Axis Bank Foundation Partners with AKRSPI for Rural Business Support

Axis Bank Foundation launches an ‘Enterprise Development Programme’ which will span 18 months to train and equip its partner NGOs on the know-how of rural entrepreneurship. This programme is designed in collaboration with Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India (AKRSPI) to promote and boost Sustainable Livelihood Development through Rural Enterprises & Entrepreneurship program.

Enterprise Development Programme will begin with a 3-day workshop in Netrang, Bharuch, Gujarat from 28th May 2024 to 30th May 2024.  The workshop will comprise interactive methods such as field visits, peer learning, expert interactions, simulations, and group assignments, ensuring an immersive and enriching collaborative learning experience. The programme will focus nurturing rural entrepreneurs, by providing them tools, inputs, and a deep understanding of rural business opportunities. Additionally, it will help the participating NGOs to build robust internalized systems and processes and train the participants for rural entrepreneurship development.

Key features of the programme include:

• Peer Learning Workshops: Facilitating knowledge exchange and collaborative learning.
• Guided Assignments: Providing practical, hands-on experience.
• Constant Coaching & Support: Ensuring continuous development and guidance.
• Engagement: Enabling discussions with multiple stakeholders.

“Launching the Enterprise Development Programme in partnership with AKRSPI marks a pivotal moment for us. Through this initiative, we are committed to focusing on our mission to enhance livelihood, foster economic mobility and provide opportunities to help rural families and communities thrive. The Enterprise Development Programme is dedicated to empowering rural entrepreneurs, nurturing sustainable livelihoods, and fostering economic growth. Through comprehensive tools, training, and steadfast support, we aim to cultivate a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem that not only tackles unemployment but also enhanced capacities of rural communities,” said Dhruvi Shah, ET and CEO, Axis Bank Foundation while talking about the programme.

“At AKRSPI, we believe in the power of grassroots entrepreneurs to drive meaningful change in rural areas. Rural and tribal areas in our country have huge inheritance potential to generate large scale employment through small business, to realise its full potential needed a collaborative and nurturing ecosystem. The enterprise development programme with Axis Bank Foundation is a step in this direction. The programme aims to build capacity of rural entrepreneurs to ideate, start and expand their businesses. Climate change and Global warming are real threats to rural communities and their livelihoods, investment in rural entrepreneurs will create diversified source of income and help in building stronger, more resilient communities’’– said Naveen Patidar, CEO, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme-India.

This collaboration underscores a significant commitment to tackling unemployment and fostering sustainable livelihoods through rural entrepreneurship. By supporting rural entrepreneurs and enhancing their business turnovers, the Enterprise Development Programme is set to make a meaningful impact on rural economies. This initiative highlights the power of collaboration and innovation in addressing India’s employment challenges, paving the way for a brighter, more prosperous future for rural communities.