the National Skill Development Corporation, it brings together public and private players, including the British Asian Trust, HSBC India, and the Michael & Susan Dell aim is to support 50,000 young people from vulnerable backgrounds with job-ready skills and Importantly, 62% of participants are targeted to be women, addressing long-standing gender gaps in employment. Training focusses on sectors such as retail, healthcare, apparel, logistics, IT-ITeS, and FROM TRAINING TO OUTCOMESThe SIB represents a major shift from input-based funding to outcome-based financing. Rather than measuring success by how many people enrol, it rewards outcomes like certification, placement in jobs, and retention for three candidate must be between 18-40 years of age, unemployed or earning below Rs 15,000 a month (or from a household earning less than Rs 25,000), and have an education level of undergraduate or are verified through a robust process using CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing) surveys and document checks. Payment to training providers is linked to these verified IMPACT ON WOMENFrom Cohort (a six-month training and placement cycle) I to IV, female certification rates rose from 86% to 92%, placement from 66% to 81%, and three-month retention from 48% to 66%.The gender gap in all outcomes narrowed significantly, with women matching or even surpassing men in retention by Cohort programme is not only closing gender gaps but also encouraging entrepreneurship. Self-employment amongst women rose from 6% to 14%, especially amongst sewing machine its strong focus on measurable outcomes and gender inclusion, the Skill Impact Bond is proving to be a game-changer in India's skill development more cohorts progress, the initiative holds promise to reshape how success in vocational training is defined -- by real employment, not just enrolment.- Ends
News18
16-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
India Men, Women Teams Meet Britain King Charles III, Discuss Cricket
King Charles III welcomed both the Indian men's and women's cricket teams to St. James's Palace on Tuesday (July 15). (AP) Shubman Gill spoke to the King about India's narrow loss at Lord's in the ongoing five-Test Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. (AP) The monarch even recalled Mohammed Siraj's unusual dismissal — a moment he called 'unfortunate.' (AP) Rajasthan Royals Owner Manoj Badale, the Founding Chairperson of the British Asian Trust, was said to have introduced the cricketers to him. (AP) 6/8 The women's team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, are in England for a white-ball tour. They just beat England 3-2 in a five-match T20I series. (AP) Kaur said the King asked about their travel and was very kind. (AP Photo).
Indian Express
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Quite unfortunate': King Charles III to Shubman Gill on Mohammed Siraj's dismissal in Lord's Test
The Indian men's and women's cricket teams were hosted by United Kingdom's King Charles III in the gardens of Clarence House on Tuesday. Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami and Deputy High Commissioner Sujit Ghosh along with Congress Rajya Sabha MP and BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla and secretary Devajit Saikia were also present. The players said later that the King asked about their respective sporting assignments. The women's team led by Harmanpreet Kaur recorded their first-ever T20I series win in England, beating the hosts 3-2 in five matches, and are set to embark on a five-match ODI series. The men's team led by Shubman Gill are currently locked in a thrilling five-match Test series in England, which they trail 2-1 after an epic third Test at Lord's ended on Monday. The special cricket event was hosted by the British Asian Trust, a charity founded by King Charles III to tackle poverty, inequality and injustice in South Asia. 'It was amazing. I think he (King Charles) is very kind and generous… we had some really good conversations,' Gill is quoted as saying by PTI after the audience. Gill said that the King spoke about the freakish manner in which Mohammed Siraj was dismissed on Day 5 of the Lord's Test, with the ball dribbling back to the stumps despite coming off almost the middle of the bat. The wicket ended India's resistance, with their last three wickets batting out more than 50 overs and bringing them within 22 runs of victory. 'He (The King) did tell us that the way our last batsman got out was quite unfortunate, the ball rolling on to the stumps. And he was just asking us, 'how did you feel after that?' And we told him it was an unfortunate match for us… but hopefully, we'll have better luck in both the next games,' said Gill. Harmanpreet said that it was nice to experience this for the first time. 'It was a really nice experience. We have come to England so many times but this was the first opportunity to meet the King. He was very friendly and asked us about how our travel here was,' said Kaur. 'It's been a very humbling experience, coming here to the Royal House and meeting the King. It was the first time. We came all the way from Southampton but it was really worth it. And the girls were really excited about the visit and we are pleased that we are here,' said women's team Head Coach Amol Muzumdar.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘How did you...': What did King Charles say about Mohammed Siraj's dismissal in India vs England test that has fans talking?
King Charles III met with the Indian cricket teams at Clarence House. He discussed Mohammed Siraj's dismissal with Shubman Gill. Gill described the meeting as amazing. Harmanpreet Kaur and her team also enjoyed the royal visit. The British Asian Trust, founded by the King, hosted the event. The men's team is now in Manchester. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Royal Take on Siraj's Dismissal 'Amazing' Conversations with the Monarch Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Harmanpreet and Team Share in the Royal Buzz A Royal Connection to Cricket Passion for Cricket, Pride in Performance What's Next for Team India? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads In a royal moment cricket fans won't soon forget, King Charles III welcomed the Indian men's and women's cricket teams to the lush gardens of Clarence House in London on Tuesday. What began as a diplomatic reception soon turned into a lively conversation about cricket, with the 76-year-old monarch proving himself to be quite the keen observer of the the many talking points? Mohammed Siraj's unlucky dismissal in India's recent nail-biting Test loss to England. Siraj was the final batter to fall, bowled in unfortunate fashion as the ball trickled back onto the stumps after a defensive push. It was a heartbreaking moment that sealed India's 22-run defeat.'He (The King) did tell us that the way our last batsman got out was quite unfortunate,' said India's men's team captain Shubman Gill, recalling the royal conversation. 'And he was just asking us, 'how did you feel after that?' We told him it was an unfortunate match… but hopefully, we'll have better luck in the next games.'Gill described the experience of meeting the King as 'amazing', praising His Majesty for his kindness and generosity.'He was genuinely interested in the game and asked about how we felt,' Gill said, adding that such a conversation with a monarch was something he'd never King, known for his love of the sport, spent quality time interacting with both squads, clearly enjoying the opportunity to speak about cricket with India's top women's team, too, was thrilled by the visit. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur said, 'It was a really nice experience. We have come to England so many times but this was the first opportunity to meet the King. He was very friendly and asked about our travel.'Head Coach Amol Muzumdar added, 'It was a very humbling experience, coming here to the Royal House. We came all the way from Southampton, but it was really worth it. The girls were excited and pleased to be here.'The event was hosted by the British Asian Trust, a charity established by King Charles in 2007. Its roots, fittingly, go back to a cricket match between India and Pakistan. Executive Director Hitan Mehta called it a 'poignant' moment.'The British Asian Trust was started through a cricket match, which His Majesty, then Prince of Wales, helped organise. From that small beginning, we've now supported over 13 million people across South Asia.'Reflecting on the thrilling Test match, Shubman Gill noted the support from Indian fans in the UK: 'We are very lucky and fortunate. The first couple of days at Lord's saw more England supporters, but we had amazing support in the last three days.'On the match itself, Gill added, 'Both teams showed so much passion. When a Test goes into the final session on day five and ends with a 22-run margin, cricket is the real winner.'The men's team has now left for Manchester, where they'll face England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford starting 23 July. The women's team returned to Southampton, preparing for their ODI clash on Wednesday, fresh from their 3-2 T20I series Test match tension to royal tea-time, the Indian cricket teams have had a week to remember, capped by a King who loves the game just as much as the from PTI
