Udhyam Learning Foundation

A mission to enable Rural and Peri-Urban Enterprises towards improving their systems, methods of working, address key business challenges and finally increase their earnings. Many of these are Women run enterprises that are supported through Self Help Groups (SHGs). Udhyam Vyapaar is currently working in the field directly with these Nano-Enterprises on a pilot program and helping them improve their Sourcing, Market Reach, Training and adopt Innovative Solutions. The solutions thus worked out for each sector will then be targeted for scaling up throughout India.

Entrepreneurial skills must be instilled from an early age, and to that end, Shiksha is enabling youth (between 14-22 yrs) to develop these mindsets and accentuating them with 21st century know-how. Our programs are focused on learning by doing. By channeling the real-world experiences gained from business projects and experiential curricula, our youth have the agency and necessary skills to tread new pathways that can take them to higher levels of success and happiness. The school curriculum (Grades 9 and 10) encourages students to experience entrepreneurial mindsets and skills with 25-30 hours of hands-on learning in class and 5-8 hours of real world action outside the classroom. The ITI curriculum on the other hand is designed as a primer program that leads to the selection of potential entrepreneurs for incubation. Here, the curriculum places greater emphasis on Real world business projects.

Through business projects, we offer a unique real-world engagement designed to give students the experience of going through the entrepreneurial journey from scratch while still in school (Grade 11 & 12).

This immersive and intensive experience is made real with the support of seed money of ₹2,000 per student. Students work in teams, pooling their money to fund their projects.
Students learn how to identify and pursue opportunities, collaborate with their team members, take risks with confidence, and learn by doing. This powerful experience has seen a transformational impact on student mindsets.

Istri Project is an initiative aimed at market transformation from coal as an input fuel to LPG for ironing vyapaaris.

Istri vyapaaris are ubiquitous in every neighbourhood across India. These vyapaaris primarily use Coal-based iron boxes. This key asset of their business has not evolved from 19th century.

An LPG Iron box, connected to a commercial cylinder, changes how a vyapaari operates his business - providing him/her nearly 25% income uplift, while also positively impacting health by preventing inhalation of coal fumes.

Till date, 5000+ Iron vyapaaris (ironing vendor) has seen a positive impact, and now we are aim to expand nationally to make India coal ironbox free.