The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, through the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), is supporting livelihood promotion and entrepreneurship development for Scheduled Tribe (ST) youth through the Livelihood Business Incubation Centre at Rourkela, Odisha. A Tripartite MoU was signed on 22.10.2026 between National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation under Ministry of Tribal Affairs, National Skill Development Corporation (NSIC) under Ministry of Medium and Small-Scale Industries (MSME), and Steel Authority of India Ltd. – Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP, Rourkela) under Ministry of Steel.
Focus on skill development and sustainable livelihoods:
Economic empowerment of a community can be made more effective only when there is a special focus to upgrade their skills and processes through providing of the required skills. Enrichment of skills and knowledge has to be intricately linked with the funding structure to facilitate creation of sustainable livelihood systems among the STs. Capacity building in specific job roles and imparting basic knowledge on financial aspects of marketing, branding are vital requirement for budding entrepreneurs.
Livelihood Business Incubation Centre at Rourkela:
Livelihood Incubation Centre at Rourkela, Odisha was established in 2018 which has been recognized as Center of Excellence by Ministry of Tribal Affairs is one such major step. This is a unique collaborative effort of three Ministries of Government of India and three Central level Apex PSUs under them namely, National Skill Development Corporation (NSIC) under Ministry of Medium and Small scale Industries (MSME), Steel Authority of India Ltd. – Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP, Rourkela) under Ministry of Steel and National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation under Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Training and entrepreneurship development:
The basic objective of the center is to provide training, skill development and entrepreneurship development programmes to local ST youths to promote sustainable enterprises. The idea is to raise confidence, improve productivity and give direction through proper livelihood creation by the synergy of training, and hand holding.
Courses covered for the students from ST community in the current year are Assistant Beautician, Self Employed Tailor, Assistant Computer Operator (Tally & Accounting), Assistant Electrician, Bread & Bakery Manufacturing, Mushroom Farming. Accordingly, the site is to be provided by Rourkela Steel Plant, Plant and Machinery are installed under ASPIRE scheme of MSME and recurring expenses of the center is being borne by NSTFDC through grant from Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The Centre offered training in various courses viz. Welding Technology, Furniture Manufacturing, Soya Milk extraction, Tofu Packaging, Beautician, Manufacturing Trade (Bread & Bakery) courses. The centre is creating awareness amongst the prospective trainees. More than 600 students had benefited from the Centre and had set up their own business activities in the various trades like bakery, mushroom cultivation, beauty parlour, tailoring etc.
Sh. T. Roumuan Paite, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and CMD NSTFDC graced the event along-with Sh. Kunj Bihari, Company Secretary, Ms. Bismita Das, AGM (Projects & CSR) and Sh. Sunil Sahoo, Chief Zonal Manager, East Zone.
Sh. Tapankumar G. Kanekar, CGM (TS & CSR) and Sh. R.S. Bora DGM (CSR) on behalf of SAIL and Sh. O.P. Singh, Sr. General Manager (Tech. Training & Development Vertical & SBU Head) and Sh. Markandey Kumar, Chief Manager on behalf of NSIC were present in the event.
Discussion on the functioning of the Centre:
There was an interactive session with the trainees, faculties and meeting with NSIC officials to discuss various issues pertaining to functioning of the Center. Way forward strategies regarding mobilization of candidates, working of current modules and other issues relating to progress of trainees were discussed.