HCL Foundation, which drives the corporate social responsibility agenda of global technology company HCL Tech in India, has signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with two departments of the Government of Tamil Nadu.
One is with StartupTN and the other with the Department of Employment and Training (DET), to enhance entrepreneurship and vocational education in the State. StartupTN, under the Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of Tamil Nadu, promotes innovation and start-ups and operates as a registered Section 8 company.
“Through this collaboration, we aim at supporting 100 startups over the next three years — providing mentoring, incubation, market linkage, and liaison support to help them scale and succeed,” said Sivarajah Ramanathan, CEO & Mission Director, StartupTN. This MoU for three years aims at fostering entrepreneurship among Tamil Nadu’s youth, promote inclusive innovation and strengthen the State’s start-up ecosystem for sustainable development and economic growth.
The second MoU is a renewal of an existing collaboration and was signed between the Department of Employment and Training (DET), Government of Tamil Nadu, and HCL Foundation. The agreement was formalized by B. Vishnu Chandran, Director of Employment and Training, and Nidhi Pundhir, SVP of Global CSR at HCL Tech and Director of HCL Foundation.
This five-year initiative aims at strengthening the vocational education system in the State through several measures, including the deployment of a ‘Skill Rath’ (mobile lab and awareness unit) to increase outreach in communities, the upgradation of curriculum in select trades, training programs for both students and trainers of Government ITIs and the promotion of sports to encourage holistic development.
“As India advances in technological innovation, it is imperative that our youth are equipped with future-ready skills such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and other emerging technologies,” Mr. Chandran said.
“By providing access to vocational education and supporting startups, we aim at creating sustainable opportunities that will contribute to the holistic development of the State,” said Nidhi Pundhir.
Published – June 14, 2025 12:57 am IST
