OREANDA-NEWS. July 11, 2011. Tata Power, India’s largest integrated power utility, in continuation with its efforts towards development of communities around its project areas, has undertaken various initiatives to increase employment generation opportunities and encourage entrepreneurship amongst women from villages around its Tiruldih project.

For this purpose, Tata Power is in the process of forming women SHGs in and around villages of the Tiruldih project area. The SHGs will be engaged in manufacturing designer eco-friendly carry bags, vanity bags, folders and files made of waste paper, old newspaper, packing boxes and old clothes.

Further, Tata Power is exploring a tie-up with a Kolkata-based NGO, Senate (social engineering and advance technical education). The NGO is engaged in imparting training for the development of entreprenuership, technical innovation as well as capacity building of relevent micro and medium enterprises. The initiative is aimed at cultivating entreprenuership and employment generation opportunites for the local communities.

Initially, a group of 20 – 25 women through SHGs, will be trained to manufacture the eco-friendly products and the initiative will be gradually scaled up. The products manufactured have huge demand and are likely to generate good sales, thus enabling individual women to earn around Rs2,500 per month. Senate will leverage its strong network of outlets across Kolkata for the sale of the products. Kolkata Engineering College and BIT – Mesra (Ranchi), NIFT and Nabard will provide the technical support required for manufacturing the eco-friendly products. Additionally, Senate's expertise in manufacturing products of daily use from various industrial, official and domestic wastes at low prices will be leveraged to train SHG members.

Speaking on the occasion, Praveer Sinha, EVP and head, eastern region projects, Tata Power, said, “ We are committed to the wellbeing of local communities and have introduced various initiatives focused on creating livelihood opportunities and entrepreneurship in harmony with nature. We are certain that the initiatives will receive encouraging response from womenfolk in the nearby villages.”

The SHGs will have the capabilities to customise the products as per specific requirements of clients, which will also be sold in the open market. Tata Power has already purchased products from the SHGs, which will be used across various units and divisions of the organisation.