In a quiet corner of Uttar Pradesh’s brass city, a grassroots initiative is rewriting the economic destinies of dozens of unemployed women, offering them not just skills but a pathway to financial independence that has long remained elusive in this region. Project Sneh, a non-governmental organisation founded in 2019 and led by social entrepreneur Shikha Gupta, has emerged as a beacon of women’s empowerment in Moradabad district, providing free vocational training in sewing, handicrafts, computer literacy, and artisanal crafts to women who previously had no access to formal skill development programmes.
Origins and Organisational Structure
Project Sneh — the word “sneh” translates to “affection” or “love” in Hindi — operates under the broader umbrella of the Sneh Social Welfare Foundation, which maintains its registered office in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. The organisation’s LinkedIn profile describes its mission across four pillars: Sustainability, Nurturing, Empowerment, and Health, with women’s empowerment, education, and nature conservation forming its core focus areas. Mrs. Shikha Gupta, the founder and driving force behind the initiative, has structured the programme around the belief that economic independence for women catalyses broader social transformation within families and communities.
The initiative gained significant visibility through a high-profile collaboration with global fashion retailer H&M, which began in 2019 and brought international attention to the craftsmanship of Moradabad’s rural women. This partnership transformed Project Sneh from a local NGO into a recognised supplier of handmade home décor products for international markets, creating a sustainable revenue model that supports ongoing training programmes.
Training Methodology and Curriculum
The training model follows a structured three-month formal curriculum after which participants graduate as skilled artisans. The programme encompasses multiple vocational tracks: sewing and tailoring, including basic to advanced garment construction; handicraft production, particularly handwoven seagrass baskets, braided rattan trays, and other home décor items; computer literacy through dedicated labs established in village centres; and artisanal skills such as tote bag manufacturing, herbal product preparation, and food processing.
Computer training labs have been established across 13 village locations in Moradabad district, with the most recent inaugurated in Bhola Singh ki Milak village under the “Project Panthini” banner. These 60-day courses cover basic computer operations, internet safety, and digital literacy — skills increasingly essential for participation in the modern economy. Simultaneously, sewing training centres in villages like Chaudharpur have completed multiple batches, with the third batch concluding in May 2024 and the sixth batch in July 2025, indicating sustained demand and operational continuity.youtube+2
Impact Metrics and Outcomes
Since its inception in 2019, Project Sneh has trained approximately 280 women through its formal programmes. A striking statistic from the H&M collaboration reveals that 90% of trained women choose to remain with the organisation after completing their three-month training period, transitioning from trainees to professional artisans producing goods for global brands. This retention rate significantly exceeds industry norms for vocational training programmes in Bharat, where dropout and non-placement rates often exceed 50%.
The economic impact extends beyond individual earnings. Women who complete the programme gain access to two primary employment pathways: joining Moradabad’s established craft manufacturing sector, which includes numerous export-oriented units, or establishing micro-enterprises in their home villages. The organisation also facilitates market linkages through its own production unit, where women create tote bags, purses, pouches, herbal hair oils, and culinary products such as garlic-coconut chutney and tea masala using locally sourced ingredients.
Community-Level Implementation
Project Sneh’s operational model emphasises decentralised, village-based training centres rather than a centralised urban facility. This approach addresses critical barriers — transportation costs, family obligations, and social restrictions on women’s mobility — that typically prevent rural women from accessing skill development programmes. Training centres have been established in villages including Bhola Singh ki Milak, Chaudharpur, and Faleda in Chhajlet block, bringing instruction directly to participants’ communities.youtube+2
The “Project Panthini” (meaning “female friend” or “companion”) branding for the computer lab initiative reflects a deliberate strategy of creating women-only learning spaces that feel safe and culturally appropriate. Each lab operates for 60-day cycles, with the 13th such lab inaugurated in February 2024, demonstrating programme scalability. Similarly, sewing training centres run in batches, with each cohort completing a structured curriculum from basic stitching to advanced garment production and bag-making for commercial orders.youtube+1
Broader Policy Context and Government Synergies
Project Sneh operates within a landscape of concurrent government initiatives targeting women’s economic empowerment in Uttar Pradesh. The state’s Mission Shakti programme, now in its third phase, has issued e-stamp vending licenses to women in Moradabad and facilitated self-help group (SHG) formation under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). The Uttar Pradesh government’s recent Shakti Card initiative aims to create 14,000 new SHGs in Moradabad alone, connecting 1.5 lakh women to economic activities with phased financial assistance totalling up to ₹2.5 lakh per group plus bank linkages.
The district already hosts 7,000 SHGs under NRLM, engaging approximately 70,000 women in self-employment activities ranging from canteen operations to handicraft production. Project Sneh distinguishes itself from these government schemes through its focus on high-value artisanal production for premium markets, its international brand partnerships, and its comprehensive three-month residential-style training model — features that complement rather than duplicate state programmes.
Challenges and Sustainability Considerations
Despite its successes, Project Sneh faces challenges typical of social enterprises in Bharat’s development sector. The organisation’s reliance on a single major commercial partner (H&M) for market access creates concentration risk. Funding sustainability beyond grant cycles and corporate social responsibility allocations remains an ongoing concern. Additionally, the programme’s geographic concentration in Moradabad district, while enabling deep community penetration, limits its direct impact to one district in a state where female labour force participation remains among the lowest nationally at approximately 14% according to Periodic Labour Force Survey data.
The Instagram post from June 24, 2026, highlighting “dozens of women becoming self-reliant after learning free skills” suggests continued programme activity and public visibility. However, independent verification of current enrolment numbers, placement rates, and income outcomes for recent cohorts was not available through publicly accessible sources at the time of writing.
Future Trajectory
As Project Sneh enters its seventh year, its leadership faces strategic decisions about scaling. Options include replicating the model in neighbouring districts such as Rampur, Bijnor, or Sambhal; deepening product diversification beyond home décor into apparel or wellness products; and pursuing additional corporate partnerships to reduce dependency on a single buyer. The organisation’s registration as a social welfare foundation provides legal standing for receiving foreign contributions under FCRA, potentially opening international philanthropic funding streams.
The broader significance of Project Sneh lies in its demonstration that market-linked, skill-based interventions can achieve high retention and income outcomes for rural women when training is accessible, culturally sensitive, and tied to genuine employment opportunities. In a state where women’s economic participation remains stubbornly low despite numerous government schemes, the Project Sneh model offers a replicable template for civil society organisations, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and public-private partnerships alike.
