Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched 3-Year Partnership with Meta: Empowering Education to Entrepreneurship

The government of India launched a 3-year partnership titled “Empowering Education to Entrepreneurship” between the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), and Meta on September 4^th, 2023.

The partnership was unveiled by Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan. Three Letters of Intent (LoI) were exchanged between Meta and NIESBUD, AICTE, and CBSE. The event was also attended by Minister of State for Education, Smt. Annpurna Devi, and Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Present at the event were several dignitaries and officials, including Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, Secretary of Higher Education; Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy; Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary of MSDE; Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman of AICTE; Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of the National Educational Technology Forum NBA NAAC; Shri Subhrakant Panda, President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI); along with senior representatives from various ministries, AICTE, CBSE, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD). Shri Shivnath Thukral, Director of Public Policy, India and South Asia at Meta, and Sandhya Devanathan, Vice President of Meta India, were also in attendance.

During the event, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan emphasized that the newly launched initiative aligns with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision to make India a global skill hub and empower our youth. He described the ‘Education to Entrepreneurship’ partnership as a transformative endeavor that will bring digital skilling to the grassroots, enhancing the skills of our youth and connecting them with advanced technologies, thereby shaping them into innovative problem solvers and entrepreneurs.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan stated that India’s democracy, demography, and diversity are to be connected with technology conversion so that technology becomes the equalizer for the entire society. Guided by the tenets of NEP, META’s partnerships with NIESBUD, CBSE and AICTE will catalyse infinite possibilities for equipping our population with critical digital skills and empowering micro entrepreneurs and small businesses, he added.

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar highlighted the government’s focus on equipping the youth and workforce with essential skills for success in today’s rapidly changing landscape. He also noted that digital skills serve as a bridge for small rural entrepreneurs, enabling growth and success.

In a video message, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, Sir Nick Clegg, expressed gratitude to Shri Dharmendra Pradhan for facilitating the partnership between the education and skilling sectors, emphasizing India’s talent pool and rapid digital adoption as ideal for investing in emerging technologies. He anticipated Meta’s role in empowering Indian students, youth, and entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on skill development for startups and businesses.

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Through the partnership with NIESBUD, Meta aims to provide digital marketing skills to 5 lakh entrepreneurs in the coming three years. Both aspiring and established entrepreneurs will receive training in digital marketing using Meta’s platforms, initially offered in seven regional languages. Three short films were also screened to provide details about the partnerships.