NewzVille Desk
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in partnership with the Vertis Foundation is driving meaningful social impact through ‘Project Saksham’, an initiative focused on empowering rural women through structured skill development for sustainable livelihood opportunities. Beyond skilling, the initiative aims to create pathways for long-term financial independence and social empowerment.
Project Saksham operates through a network of 12 training centres across the country, providing access to underserved communities to industry-relevant skills and pathways into the formal workforce. The initiative has trained over 6,000 youth, with more than 4,000 successfully placed across various sectors.
Beneficiaries are earning average monthly income of Rs 15,000 often surpassing entry-level wage benchmarks in several states. Notably, over 80% of the beneficiaries are women, underscoring the program’s strong emphasis on gender-led empowerment.
Aligned with NHAI’s broader vision of inclusive infrastructure development, Project Saksham is anchored in the belief that communities residing along the National Highways, in particular rural women, should directly benefit from the economic opportunities generated by infrastructure expansion.
The initiative seeks to bridge the gap by enabling access to skills, employment and financial independence for communities that are connected, yet often excluded from the economic momentum surrounding infrastructure expansion.
Project Saksham is distinguished by its strong on-ground engagement model. Field teams work closely within rural communities, engaging with families to build trust, address socio-cultural barriers and encourage participation of women in skill development and employment opportunities, often for the first time.
Participants are trained in a diverse range of vocational skills, including electrical work, plumbing, appliance repair, tailoring, general duty assistant nursing and multi-skill technician training.
