Location: Aduka Village, Chirawa Tehsil, Rajasthan
Programme: Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Institute (SEDI)
For years, Aduka was a village with limited opportunities for its youth. Employment was scarce, local businesses were few, and many families depended on nearby towns for work and services. Poor infrastructure and limited access to skill training restricted aspirations within the community. That began to change with the establishment of SEDI Chirawa in collaboration with Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation just 3.2 kilometres away. Since 2010, the institute has trained nearly 10,000 youth within a 50-kilometre radius across 500 villages. In Aduka alone, 177 young people have undergone skill training in trades ranging from automobile repair to digital services and entrepreneurship. What followed was not just individual employment, but a gradual shift in the village economy. Small businesses emerged, household incomes grew, and families increasingly viewed skill development as a pathway to stability and growth.
- Bringing Skills Closer to Rural Youth
- Creating a New Generation of Rural Entrepreneurs
- Modernising Traditional Livelihoods
- Expanding Opportunities Within the Village
- Reshaping the Village Economy
For many young people in Aduka, access to skill training had remained limited. SEDI’s proximity put vocational training within reach, opening pathways beyond daily wage work and migration. Courses combined technical skills with practical exposure, confidence building and entrepreneurship support, preparing youth for jobs and self-employment within their communities.
As more youth completed training, many began exploring business opportunities within the village. Small repair shops, digital service businesses and local enterprises emerged, creating new income opportunities closer to home. Skill training was no longer seen only as a route to jobs outside the village, but increasingly as a way to build businesses and generate local employment.
Nikhil Sharma’s journey highlights this transformation. His family owned the village’s only small photo studio, and he watched sadly as the business gradually lost relevance in an increasingly digital world. But after joining SEDI’s Domestic Data Entry Operator/Digital Mitra course in 2023, he learned digital editing, AI-supported design tools, photography enhancement and video production. He introduced these skills into his father’s studio, transforming it into a modern digital service centre offering photography, reels, video editing, drone shoots and promotional content for local businesses.
Today, the business earns nearly Rs. 6–7 lakh annually, employs three local youth and attracts customers from surrounding villages.
As more youth found jobs or started businesses, the village itself began changing. Families that once saw limited value in skill development now actively encourage young people to pursue training opportunities. Shops and services have expanded locally, reducing dependence on nearby towns. Improved connectivity and increased economic activity have also contributed to broader village development, including road upgrades and stronger infrastructure.
The transformation of Aduka reflects something larger than individual success stories. It shows how sustained investment in youth skill development can gradually reshape the economic and social fabric of a rural Community.
What was once seen as an overlooked village is steadily emerging as a more confident and aspirational community - where youth are not only finding employment, but creating enterprises, modernising livelihoods, and generating opportunities for others around them.
