by Ashis Sinha
Bokaro: In a significant stride towards empowering rural communities, Dalmia Bharat Foundation (DBF), the corporate social responsibility wing of major Indian cement producer Dalmia Bharat Limited, has launched a novel microenterprise program in Gorabali village of Bokaro district, Jharkhand.
The initiative, part of DBF’s flagship Gram Parivartan (Village Transformation) project, saw the inauguration of five new micro-businesses – four grocery stores and one cosmetics shop – in the village under North Gorabali Panchayat.
This move aims to catalyze sustainable economic growth and bolster livelihoods in the region by providing financial aid, entrepreneurial training and handholding support to help village residents set up and run their own small enterprises successfully.
Presiding over the inauguration ceremony attended by local dignitaries and community members, Priya Ranjan, Bokaro plant head of Dalmia Cement Bharat Limited, highlighted the company’s grassroots focus.
“At Dalmia Bharat, we are committed to socio-economic development at the grassroots level, creating opportunities for a sustainable future. These new microenterprises will generate jobs, enhance living standards and spur economic activities in Gorabali,” Ranjan stated.
All the new microentrepreneurs received assistance from DBF in securing bank loans to set up their businesses under the transformative Gram Parivartan program. The ambitious project envisions bolstering annual household incomes by Rs 1,000,000 through strategic interventions in agriculture, skill development and entrepreneurship – a multipronged approach to reduce rural poverty and improve quality of life.