Chennai, India – The HCL Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of global technology company HCL Tech, has entered into two significant Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Government of Tamil Nadu. These agreements, signed on June 14, aim to bolster vocational education and entrepreneurship in the region.
The first MoU, formed with StartupTN, a unit under the Department of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, focuses on fostering innovation and supporting start-ups. StartupTN, a registered Section 8 company, is dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and providing vital support to fledgling businesses. Over the next three years, the collaboration intends to assist 100 start-ups through mentorship, incubation, market linkage, and liaison support to enhance their growth and success.
Sivarajah Ramanathan, CEO and Mission Director of StartupTN, emphasized the goal of this partnership: "Through this collaboration, we aim at supporting 100 startups over the next three years — providing mentoring, incubation, market linkage, and liaison support to help them scale and succeed." This initiative seeks to cultivate entrepreneurship among Tamil Nadu's youth, advance inclusive innovation, and strengthen the state's start-up ecosystem for sustainable development and economic progress.
The second MoU renews an ongoing partnership between the HCL Foundation and the Department of Employment and Training (DET), Government of Tamil Nadu. This five-year initiative, formalized by B. Vishnu Chandran, Director of Employment and Training, and Nidhi Pundhir, SVP of Global CSR at HCL Tech and Director of HCL Foundation, concentrates on enhancing the vocational education system in the state. Notably, the project includes deploying a 'Skill Rath' — a mobile lab and awareness unit — to increase community outreach, upgrading curricula in select trades, providing training programs for students and trainers at government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and promoting sports for holistic development.
"As India advances in technological innovation, it is imperative that our youth are equipped with future-ready skills such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and other emerging technologies," Mr. Chandran stated. Nidhi Pundhir further added, "By providing access to vocational education and supporting startups, we aim at creating sustainable opportunities that will contribute to the holistic development of the State."
These strategic agreements underscore HCL Foundation's commitment to supporting Tamil Nadu's economic growth and ensuring the state's youth are prepared for future technological advancements.
