Senior Consultant – Enterprise Promotion and Development

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About the Organization

LEAD is an action-oriented research centre of IFMR Society (a not-for-profit society registered under the Societies Act), leverages the power of research, innovation and co-creation to solve complex and pressing challenges in development. LEAD specialises in developing in-depth granular understanding of socio-economic contexts and harnessing actionable insights that have a wide range of applications in industry, policy, and academia. LEAD is a collaborative hub that brings experts from diverse disciplines and sectors together to develop innovative solutions by harnessing innovation, technology and analytics.

Job Description

We are seeking a dynamic professional for enterprise promotion and development to support rural SHG-made products and services. The role involves strategising, implementing, and monitoring enterprise development programs with a focus on women-led and community-based businesses. This will focus on supporting community-based enterprises to enhance their sustainability and profitability. 

Job Responsibilities

• Support the identification, incubation, and scaling of rural enterprises, including micro-enterprises, producer enterprises, and livelihood clusters promoted under NRLM;
• Support in promoting sector-specific rural enterprises in handicrafts and rural services;
• Promote enterprise diversification and value addition for non-farm livelihoods;
• Support in strengthening SHG-based enterprises, rural start-ups, and social enterprises by providing technical support and business advisory services;
• Support in strengthening enterprise incubation centres and rural business accelerators to support innovation and entrepreneurship;
• Conduct ToT programs for SHG members, Community Resource Persons (CRPs), CRP-EP (Community Resource Persons- Enterprise Development) and other key stakeholders on enterprise management, business planning, and financial literacy;
• Assist in developing training modules and manuals for enterprise promotion in rural areas;
• Ensure enterprises comply with quality, safety, and legal standards to enhance market access and scalability;
• Provide support in strengthening the business planning capacities of producer collectives and SHG-based enterprises;
• Provide support in facilitating access to finance for enterprises through SHG federations, banks, MFIs, and government schemes such as the Community Investment Fund (CIF) and Startup Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP);
• Support enterprises in preparing business proposals and credit linkage documentation;
• Help monitor the financial health of enterprises and support them in ensuring sustainability;
• Facilitate market access and linkages for rural enterprises through e-commerce, rural haats, bulk buyers, and corporate partnerships;
• Support in developing branding, packaging, and certification strategies for SHG-led enterprises;
• Conduct studies and feasibility assessments to identify high-potential sectors for enterprise promotion;
• Support the entrepreneurs in enhancing product quality and design;
• Work closely with government departments for convergence and resource mobilisation;
• Engage design experts and technical design institutions to provide hands-on support in improving product aesthetics, product innovation and functionality;
• Develop policy recommendations and innovative approaches to strengthen rural entrepreneurship ecosystems;
• Participate in the existing non-farm programs and initiatives;
• Build relations with potential clients, government departments, and private players for potential collaborations;
• Develop guidance notes, guidelines and other documents at the national level for supporting programme implementation;
• Support the NRLM team in collating inputs and preparation of annual action plan, data collection, periodic reports for NMMU based on SRLM’s inputs and rural enterprises/non-farm;
• Perform other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of NRLM.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• A postgraduate degree in Business Administration, Rural Management, Agribusiness, or related fields from an institute of national and international repute;
• 8+ years of relevant experience in enterprise development, entrepreneurship promotion, value chain strengthening, and business incubation, preferably under NRLM and/or other rural development programs;
• Experience in designing entrepreneurship development programs and fostering business sustainability;
• Familiarity with social media and web analytics;
• Strong understanding of NRLM frameworks, policies, and guidelines on enterprise promotion;
• Knowledge of government schemes like DAY-NRLM, SVEP, PMFME, DAY-NULM, and Mudra Yojana, etc., for enterprise promotion;
• Excellent communication and people skills;
• Proficiency in spoken and written English and Hindi is required.

Preferences:

• Experience in managing for rural poor and/or experience in enterprise promotion, business advisory services, forward and backward linkages;
• Strong expertise in promoting SHG-based enterprises, producer collectives, rural startups, and social enterprises;
• Understanding of rural business models, microfinance, and public-private partnerships for enterprise growth;
• Experience working with groups like SHGs, producer companies, joint liability groups, etc;
• Ability to travel as and when needed.

For more information please check the Link

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