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India Today
6 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
Business Recorder
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Majority of Pakistanis prefer shopping from offline local markets, Gallup survey finds
A recent Gallup & Gilani Pakistan survey has revealed that an overwhelming 90% of Pakistanis prefer shopping for clothes at local stores or markets, making them the most favoured retail destinations across the country. In sharp contrast, only 3% of respondents reported a preference for shopping malls and 3% other for online platforms, highlighting a significant gap between traditional and modern retail modes in the country. The preference for in-person shopping is even more noticeable in rural communities, where 93% of respondents rely on local markets, compared to 83% in urban areas. Urban shoppers exhibited slightly more changed preferences, with 6% choosing shopping malls and 5% opting for online platforms. Is the budget changing how government views e-commerce? The survey, conducted between March 7 and 22 was based on a sample of 779 adult men and women across urban and rural areas in all four provinces. Data was collected through Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI), with a margin of error of approximately ±2-3% at a 95% confidence level. Key findings: 90% prefer local stores/markets 3% shop at malls 3% use online platforms 4% gave no response or said 'don't know' According to Gallup & Gilani Pakistan, the strong preference for traditional retail reflects both cultural shopping habits and limited accessibility to digital platforms, especially in less urbanised regions. The study underlines the importance of local markets in Pakistan's retail landscape, particularly for clothing purchases, and suggests that businesses targeting rural markets must continue to prioritise brick-and-mortar strategies. Budget 2025-2026: Pakistan govt has no vision beyond fiscal survival For e-commerce and mall-based retailers, the challenge remains: how to win trust and access in a population deeply rooted in traditional shopping behaviours.
Business Recorder
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Majority of Pakistanis prefer shopping for clothes in local markets, Gallup survey finds
A recent Gallup & Gilani Pakistan survey has revealed that an overwhelming 90% of Pakistanis prefer shopping for clothes at local stores or markets, making them the most favoured retail destinations across the country. In sharp contrast, only 3% of respondents reported a preference for shopping malls and 3% other for online platforms, highlighting a significant gap between traditional and modern retail modes in the country. The preference for in-person shopping is even more noticeable in rural communities, where 93% of respondents rely on local markets, compared to 83% in urban areas. Urban shoppers exhibited slightly more changed preferences, with 6% choosing shopping malls and 5% opting for online platforms. The survey, conducted between March 7 and 22 was based on a sample of 779 adult men and women across urban and rural areas in all four provinces. Data was collected through Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI), with a margin of error of approximately ±2-3% at a 95% confidence level. Key Findings: 90% prefer local stores/markets 3% shop at malls 3% use online platforms 4% gave no response or said 'don't know' According to Gallup & Gilani Pakistan, the strong preference for traditional retail reflects both cultural shopping habits and limited accessibility to digital platforms, especially in less urbanised regions. The study underlines the importance of local markets in Pakistan's retail landscape, particularly for clothing purchases, and suggests that businesses targeting rural markets must continue to prioritise brick-and-mortar strategies. For e-commerce and mall-based retailers, the challenge remains: how to win trust and access in a population deeply rooted in traditional shopping behaviours.
