Ethical micro-businesses — with Skilleit and Literacy India
Why this matters
In a densely populated India, jobs are scarce—but skills and ambition aren’t. With the right guidance, a learned skill becomes a livelihood, and a livelihood becomes a job creator. That is the purpose of the Grassroot Business Incubation Program (GBIP): to help women and youth turn skill into enterprise—with pricing, customers, operations, UPI/banking, and an Integrity Pledge at the core.
Built with: Skilleit, led by Founder & CEO Kunnwar Vijay Parmar and Ritu Srivastava
Since 2023: 11 sessions across 8 states, 380+ young women from 18 centres, with 80%+ starting or expanding local ventures.
Impact in brief
Micro-businesses launched or expanded in tailoring, beauty & wellness, mobile/electrical repair, culinary services, dairy/goat rearing, and local supply shops
Focus on financial security (cashbook, pricing, savings, UPI), health insurance awareness (including government schemes), and ethical practices (no adulteration, honest weights, fair pricing)
Spotlight Stories
Neha — Shahpur (Noida)
From setback to starter plan
Neha, 18, had to leave school when her father lost his job and turned to alcohol. While caring for her siblings and supporting her mother (a domestic worker), she re-enrolled in Class 10 through open schooling and joined Beauty & Wellness training. Finishing as a top performer, she entered GBIP, where she learned entrepreneurship, customer service, and basic business management.
Next step: work at a local salon to sharpen her craft and systems; then open her own parlour.
“The training has given me the ideas and confidence to run my own parlour one day—not just to seek a job, but to become a job provider.”
Munesh Kumari — Mandkola (Haryana)
From basic tailoring to boutique vision
Munesh, 38, mother of three, faced uncertainty after the family lost their agricultural land and had to survive on leased fields. With a Class 10 education and few local opportunities, she enrolled in a six-month Stitching & Tailoring course and completed it. A visit to the Indha production unit showed her what advanced stitching and market-ready products look like. Through GBIP, she learned sourcing, costing, and product design.
Next step: a home-based boutique that brings steady income—and a role model for rural women.
“If I can do it from a small village, others can too.”
What makes GBIP different
Learn → Do → Earn: practical tools, field tasks, and a short sales pilot
Ethics as strategy: an Integrity Pledge—no shortcuts, honest measures, safe inputs
Financial safety net: cashbooks, savings habits, and insurance awareness for families
Market linkages: pop-ups, local fairs, B2B sampling, and WhatsApp catalogue plans
Mentorship: post-training incubation support to troubleshoot and grow
The learning journey
1. Entrepreneurship Foundations (purpose vs profit, mindset)
2. Market Research & Opportunity (customers, competition, validation)
3. Simple Business Planning (USP/positioning, one-page plan)
4. Financial Literacy (costs, pricing, cashbook, banking & UPI; insurance awareness)
5. Marketing & Brand Basics (story, channels, WhatsApp catalogue)
6. Operations & Quality (SOPs, inventory, supplier terms, service)
7. Compliance Awareness (registrations/permits, fair practices)
8. Customer Service & CRM (feedback loops, retention)
9. Growth & Team (unit economics, risks, roles)
10. Sustainability & Social Impact (ethical sourcing, waste-to-worth)
11. Adaptability & Innovation (learn from pilots, pivot)
12. Pitch & Incubation (5-minute pitch, mentoring, market access)
Literacy India goes beyond “educating” and “empowering” because learning without livelihood is a half-finished bridge. We pair skills with markets, ethics with enterprise, and confidence with a safety net—so a lesson becomes income, dignity, and resilience at home. When a first job turns into a first micro-business, children stay in school, mothers stand taller, and neighbourhoods start to hire. That is our why: not just taught minds, but steady lives—and a culture of integrity that multiplies opportunity for everyone.
