EDII joins hands with Kerala Government to promote the start-up and entrepreneurship ecosystem

Trivandrum, September 14, 2022: The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), a Centre of Excellence recognized by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India, on Wednesday, in a Press Conference at Hotel Apollo Dimora, Trivandrum, charted out how it has ensured setting up of micro-enterprises in the state of Kerala, thus alleviating poverty and generating employment opportunities.
EDII, which has its headquarters in Ahmedabad, Gujarat for the last 40 years, has been working in Kerala for the last 30 years. EDII has till date trained more than 200 field level officers of the Govt. of Kerala’s Industries Dept. on the nitty-gritty of promoting entrepreneurship in the state.

The Institute has been actively fulfilling the state’s entrepreneurial requirements and the aspiration of ensuring the setting up of one lakh businesses by training a cadre of 60 resource persons who would be facilitating this task.

Towards ensuring an upbeat entrepreneurship ecosystem, the Institute has trained more than 2000 potential entrepreneurs in association with Kerala State Youth Welfare Board.

Another significant move has been the capacity building of Start up Mission wherein more than 50 entrepreneurship development representatives and faculty members have been trained to ensure a vibrant start-up ecosystem in the state..

The Institute piloted a replicable model of creating cadre of Micro Business Counsellors (MCBs) /Micro Enterprise Consultants (MECs) under Kudumbashree – the Kerala State Poverty Eradication Mission, to identify and handhold potential entrepreneurs and ensure survival and growth of existing enterprises. The model has been widely replicated. The Kudumbashree was welcomed as an innovative anti-poverty mission of the Govt. of Kerala. It was envisioned as a target oriented, well-conceived, impact-yielding poverty alleviation plan with focus on involvement of the disadvantaged.

The project was launched in 1998 with the mission – “To eradicate absolute poverty in ten years through concerted community action under the leadership of local governments, by facilitating organization of the poor for combining self-help with demand-led convergence of available services and resources to tackle the multiple dimensions and manifestations of poverty, holistically”. By 2002, the entire state of Kerala was brought under its fold to empower women and children.  EDII, as a knowledge partner, worked out a model for promoting micro enterprises through a well-conceived micro entrepreneurship development programmes. By completion of the Project in 2012, EDII could generate a successful process of business creation and growth.

Results from the project:
No of Women Trained – 39,500
No. of Enterprises Set up – 2700 (Group enterprises); 6800 (Individual enterprises)
Employment Opportunities Generated – 32,500
No. of Existing Entrepreneurs Addressed – 1400
No. Micro Enterprises developed – 800

One District One Idea (ODOI) MSME Program Govt. of Kerala through K-DISC has developed an innovative method to identify, handhold and professionalize existing and induced clusters across all districts of Kerala. K-DISC is going to work with EDII to streamline activities in the identified clusters. EDII, with its vast experience of implementing more than 300 clusters at the PAN INDIA level, will perform the duty of PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL AGENCY, and will be providing assistance in overall implementation of the project to enable the clusters to undergo a 360 degree revitalization.

The Institute also has joined hands with noted corporates to conduct Micro Skillpreneurship programmes to create around 650 businesses in Kerala. Around 60 percent of these are technology-enabled women-led green businesses which are an inspiration for many women aspirants to step forth and take the plunge into entrepreneurship. EDII has, with the support of corporates, Instituted micro women enterprises generate program, wherein more than 500 women entrepreneurs have joined and are availing business promotion services.

EDII, a pioneer in the field of entrepreneurship education and skilling, works in collaboration with government ministries and departments and corporates for the implementation of several developmental projects ensuring inclusive growth of communities. Social entrepreneurship and CSR have always also remained priority areas for the institute.

EDII’s Director General Dr Sunil Shukla said, “Kerala holds immense potential for entrepreneurship development. EDII has been ensuring the institutionalization of enabling factors for a conducive start-up & entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kerala. Innovative training models, result-oriented collaborations with the government & corporates in the state, and an outreach to the grassroots have helped ensure setting up of new enterprises and growth of existing ones. The future is promising with new associations and goals.”

Dr Raman Gujral, Director, Department of Project (Corporates), EDII, emphasized on the need for sustainability in business, which he believed comes from the right kind of orientation. Against this backdrop, he said, “EDII has developed tailor-made strategic models for Kerala which have ensued economic growth, innovations and eco-friendly businesses, both in rural and urban locales of the State,” he said.

Talking about the potential of entrepreneurship, Dr. Shukla, further added, “Entrepreneurship has the potential to power over 70% of the State’s economy by imparting the right set of skills to the right set of people. The State Government’s focus on creating enterprises and the efforts therein will be the core driver towards mitigating poverty and generating employment through the strategy of New Enterprise Creation.”

Through these collaborative efforts with the Government and corporates, in Kerala, EDII has so far impacted the lives of more than 45,000 people across 14 districts.