New Delhi- Breaking barriers and fostering inclusivity, the Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust (BYST) and India’s largest Dalits’ Industry body, Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) have forged a transformative alliance aimed at empowering Dalit youth across India.

This groundbreaking partnership, signed on April 26th in Delhi, signifies a pivotal step towards creating 5000 Dalit entrepreneurs, 20% of which will be women.

Through a comprehensive framework of credit support, training, and counseling, BYST and DICCI aspire to catalyze a wave of entrepreneurship, transcending the boundaries of caste-based discrimination and unlocking the economic potential of marginalized communities.

Through this partnership, BYST and DICCI will provide counseling to 1000 Dalit young entrepreneurs. These youth will be counseled by BYST’s network of mentors and Mentor Clinics on basic concepts of entrepreneurship, banking practices, customer relations, account keeping, project preparation, and soft skills in the art of selling, etc.

The free training program (Entrepreneur Online Learning- EOL) will last for 2-3 days and will enable them to fine-tune and convert their ideas into concrete business plans. BYST and DICCI will also extend credit linkages and mentoring support to 250 Dalit youth with an average loan ticket size of 4 lakhs per individual to facilitate easy establishment and running of business. Access to credit will be provided through BYST’s extensive network of institutional lending partners like Bank of Baroda (BOB), Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Indian Bank, IDBI, State Bank of India, and Central Bank of India.

High-flier Dalit entrepreneur members of DICCI will also get training and support under the Sustaining Entrepreneurship & Green business Program, which provides a basic understanding of (ESG) Environmental, Social, Gender, and Governance aspects and its integration into business practices. These entrepreneurs have a minimum turnover in the range of 10-20 lakhs and generate a minimum of 8-10 direct jobs.

Commenting on the collaboration, Lakshmi Venkataraman Venkatesan, Founding and Managing Trustee of Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust, said, “The Dalit community still faces challenges due to discrimination, hindering their pursuit of high-paying jobs and business opportunities. Barriers like limited access to capital, resources, and mentoring support persist, hindering their success. Caste-based discrimination is evident in banking and corporate settings, which makes equitable access to opportunities even more important. Eradicating caste biases is crucial for nurturing an inclusive economy. "

She further said, "When I heard Dr. Ambedkar's quote from my father Honorable former President Mr. R Venkataraman, “If you believe in living a respectable life, you believe in self-help which is the best help,” it resonated deeply with me. By incorporating affirmative action in higher education institutions, Dr. Ambedkar ensured that generations of Dalit youth would be able to compete on a more equal footing in the livelihoods sphere. For me, personally, Dr. Ambedkar’s quote served as a guiding principle when I founded Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust in 1992, with the goal of enabling India's underserved youth to become job creators, rather than job seekers. This partnership strengthens our commitment to empower Dalit entrepreneurship in India.”

DICCI Founder Chairman Padmashri Dr. Milind Kamble stated that while DICCI is working on the vision of Developed India @2047, towards the empowerment of SCs, STs Entrepreneurs covering their social, educational, and economic empowerment, with access to build and sustain competitive manufacturing enterprises, both large and small, and realize the vision of Make in India for the world, Dalit Entrepreneurs need to be supported, strengthened, and empowered. This partnership with BYST would enable accelerating the economic growth, a sizeable potential of the SC entrepreneurship for sustainable inclusive development.

Additionally, BYST will provide mentor development accreditation to the members of DICCI through mentor training and assessment, mentor practical training, mentor peer learning, mentor certification, and mentor upskilling through webinars, bi-monthly networking meets, mentor chapters programs. BYST will support DICCI in co-creating an entrepreneurship ecosystem in the educational institutes and Incubation centers. BYST and DICCI will also work together on organizing seminars and workshops on B2B, B2C, B2G engagement, policymaking with governments and industries, participating in business trade fairs, and convergence with Government SC/ST schemes.

Padmashri Ravi Narra, President, DICCI, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “DICCI has Established Business Facilitation Centers (BFCs) in 5 locations (Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Bhopal Jaipur), to identify aspiring and existing SC-ST entrepreneurs to bring them into the fold of a highly professional Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and handhold them for success.

This partnership with BYST through Mentoring clinics would nourish entrepreneurship and providing support every step of the way, BYST and DICCI look forward to converting the dreams of SC/ST entrepreneurs into reality.

About BYST-

For the past three decades, BYST has been creating economic opportunities for young men and women from marginalized sections of Indian society.

BYST assists disadvantaged youth in developing business ideas into viable enterprises under the guidance of mentors, fostering a transition from job seekers to job creators. To date, BYST has mentored rural entrepreneurs, generating 3,20,000 employment opportunities (direct & indirect) across the country.