In a quest to formalize the unorganised sector and upskill the street food vendors, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) today announced to skill the street vendors of East Delhiand make themeligible for e-cart licenses, improving the hygiene conditionsin food preparation andaesthetics of vending.

The initiative will be implemented under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0.

The objective of this programmeis to provide relevantskills to the Street Food Vendors, leading towards better services to consumers, more opportunities to vendors for revenue generation, awareness on regulations and stipulated rules, in return providingbetter services to the local bodies. In its pilot phase with East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), Skill India aims at upskilling 2,500 vendors, aged between 23 to 55 years.

Launching the initiative, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; and Ministry of Electronics and IT, said that India is land to 55 Lakh Street Food Vendors, their contribution to the informal economy is 14% which is not a small number and highlights the important role played by them in India’s economy.

Before the able leadership of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the upliftment of our Street Food Vendors lacked attention and focus.

However, with his vision, as we celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to celebrate India’s rich heritage, this is the first time, schemes like SVANidhi and RPL training for Street Food Vendors have been introduced, especially after the COVID-19, where retail and street vending segments were hugely impacted, he added.

The Minister highlighted that the conduct and well-being of Street Food Vendors define how their respective cities are perceived, therefore, their upskilling is an imperative. He further said that Government is committed towards the welfare of Street Vendors.

Expressing his views on the initiative, Shri Shyam Sundar Agarwal, Mayor, East Delhi thanked Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for his vision of empowering India’s workforce with skills.

His focus on improving the conditions of Street Food Vendors will surely help them lift their working and living conditions, he added. Shri Agarwal further said that by upskilling the vendors and providing them with loans for accessing e-cart licenses under this initiative, we will ensure that no vendor is left job less.

Further, this initiative will also provide social security and safety to 4,000 vendors of East Delhi and 25 lakh street vendors, nationally, he added.

The project will be implemented by the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Council (THSSC) and training partners of NSDC. The two training partners recommended by THSSC areLearnet Institute of Skills and Tata STRIVE. Under the initiative, the Street Food Vendors will be educated on health and safety standards, safety provisions under COVID-19 protocols, effective communication techniques withstaff and customers, new-age skills such as digital literacy, financial literacy, digital payments and e-selling.

The vendors will also be supported withloans under the Mudra Scheme.

MSDE, NSDC and THSSC will provide necessary knowledge and skillsto the Street Food Vendors throughthis programme to increase productivity and enhance their livelihoods.

The inaugural batches will take place at EDMC Headquarters and the remaining beneficiaries will be trained in their respective wards/zones in a decentralized mode.

EDMC will identify schools and community halls to conduct this four-day training programme.