NIFT Patna Signed MoU with ABFRL to Train and Employ Jeevika SHG Women in Bihar’s Textile Sector.

In September 2025, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Patna, Bihar, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Limited (ABFRL) to provide skill development and employment opportunities to rural women of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under the Jeevika initiative, in the presence of Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh.

      - The MoU is focused on empowering Jeevika Didis, members of SHGs formed under the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (BRLPS), by training them with industry-relevant skills in the textile and apparel sector to improve their livelihoods.

      - The training program at NIFT Patna will include garment manufacturing techniques, quality control processes, and operation of textile machinery, enabling women to secure sustainable employment.

      - This initiative is directly linked with the upcoming manufacturing unit of ABFRL in Begusarai, Bihar, where trained Jeevika Didis will be given priority for placement in textile production roles.

Main Point :-   (i) The Jeevika program was launched in 2006 by the Government of Bihar with support from the World Bank (WB) to reduce rural poverty, promote women’s empowerment, and enhance income opportunities through SHGs.

      (ii) The collaboration between NIFT Patna and ABFRL is expected to strengthen the synergy between skill development and private sector employment, thereby boosting the textile industry and empowering rural women of Bihar.