Business Recorder
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Consumer sentiment: Rising from the rubble
After flirting with economic freefall in recent years, Pakistan's consumer confidence is showing signs of life. The Q2 2025 Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) from Ipsos marks a perceptible shift in public mood: optimism about the country's direction, perceptions of the economy, and comfort with household purchases have all inched upward. From six-year lows to six-year highs in some metrics — a swing headline writers dream of. But it's worth asking: from where, to where? There's no doubt sentiment has improved since the inflation tsunami of 2023–24. Official CPI data shows year-on-year inflation has plunged to multi-year lows after peaking at historic highs just over a year ago. The relief is real — the difference between treading water and drowning. Yet while fewer Pakistanis may feel like they're gasping for economic air, most are still a long swim from shore. Consider the 'right direction' indicator. In Q2 2025, 42 percent of respondents said the country is headed the right way — a notable recovery from previous lows. But it still means most remain unconvinced. What's more revealing is the shift in framing. Back in February, the Q1 report declared that seven in ten Pakistanis believed the country was on the wrong track. In Q2, the headline flips the perspective: around two in five believe the country is on the right track. The numbers haven't moved much. The lens has. The same rhetorical pivot is visible in expectations about the economy. The Q1 survey stated that four in ten expected the economy to get weaker in the next six months. Q2's version? Roughly two in five now expect it to get stronger. It's the same statistical territory, packaged to suggest momentum. Nowhere is this more evident than in the claim that 'optimism has risen sharply… reaching its ever highest in 6 years.' Yet when one digs deeper, the exuberance begins to look premature. Only 29 percent of respondents actually consider the economy to be strong. Job confidence, while improved, stands at just 30 percent. And although comfort with household purchases has risen marginally, only one in five respondents currently feel comfortable making such purchases. That's a sobering reality, even if it's better than the 88 percent who said they were uncomfortable a quarter ago. To be clear, the direction of change is positive. But these are not numbers of a confident consumer class. These are numbers of a population still grappling with economic stress, expressing a cautious sigh of relief rather than any surge of optimism. Ipsos deserves credit for presenting time-series data, allowing for trend tracking over multiple quarters. But given how the survey has evolved into fodder for headlines and podium speeches, the gaps in methodology warrant scrutiny. The use of Computer-Assisted Telephonic Interviews (CATI) is pragmatic, and post-stratification by province, gender, and socioeconomic class (SEC) is standard. Yet the lack of detail around sampling precision, response rates, and the definitions of SECs leaves unanswered questions. There is also no mention of urban-rural balancing — a gap that matters, especially when rural respondents have repeatedly shown more optimism. It's understandable why the government is eager to seize this narrative. A fragile rebound is more politically palatable than stagnation. But public policy shaped by cherry-picked numbers runs the risk of overlooking deeper vulnerabilities. Sentiment may be improving, but it is doing so from a historically low base. And the path to real economic stability remains long and uneven. So yes, the mood is better than it was. But if this is what a 'record high' looks like, it serves as a reminder of just how deep the hole was to begin with. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
77% of Ukrainians positive about 30-day ceasefire, poll shows
Around 77% of Ukrainians view the proposed 30-day ceasefire positively, according to an Omnibus opinion poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology and published on March 25. In turn, 17% of Ukrainians expressed negative views toward the idea: 8% believe it would weaken Ukraine, 7% see it as a desperate move by the Ukrainian authorities due to the challenging situation at the front, and 2% consider it a step toward Ukraine's surrender. The U.S. and Ukraine initially supported a broader 30-day ceasefire, including a halt to ground operations, but Russia rejected the proposal unless it included conditions that would weaken Ukraine's defense capabilities, such as a suspension of foreign military aid. Before the proposed conditions, 47% of respondents who viewed the ceasefire positively believed it would expose Russia's unwillingness to negotiate in good faith. Between March 19 and March 21, opposition to Russia's ceasefire conditions increased sharply. Around 79% of respondents deemed Russia's conditions categorically unacceptable, while only 16% were willing to consider them, including 14% who found the terms difficult but not entirely dismissible. The Kremlin later claimed that it had ordered a 30-day halt to strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure following a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kyiv also supported a mutual halt on energy strikes but later accused Russia of continuing attacks on civilian targets. An overwhelming 82% of Ukrainians believe Kyiv should continue fighting regardless of external circumstances. Even in the event of a complete halt on U.S. military support, only 8% said they would lean toward surrender. If the ceasefire comes without security guarantees, 62% would strongly oppose it, while 32% would reluctantly support it. Should Ukraine secure even minimal security guarantees, more than half of respondents would accept the truce. The poll was conducted through computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) using a random sample of mobile phone numbers across government-controlled regions of Ukraine. A total of 1,326 respondents were interviewed. Read also: Ukraine, US conclude another round of talks in Riyadh, media reports We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
