TN Minister for AdiDravidar and Tribal Welfare launches Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust ‘Business Idea Contest’ for aspiring women entrepreneurs from underprivileged communities
Appeals to women to utilise entrepreneurship platformsto launch their own businessesand participate in the socio-economic progress of the country
7th March 2023, Chennai: Appreciating the role played by women-owned startups in Tamil Nadu, Hon’ble Minister for AdiDravidar and Tribal Welfare KayalvizhiSelvaraj said that the state government has stepped up efforts to help grassroot entrepreneurs generate employment in towns and villages, even as she stressed on the need to embrace digital initiatives to bring banks, mentors, entrepreneurs,and Women’s Self Help Groups onto one seamless platform.
Speaking at a conference titled “PENN SHAKTI – Celebrating Women Grampreneurs®”, she appreciated the role played by socio-economic mentoring organisations like BharatiyaYuvaShakti Trust (BYST), which has reached out to two lakh youths in Tamil Nadu and created 2300 successful entrepreneurs who are providing employment to thousands of workers and contributing to the state exchequer.
The minister further stated,“I am delighted to launch the Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust ‘Business Idea Contest’ for aspiring women entrepreneurs from underprivileged communities of Tamil Nadu and across India. By providing a platform such contests can encourage more and more women from underprivileged communities to come forward, apply their traditional knowledge and skills, and education – to develop their own enterprises and take a lead in the socio-economic progress of the country.”
The half day event showcased the exemplary journey of BYST-supported women entrepreneurs, five of whom were recognised and awarded for their achievements:
– Ms.Panchamirtham for ‘Highest Business Revenues’
– Ms. Sharadha Gopalakrishnan for ‘Best Digitally Enabled Enterprise’
– Ms.Divya S K for ‘Most Promising Green Enterprise’
– Ms.Leema for ‘Rekindling Traditional Arts and Handicrafts’, and
– Ms.Mythili for ‘Breaking the Barriers via Social Inclusion’
Ms. Lakshmi V. Venkatesan, Founding and Managing Trustee, BYST also announced, “Today, in the presence of the Hon’ble Minister and dignitaries, we are launching an Entrepreneur Cybersecurity Programme for Women Grampreneurs® in partnership with CISCO CSR. We are also inaugurating the BYST Women Grampreneur Development Programme in Kancheepuram district in partnership with J K Tyre.”
Ms Lakshmi V. Venkatesan, Founding and Managing Trustee, BYST highlighted the role played by mentoring to transform grassroots women entrepreneurs into lakh- and crore-patis. She also announced today in the presence of the Hon’ble Minister and dignitaries, that BYST is extending its nationwide ‘BYST Grampreneur® Development Programme’ with a special focus on digitally-driven women enterprises to Kancheepuram in partnership with a leading corporate, JK Tyre.
The event also witnessed a panel discussion and a special plenary session featuring eminent women achievers from Academia, Banking and Financial Services, Corporate and Development Sectors, andthe Public Sector including Ms. Booma Santhakumari, GM, Financial Inclusion & Development Dept., RBI, Ms. Sharon Buteau, ED, Institute for Financial Management & Research, Chennai, and Mr. B S Dagar, VP & Group Head, IR & CSR, JK Tyre.
A Letter of Cooperation (LoC) was exchanged for the Mentoring India®Programmebetween BYST and Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology.
Productsof BYST-supported Grampreneurs® were showcased at an exhibition, and special skit and musical performances were rendered by Social Work students of Patrician College of Arts and Science, Chennai.
Over 1500 mentors, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders participated in hybrid mode to celebrate the impact of mentoring and the achievements of BYST-supported women entrepreneurs.
About Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust
Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST) is a not-for-profit organisation. We assist disadvantaged Indian youth develop their business ideas into viable enterprises under the guidance of a mentor. Founded in 1992, BYST was supported by industry stalwarts like JRD Tata and Rahul Bajaj. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is our strategic partner.
BYST programmes support underprivileged young entrepreneurs by arranging loans through our partner banks (total financing: almost Rs. 500 crores, median value: approximately Rs. 5 lakhs), without security or collateral.
Entrepreneurs are also nurtured through services such as training, business plan development, monitoring, mentoring, and networking, till they reach a level of self-sufficiency and start making valuable socio-economic contributions to society.
In over 30 years, BYST has empowered nearly35,000 entrepreneurs through our Entrepreneurship Development Programmeand the Mentoring India® Programme. The 12,500 entrepreneurs supported directly byBYST have generated close to Rs. 5,000 crores wealth and helped create over 3,50,000 jobs.
For more details, please visithttp://www.byst.org.in.
