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Project Saksham: NHAI Empowers Rural Women with Skills for Livelihood

NHAI's Project Saksham, in partnership with Vertis Foundation, aims to empower rural women through skill development. The initiative has trained over 6,000 youth, with more than 4,000 placed in jobs. Participants earn an average monthly income of Rs 13,000 to Rs 16,000. The programme focuses on vocational training to promote financial independence and social empowerment.

Key Points: NHAI's Project Saksham Empowers Rural Women

  • Trained over 6,000 youth with 80% women participants
  • Beneficiaries earn Rs 13,000-16,000 monthly
  • 12 training centres across India
  • Focus on vocational skills like electrical, plumbing, nursing
2 min read

NHAI encourages women-focused skill development through 'Project Saksham'

NHAI's Project Saksham trains rural women in vocational skills, with over 6,000 youth trained, 80% women, earning Rs 13,000-16,000 monthly.

"Project Saksham operates through 12 training centres across the country and has trained over 6,000 youth so far - Ministry of Road Transport & Highways"

New Delhi, May 15

The National Highways Authority of India, in partnership with Vertis Foundation, is promoting inclusive development through its initiative 'Project Saksham', aimed at empowering rural women through structured skill development programmes for sustainable livelihood opportunities, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, the initiative focuses on providing industry-relevant training and creating pathways for long-term financial independence and social empowerment for communities residing along national highways.

According to the initiative details, Project Saksham operates through 12 training centres across the country and has trained over 6,000 youth so far, with more than 4,000 placed across various sectors. Beneficiaries are earning an average monthly income of Rs 13,000 to Rs 16,000, with over 80 per cent of participants being women.

The programme is aligned with NHAI's vision of inclusive infrastructure development, with a focus on ensuring that communities near national highways, particularly rural women, benefit from economic opportunities generated by infrastructure expansion.

The initiative is implemented through on-ground engagement, where field teams work closely with rural communities to encourage participation, address socio-cultural barriers and promote skill development and employment opportunities.

Participants are trained in vocational skills including electrical work, plumbing, appliance repair, tailoring, general duty assistant nursing and multi-skill technician training, aimed at improving employability and financial independence.

The initiative underlines NHAI's focus on ensuring that infrastructure development contributes not only to connectivity but also to inclusive growth and community empowerment.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
This is wonderful to see! I work in CSR for a US-based company and we've partnered with similar initiatives in India. The vocational training approach—especially for women in electrical work, plumbing, and nursing—is exactly what's needed to break gender stereotypes. The 80% women participation rate is commendable. Hope NHAI publishes more data on long-term retention and career progression of these women. Great step forward!
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Rohit P
Good initiative but I have a concern - are these jobs actually sustainable? The article mentions placement in "various sectors" but doesn't specify which ones. Also, Rs 13,000-16,000 average income sounds good but in many states, that's barely above minimum wage. Plus, what about the 2,000 who were trained but not placed? We need more transparency about dropout rates and job quality. Still, better than nothing I guess.
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Priya S
As someone from a rural background, I can tell you how transformative such programs are. My mother never had such opportunities. Now, seeing women learning electrical work and plumbing - skills traditionally reserved for men - is truly heartening. The article mentions addressing socio-cultural barriers, which is the real challenge. Kudos to Vertis Foundation for their on-ground work. Kaam kare toh kare, aur saath mein samaj badle toh aur accha! ✨
J
James A
Impressive numbers - over 6,000 trained and 4,000 placed! As someone who works in development economics, I'd love to see a cost-benefit analysis of this program. The Rs 13,000-16,000 monthly income increase for women can have multiplier effects on household welfare, children's education, and local economies. If NHAI can replicate this model across all highway corridors, it could be a game-changer for rural India. Well done!

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