NIESBUD under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signs MoU with deAsra Foundation to develop entrepreneurship & create jobs

by Shrutee K/DNS

Pune, 30 November 2016: The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and Pune-headquartered not-for-profit deAsra Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as a step towards accelerating economic growth in India through large scale initiatives in job generation through entrepreneurship development. 

Under the MoU, deAsra makes available online free “Business Guides”, ready reference guides for 75 businesses (to be increased to 250 businesses), to new and existing entrepreneurs. The “Business Guides” entail everything the new entrepreneur needs, right from preparing fully functional business plans, to planning and execution steps for a specific business in easy-to-understand formats et al. Business specific funding sources, registration requirements, setup and marketing activities along with all required processes, forms and documents are a part of each Business Guide.

The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), was established as an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Govt of India, with the objective of training, supporting and sustaining potential and existing entrepreneurs across the country. Towards that end, NIESBUD has been functioning to evolve standard materials, training programmes & processes, help, support & affiliate institutions and organizations, training of trainers, extend hand-holding services, provide forums for exchange of experiences to help policy formulation and provide consultancy for promotion of entrepreneurship and small businesses.

deAsra Foundation is a section 25 Not for Profit Company based out of Pune. The company is involved in establishing an ecosystem to promote entrepreneurial culture, develop entrepreneurs and help them to nourish sustainable small business enterprises which would in turn create employment opportunities. deAsra has a mission to support 25,000 small business enterprises grouped into 250 business types by 2020, thereby creating 1,00,00 jobs. Facilitation of funding, providing all business services such as registrations, legal assistance, marketing, etc under one roof, access to information and handholding throughout the entrepreneur journey are the main components of the strategy of deAsra to achieve this target.

The MoU also aims to:  

Provide Entrepreneurship Education and Training to promote a culture of entrepreneurship across the country.

Provide end-to-end handholding support to potential entrepreneurs for setting up enterprises & provide necessary mentoring support to them afterwards if so desired.

Provide necessary handholding support to existing enterprises for up scaling. 

Help in obtaining funding for the enterprise, if required.

Help in creating a mentor Support Network across India.

Commenting on the occasion, Ms. Jyotsna Sitling, Director General, The National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development, said: “NIESBUD is happy to partner with likeminded entities who believe in job creation, fostering entrepreneurship and channelizing the youth of the nation into meaningful and gainful employment. In deAsra we have found an amenable partner who can translate this vision into action. Key learnings of deAsra in providing mentor support through information, guidance and handholding would be leveraged & upscaled through this partnership. 

deAsra Foundation’s CEO Ms. Pradnya Godbole said: “We are glad to join hands with none other than NIESBUD, which is part of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Through this partnership, deAsra will be able to accelerate the mission of supporting 25,000 entrepreneurs by 2020. The fact that we will be creating co-branded published materials, website, co-developed training material, events, communication collateral publications etc., is testimony to the long term vision and mission that both the organizations are aiming for. Our immediate plan is to now take the entrepreneurship and job creation agenda national.”