Mumbai, August 14, 2026: Ambuja Foundation and Aramco have extended their “Empowering Women” initiative in Dadri, Gautam Buddha Nagar, for another year, with the 2026 phase focused on strengthening skills and livelihood opportunities for rural women.
The programme will provide training in stitching, tailoring, garment making and block printing, building on the work undertaken in 2025 through a Common Facility Center (CFC). The first phase trained 200 women, including 100 who received advanced training. Forty-five women have since started entrepreneurial activities and are earning income through tailoring at the production unit.
In 2026, the initiative will engage 245 women from nearby villages. Basic training will be provided to 200 newly mobilised women, while 100 beneficiaries from the 2026 batch and 100 graduates from the 2025 batch will receive advanced training. Another 45 women will receive specialised training in block printing to diversify their livelihood opportunities.
The CFC will also be strengthened as a production and training facility with industrial sewing machines, block design facilities, solar energy solutions and safety measures aligned with industrial practices. The initiative will support trained women in establishing an Off-Farm Producer Organization (OFPO), including registration under the Companies Act, enabling beneficiaries to participate as shareholders and contribute to its management.
The programme is also aligned with the One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme and will focus on developing market linkages for the OFPO. Planned interventions include B2B and B2C opportunities, improved packaging and branding, e-commerce access, participation in exhibitions and fairs, and product development support from industry experts.
The initiative will additionally support the establishment of a raw material bank and strengthen the governance and operational capacity of the producer group managing the CFC.
Abdulrahman Althukair, Managing Director of Aramco India, said: “As part of Aramco’s Global Citizenship Program, we aim to support rural communities and empower future generations through sustainable development, education, and energy access. Building on the success of Phase I of the project, which led to the establishment of a Common Facility Center with Ambuja Foundation in Jarcha village in 2025, Aramco is pleased to continue expanding the scope of the ‘Empowering Women’ initiative in 2026. The next phase will focus on enhancing women’s skills in tailoring and block printing through the establishment of another CFC with solar energy, creating sustainable livelihood opportunities and expanding the impact of the project to a larger group of beneficiaries.”
Chandrakant Kumbhani, CEO of Ambuja Foundation, said: “By collaborating with like-minded partners, we can achieve scale and amplify the impact exponentially. As we see the growing demand for a skilled workforce across sectors, bridging the skill gap has become more critical than ever. In collaboration with Aramco, we are committed to empowering rural women with sector-specific skills and creating a lasting, positive impact on their lives.”
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