A training centre in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh is carving out a concrete path to financial independence for rural women. The RSETI centre located in Husaini offers free vocational courses covering skills such as making agarbatti and dhoop batti as well as beauty parlour techniques. Beyond the training itself, women who complete these courses stand to receive loans of up to Rs 5 lakh to fund the launch of their own home-based ventures.
How the Programme Works
Women across Firozabad are joining local self-help groups to gain access to this training. The starting point is connecting with a group operating in one's own neighbourhood, after which a woman can approach the RSETI centre or the relevant department directly and begin her chosen course. All the training is provided free of charge. Current offerings include agarbatti and dhoop batti manufacturing as well as beauty parlour skills, with different programmes introduced at different times of the year based on season and demand.
Kiran: From a Village in Tundla to the Training Centre
Kiran, who lives in a village in Tundla, said she came to know about a local group after finishing her household responsibilities each day. She joined the group, which eventually brought her to the RSETI centre, where she is now undergoing training in making dhoop batti and agarbatti. Her plan once she has mastered these skills is to set up a small business she can run without stepping out of her home.
Kamla Devi Steps Into Self-Reliance
Fellow trainee Kamla Devi says that before she joined the programme, she was not involved in any kind of paid work and spent her days entirely at home. That has now changed: she is undergoing training in agarbatti and dhoop batti making at the same centre, alongside several other women. She believes the skills she picks up here will give her a practical route to building a livelihood from within her own home.
Rani, the trainer running the sessions at the centre, noted that women from rural areas surrounding Firozabad are arriving for training on a regular basis. She explained that the process starts with joining a neighbourhood self-help group, after which women receive both the training itself and guidance for setting up self-employment.
Loans Up to Rs 5 Lakh to Get Businesses Started
Financial support is built into the design of the programme. Trainer Rani confirmed that women who complete their training at the centre are eligible for loans of up to Rs 5 lakh to establish their own businesses. The purpose of this financial provision is to ensure that after gaining marketable skills, women also have the capital needed to actually start earning, making genuine self-reliance a practical reality rather than just an aspiration.
Beauty Parlour Courses Open a New Chapter
Nihaarika Sharma, enrolled in the beauty parlour course, said she came specifically to take advantage of the free training on offer. She is learning all the essential techniques at the centre and applying herself carefully to each one. Her intention after finishing the course is to open her own beauty parlour and begin earning independently.
Another participant, Hemlata, pointed out that the centre introduces different courses throughout the year. This summer, the focus is on beauty parlour skills, and she attends every single day to absorb the curriculum thoroughly. Once the course concludes, she plans to open her own beauty parlour, which she sees as her clearest route to lasting financial independence and self-sufficiency.
