Rural business hub scheme launched in Uttar Pradesh

The Rural Business Hub (RBH) scheme, jointly launched by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj, is taking roots in Uttar Pradesh. The first program was recently unveiled in the Mehsona Village (tehsil Sandila), Hardoi.

Mansoor Nadeem Lari, chairman and managing director, Rainbow group of companies, said: “We have signed an MoU with the Panchayat to provide training for the stitching of chikan garments to about 20 women from the village. The objective of RBH is to involve the industry in the improvement / refinement of locally available resources and produce international-quality products.”

Lari is engaged in the manufacturing and export of chikan apparel and home furnishings. Around 400,000 artisans are directly and indirectly engaged in the chikan industry around Lucknow.

Under the scheme, the industry provides interventions in terms of technology and know-how, raw material, standardisation and quality enhancement measures, value addition, branding and marketing, training and skill development.

“Once the training is complete, we will also provide work on contract basis, thus enabling skilled craftspeople to earn a livelihood,” added Lari.

“Poor market linkages, presence of intermediaries, lack of standardisation and grading has hindered the development of rural talent. Under this initiative we will synergistically link rural products, skills and produces with the marketing and professional skills of the industry,” he added.

Last year’s exports from the state accounted for Rs 25, 000 crore, about 33 per cent of the total exports from the country. The share of textile and ready-made garments, which also includes chikan clothes, was just Rs 1,500 crore.

“Chikan craft has immense export value and it is a market related product. In order to utilise the potential to fullest and catch the customer’s attention, we need to provide them quality product,” Lari said.