Under the Ministry of Textiles, The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Patna has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd., (ABFRL) for providing industry-relevant skills to the rural women of Bihar and also giving them direct access to employment opportunities.
Women from self-help groups (SHGs), known as Jeevika Didis, under this collaboration, will be given training at the NIFT Extension Centre in quality control, garment manufacturing and machinery operations. The participants are getting prepared for jobs through this programme at ABFRL’s upcoming textile manufacturing unit in Begusarai district.
With further plans to extend the programme to adjoining districts, an estimated 3.5 lakh women from the region are expected to benefit from it.
“With this MoU, the Jeevika Didis trained at the NIFT Extension Centre will now have direct access to formal industry jobs at ABFRL’s factory,” said Union Minister of Textiles, Giriraj Singh.
Implemented by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society with support from the Government of India and the World Bank, the Jeevika programme has mobilised over 1.4 crore rural women into SHGs.
With the focus being majorly on microfinance and local enterprises, the women are directly linked to the formal industrial economy through the new MoU, marking a significant expansion of their opportunities. The training by ABFRL is aligned with the demands of modern textile production.
Combining industry needs with academic expertise from NIFT, the partnership is positioned as a replicable model of academia–industry collaboration for women’s empowerment and skill development across India.
In addition to providing immediate employment, the programme is anticipated to increase rural women’s social dignity, financial independence and household decision-making authority.
It is also anticipated that the opening of ABFRL’s Begusarai facility will support Bihar’s industrial development and expand job prospects for the local labour force.
