Specialized skills development company, Drishtee, announced the expansion of its piloted training and education program to build capacity for rural youth in India, as part as its Business Call to Action (BCtA) commitment.

Drishtee is a growing social enterprise that works in low-income rural communities to provide sustainable livelihood options. As part of their commitment to the BCtA, Drishtee aims to support the creation of 21,000 new start-up enterprises in rural India and support 750,000 rural youth to find improved employment through vocational training.

Drishtee is utilizing its platform spanning nearly 6,000 villages to develop livelihoods beyond its role as an ICT organization. The company is increasingly recognized as an efficient 'last-mile' distribution network and is aiming to become the preferred 'first-mile' out of the village.

Villages in India are facing a basic sustainability challenge, forcing migration of members of families to cities in search of employment. Drishtee encourages members within these communities to initiate livelihood generating activities in the form of micro-enterprises. These enterprises range from ICT, rural BPO, farming and textiles, and provide not just an excellent platform for creating local livelihood opportunities, but also create work options for people to stay in their local communities.

To address the gap between existing skills and those actually in demand, Drishtee is working to improve access to quality training programs and has created training centers operating as rural schools and community vocational centers. Drishtee's vocational courses provide technical training and linkage to subsequent employment opportunities through a network of rural outsourcing centers. Since inception, the company's skills development training has helped mobilize an estimated 14,000 entrepreneurs from rural communities in India.

Drishtee continues to play a vital role in low-income communities by providing end-to-end support in the form of capacity building, credit linkage and market access, and by leveraging a number of key partnerships. With the support of the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), the company is focused on capacity building and specialized training to meet the needs for a skilled workforce. By expanding training and engaging youth communities in rural regions, Drishtee hopes to develop entrepreneurs and prepare young people to meet the new demands of evolving industries and sectors of growth.

Drishtee has been acknowledged and recognized for several pioneering initiatives, including e-governance for rural areas and private services tele-centres, which have been replicated and utilized by the Indian government; rural BPOs, which work on obtaining outsourced work from Indian urban areas; and rural supply chains. The company is also working to develop linkages with universities, corporations, and individuals in a continuing effort to scale up and develop successful programs.