THE QUEEN OF SKILLING

In Haryana's heartland, a skill training model is linking rural youth to jobs once thought out of reach

- By ANILESH S. MAHAJAN

In 2012, Shruti Malik Oberoi made a bold choice that reshaped her life and the lives of hundreds around her.

After a successful stint at Sapient Nitro in Gurugram, she walked away from the corporate hustle and the city's maddening rush. Her heart was set on Yamunanagar, her hometown in Haryana, where she could live close to her loved ones and pursue work that carried deeper meaning. What looked like a retreat from ambition was, in fact, the start of an inspiring entrepreneurial journey. "I always wanted to impact lives, rather than doing a nine-to-five corporate job," says 35-year-old Shruti.

The best part was that her decision coincided with a national awakening for skill development. India was innovating aggressively to bridge the skill gap, with new programmes launched by the government and industry to prepare rural youths for modern jobs. Shruti spotted this wave early and pivoted into the skill development ecosystem. Thus was born Iris Learnings, an experiment in grassroots empowerment.