Dr Reddy’s Foundation (DRF), a Hyderabad-based not-for-profit organisation, has launched a self-employment programme for Persons with Disability (PwD) in Telangana state. The initiative aims to work with over 1,000 PwD beneficiaries from five districts in financial year 2023-24. The pilot programme has started this financial year in Mahbubnagar district, in collaboration with SERP and SBI, and 30 beneficiaries have been provided with seed grants of Rs 25,000 each. The DRF team provided training in basic entrepreneurship skills and handholding support for six months to beneficiaries who run grocery, dairy, tailoring, fruit shops and other businesses. After the successful completion of the pilot programme, DRF plans to scale up the self-employment programme across the state with an objective to identify suitable and interested PwD aspirants between 18 to 45 years old and provide all necessary handholding support to initiate and run viable self-employment ventures successfully and enhance the business income three-fold in three years. DRF has trained close to 28,000 PwD aspirants across India in the past 12 years and placed 65% of them in formal employment.
