Phase I of Project Aarohi to train 50+ women in beautician training course for wage or self-employment in East Delhi slum areas and become self-reliant

APL Apollo Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of APL Apollo Group, launched Project Aarohi under its flagship programme for women empowerment, Tejaswini. Supported by APL Apollo Tubes Ltd, in Phase-I, Project Aarohi (derived from Aarohan meaning ascent) will provide vocational training in beautician trade and beauty parlour management to 50+ girls/women from underserved communities in East Delhi slum areas to help them become self-reliant.

Keeping in mind the fact that the Indian beauty and wellness sector is growing at a CAGR of 18% and is expected to reach INR 5 lakh crore by 2032*, the course curriculum of Project Aarohi has been curated basis the growth in the industry, need assessment done at the community level as well as considering specific requirements of women who were looking at both wage & self-employment and market demand.

According to Mrs Neera Gupta, Director, APL Apollo Foundation, “Constrained by social & cultural barriers, lack of skills, know-how, financial resources and networking opportunities, a large number of women are prevented from entering the workforce or prohibited from starting their own ventures.

By developing a customised beautician skill training curriculum under Project Aarohi, we at APL Apollo Foundation are committed to building a cadre of such community women who will not only be self-reliant themselves but will also benefit the beauty and wellness sector. We are confident that our women beneficiaries will contribute to the greater good of the society by gradually helping their families and community get educated and achieve economic independence.”

Mr Sanjay Gupta, Chairman, APL Apollo Group, said, “APL Apollo Group has always strived to do well by doing good. Promoting inclusive growth by consistently supporting development initiatives and community outreach efforts has been a key priority for the Group with women empowerment taking the centrestage. Our focus on providing skill training to women will not only enable them to earn a livelihood but will provide them with a sense of identity in their communities, include them financially and empower them socially. In my view, Project Aarohi will go a long way in harnessing the energies of women to bring about on-ground transformation for the betterment of the whole community.”

Apart from the intensive 4.5-month basic course, the beneficiaries of Project Aarohi will be provided advance training in Bridal Make-up, Nail Art, Mehndi Application, Hairstyling etc by industry experts. The beneficiaries will also be coached for employability and mock interview sessions will be conducted which will specifically be useful to those interested in wage employment. Along with these, soft skills, client handling, personal hygiene, entrepreneurship, inventory management, customer engagement, social media management, digital & financial literacy and internships/on-the-job training will also be provided with regular experience sharing and guidance on upskilling via alumni network groups for information exchange and updates through apps and physical meetings.