BHUBANESWAR: While launching Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela, Union skill development and entrepreneurship minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday praised a young woman from Bhubaneswar for her idea to start a small-scale industry in the bakery and confectionery sector.

This 25-year-old woman K Krishnaveni Reddy is now doing apprenticeship at the Government ITI Bhubaneswar in baker and confectioner trade. During the interaction, Pradhan was particularly impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit of Reddy. She plans to start her own bakery.

“Union minister talked to me and enquired about my apprenticeship. He then asked me about my next plan. I told him that I will open a small-scale industry in the bakery sector. He expressed his happiness after listening to my idea,” said Reddy, a BSc graduate, who has also completed a one-year course on baker and confectioner trade.
The woman, who is originally from Ganjam, is now staying with husband at Maa Mangala Basti here. “I have started baking cakes, especially dry fruit cakes, fruit cakes and birthday cakes at home and delivering the order to people. “People give me orders through phone calls and WhatsApp messages and I deliver the order. It is among my known people. I will scale it up in future,” she added.

She has already worked in a popular hotel group in Bhubaneswar before. “I will work in a top hotel sometimes to understand the nitty-gritties of the customer choice and preparation of the food there. “After getting industry experience, I will start my own small-scale bakery industry in future,” she added.

Pradhan digitally inaugurated the launch of the National Apprenticeship Mela across more than 700 locations in the country. Over 4000 organisations from more than 30 industries, including power, retail, telecommunications, IT.ITeS, electronics, automotive, and others, participated in the event.

Individuals having a 5th–12th grade pass certificate, a skill training certificate, an ITI diploma, or a graduate degree were eligible to participate in the PM Apprenticeship Mela. The main objective of this programme was to encourage the hiring of approximately one lakh apprentices and to assist employers in identifying and developing their potential through training and practical skill sets, said the official sources.