May 12, 2015: Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of one the world’s leading exhibition organisers, today announced a skill development drive as part of its corporate social responsibility. The initiative, undertaken following the World Labour Day, rests on multiple pillars of skill development, social entrepreneurship and women empowerment.
The first phase of this drive will begin from the Jaunti village in North West Delhi. Jaunti, a small village situated in north western outer of the capital city, is known to have given three international players – one of whom has won the Arjuna award while another got a gold medal in kabaddi. Most of people of the Jaunti village are engaged in primary activity. Nearly 15% of the male and 2% of the female are in government job. However, there is neither a proper transport facility nor a skill development center in the village. With the objective to impart basic skill development tools and hands-on training to villagers, this employment-oriented skill building programme strives to empower women and community at large.
The company has tied up with NGO Social Action Forum for Manav Adhikar (SAFMA) to identify people from each family who could be trained for special skills in order to support their families. Villagers will be given practical training at partnering schools to develop art, crafts and products with the use of techniques such as tie-dye, batik on fabric, applique and embroidery, jewellery making, paper art, DIY products, foam board products and wall art designs, which can then be sold to the market. Trained professionals will be supported to find suitable jobs on basis of their certifications and skills.
Mrs Charu Walikhana, President, SAFMA said: “We are happy to associate with Messe Frankfurt India in a bid to enable the people from the lower strata acquire adequate training and skills that can open up employment opportunities. Through this initiative, we can secure financial freedom of a number of families by making them self-reliant. Moreover, it will help rural women and girls enhance their confidence and become independent.”
Messe Frankfurt, since its inception, has been committed to supporting developments, contributing to economic growth and improving the quality of life for the communities where it operates. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is therefore an integral part of its corporate philosophy. Many of Indian subsidiary’s leading exhibitions and conferences constantly target areas such as energy efficiency, water management, waste management, recycling and eco-textiles. For instance, the company’s recently concluded exhibition, LED Expo in Mumbai, drew attention to the adoption of energy-efficient LED lights.
A week before this energy-efficient lighting exhibition, Messe Frankfurt India had undertaken a city-wide initiative to promote LED lights. The awareness drive, carried out to amplify the message of ‘Switching to LED Lights’ to save energy and costs, received good response with trade professionals from across western and southern region visiting the fair to understand the benefits and get competitive deals from the 117 companies from seven countries who were displaying their latest LED lighting solutions and components.
Carrying forward the company’s responsible corporate philosophy, Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member of Messe Frankfurt Asia Holding Ltd said: “Messe Frankfurt strongly believes in investing beyond business, for the larger good of the society and long-term social and economic development. For this, we endeavour to channelise resources to ensure that people acquire knowledge and skills that can make them self-reliant. We are also proud to be engaged with an event like LED Expo which aims to address India’s energy concerns by driving market adoption of energy efficient lighting and can illuminate the quality of life in India and around the world.”
Events currently organised by Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India include ACMA Automechanika New Delhi, Automotive Engineering Show, Ambiente India, Heimtextil India, Media Expo, Techtextil India, Light India, SPS Automaton India, Motek & Control India, Secutech India, Watertech India, Cleantech India and Wastetech India.
For more information, please visit www.in.messefrankfurt.com
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world’s leading trade fair organisers, generating around €550* million in sales and employing more than 2200* people worldwide. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries and around 50 international Sales Partners, allowing it to serve its customers on location in more than 160 countries. Messe Frankfurt events take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2014, Messe Frankfurt organised a total of 120* trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany.
Comprising an area of 578,000 square metres, Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds are home to ten exhibition halls. The company also operates two congress centres. The company is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent.
