Skill India partners with Coca-Cola India to launch Retailer Skill Development Program to empower retailers in Odisha

The program facilitates the empowerment and progress of the retailers, marking a significant milestone in Skill India’s efforts to support the workforce.

To empower the retailer community in the states of Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), working under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) announced a partnership with Coca-Cola India to launch the Super Power Retailer Program under the Skill India Mission. The program is being piloted in the state of Odisha.

The partnership was formally announced in the esteemed presence of the Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan; Ved Mani Tiwari, COO, NSDC; and Sanket Ray, President, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia. (Handout)

According to a press release by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the partnership was formally announced in the esteemed presence of the Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan; Ved Mani Tiwari, COO, NSDC; and Sanket Ray, President, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia.

The program facilitates the empowerment and progress of the retailers, marking a significant milestone in Skill India’s efforts to support the workforce. The initiative focuses on enabling retailers by focusing on building their capacity and capability in today’s modern retailing sector. It focuses on providing training to small and micro retailers, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to better understand consumer behaviours and their preferences. It aims to provide retailers with skills, tools and techniques that are required to succeed in the constantly changing retailer ecosystem and to spread knowledge of best practices, equipping traditional retailers with the right skill set necessary to make their business more profitable, as well as build their business skills, informed the ministry.

According to the press release, the Super Power Retailer Program will offer industry-specific skills such as customer management, inventory and stock management, financial management etc. that are tailored to the professional needs of retailers, making the retailer proficient and enhancing their knowledge. As part of the program, the participants will undergo a 14-hour training which will comprise of two hours of classroom session and 12 hours of digital training. The training will include physical classroom sessions along with an app-based Learning Management System (LMS) that is accessible on mobile and handheld devices for online modules. The modules will be hosted on Skill India Digital’s platform (SID) and the training will be executed through a multimedia approach with a blend of videos and texts, by experienced trainers facilitating learning. The participants will receive a certificate upon completion of classroom, online training, and assessment modules.

“As the auspicious celebrations of Durga Puja begin today, we launch the Super Power Retailer program in partnership with Coca-Cola India to empower our retailers and provide training to them on expanding their businesses and enhancing consumer experiences. I am confident that the initiative will play a pivotal role in strengthening India’s economy by skilling, reskilling, and upskilling the retailers by paving the way for their growth. I congratulate all the successful self-reliant retailers who have been awarded today," said Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.

Under the partnership, NSDC will support Coca-Cola India in expanding the program's outreach on SID. This involves creating and refining training content that aligns with industry-specific skill requirements. Additionally, NSDC will facilitate the recruitment of trainers for program implementation and ensure a seamless learning experience by providing the requisite training infrastructure, mentioned the press release.