Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar attended the inauguration of a sewing training centre run by Antyodaya Foundation in village Sandhir, Nilokheri assembly constituency, on Sunday, 26 July 2026, marking the initiative as a step toward making rural women self-reliant through skill development.

Context

Posting in Hindi on X, Khattar described the event as an 'अभिनव पहल' ('innovative initiative') aimed at making women self-reliant. He stated that such training centres 'provide rural women with self-employment opportunities through skill development, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to their family's economic progress.' The minister congratulated the entire Antyodaya Foundation team for the 'commendable and public-welfare initiative.'

The centre is located in Sandhir village within the Nilokheri Vidhan Sabha segment of Karnal district, Haryana. Nilokheri falls in Khattar's home state, where he served as Chief Minister before being elevated to the Union Cabinet.

Policy Backdrop

The inauguration fits within a broader framework of centrally and state-sponsored skill programmes targeting rural women. The Skill India Mission, launched in 2015, expanded vocational training with a specific focus on women's self-employment. The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), operational since 2011, has promoted self-help groups and skill centres across rural India.

Sewing and tailoring centres have been among the most widely deployed interventions under these frameworks, given low infrastructure costs and immediate income-generation potential. Antyodaya Foundation is positioned as a grassroots implementing body channelling this policy intent at the village level.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries are rural women in and around Sandhir village who gain access to certified vocational training without travelling to urban centres. Khattar noted his confidence that 'this effort will pave the way for new opportunities, self-confidence, and self-reliance in the lives of many sisters.'

For Antyodaya Foundation, the minister's attendance lends institutional visibility to its operations. Analysts of rural livelihood programmes note that political endorsement at this level can accelerate access to state funding, infrastructure support, and eventual linkages with formal certification bodies.

What's Next

Observers will watch whether Antyodaya Foundation scales its centres to additional blocks in Karnal district or other parts of Haryana. A potential formal tie-up with the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) could provide nationally recognised certification and dedicated funding for trainees. Women who complete the programme and obtain certification would be eligible for credit linkages under self-help group schemes, potentially widening the economic impact beyond the inaugural batch.