What Empower Pragati does

Empower Pragati Vocational & Staffing Pvt Ltd is a privately held, for-profit skill development organization headquartered in New Delhi, India, founded in 2010 as one of the first firms to receive support from the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). The company delivers vocational and employability training, job linkage, and upskilling programs for underprivileged youth across 23 of India's 28 states and 35 cities, organized under three operating pillars: grant-funded government scheme implementation (PMKVY via 28 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra centers, DDU-GKY, NSQF and multiple state skill missions), corporate CSR-funded training partnerships (Castrol Eklavya, M3M Kaushal Sambhal, AU Ignite, Redington Foundation, Generation India), and a fee-based commercial vertical called Empower Plus that operates branded beauty and wellness training academies in cities including Aurangabad, Bathinda, Meerut, and Patiala. Cumulative outcomes since 2010 exceed 500,000 youth trained and 100,000 job placements across 21 skill sectors and 55 job roles, with curriculum and certifications routed through NSDC and nine Sector Skill Councils.

The underlying technology stack is not publicly disclosed; the company operates 28 physical training centers and a digital learning property called Youvati (a beauty super app). Customer relationships are intermediated almost entirely through institutional counterparties—central and state government departments, Sector Skill Councils, and corporate CSR foundations—with end beneficiaries being individual youth trainees who are not paying customers in the grant-funded segment. The company monetizes through managed-services contracts with governments and CSR funders, plus one-time fee payments from Empower Plus learners. Headcount stands at 1,500+ employees distributed across India.

Leadership is led by Founder & Managing Director Rajiv Sharma (formerly CEO of Airtel Enterprise Services and senior roles at Kodak and HCL), supported by directors with backgrounds at LIC, XLRI Jamshedpur, Oberoi Hotels, Airtel, and multilateral institutions, and an NSDC-nominated director. The organization has been recognized internationally—selected as the first for-profit social enterprise in UNDP's Business Call to Action (BCtA) and awarded the ICICI CNBC Foundation Award for Established Social Business—though no institutional funding rounds, equity investors, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Empower Pragati

Legal name

Empower Pragati Vocational & Staffing Pvt Ltd

Website

https://empowerpragati.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Empower Pragati is a New Delhi-based skill development organization delivering vocational training, employability programs, and job linkages to underprivileged youth across 23 of India's 28 states through government scheme contracts, corporate CSR partnerships, and fee-based beauty and wellness academies under its Empower Plus brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Training and Skill Development Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Support Services (611710), Cosmetology and Barber Schools (611511), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce, Employability & Youth Skills Partnerships (EDADALAI), Leadership & People Skills (Influence, Managing Up, Supervisory Readiness) (EDAAAKAI), Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB), Leadership, Character Education & Values Development (EDAMAIAG)

Keywords

• Vocational skill training
• Skill development programs
• Employability training services
• CSR workforce skilling
• Beauty wellness training

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Project Grants: Grant-based funding from central and state government departments for vocational and skill training programs. Includes PMKVY, DDU-GKY, NSQF, and various state skill development missions.
2. CSR Projects: Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives where companies fund skill training programs. Partners include Castrol (Eklavya), M3M Foundation (Kaushal Sambhal), AU Foundation (AU IGNITE), Redington Foundation, and Generation India.
3. Fee-Based Training (Empower Plus): Commercial vocational training programs in beauty and wellness sector including cosmetology, hairdressing, skincare, and spa management. Programs offer industry-recognized certification for career advancement.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Empower Pragati delivers vocational and skill development training programs to underprivileged youth in India through government-funded schemes (PMKVY, DDU-GKY, NSQF) and corporate CSR partnerships, covering 21 sectors and 55+ job roles with NSDC-recognized certification. The company also operates a commercial fee-based vertical, Empower Plus, offering beauty and wellness courses in cosmetology, hairdressing, skincare, and spa management, complemented by the Youvati mobile app for digital beauty learning.

Product overview

Empower Pragati operates as a unified skill development ecosystem consisting of multiple interconnected programs and sub-brands. The core offering is vocational and employability skill training through government-funded programs (PMKVY, DDU-GKY, NSQF) and CSR initiatives. The commercial arm, Empower Plus, provides fee-based beauty and wellness training through physical centers, while Youvati serves as the digital learning companion for beauty education. These offerings span from grant-based government projects to fee-based commercial training, covering 15 sectors across 22+ states in India.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Youvati: Beauty super app developed by Empower Pragati for digital learning products
• Empower Plus
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK)

Products and services

• Empower Pragati Vocational Skill Training Programs Government and CSR-funded vocational training programs for underprivileged youth in India, offering industry-specific skill development, employability training, job linkages, and upskilling across 21+ sectors and 55+ job roles with NSDC-recognized certification.
• Empower Plus Beauty and Wellness Training Fee-based training vertical offering beauty and wellness courses in cosmetology, hairdressing, skincare, and spa management with industry-recognized certification, delivered at company-operated training centers in Aurangabad, Bathinda, Meerut, and Patiala.
• Youvati Beauty Super App Mobile beauty super app developed by Empower Pragati providing digital learning products and content for aspiring beauty professionals, available on the Google Play Store.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained 5,00,000+ youth across India
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010NSDC is the government's key certification partner, aiding in 21 different sectors of skill training. Empower Pragati was one of the first firms to receive NSDC support in 2010. Courses are designed and curriculum approved by NSDC, with final assessments conducted by NSDC for certain job roles.
• Sector Skill Councils (SSCs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSector-specific skill councils providing resources for specific job roles. Working with Agriculture Sector Skill Council of India, Automotive Skills Development Council, Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council, Electronics Sector Skills Council, Healthcare Sector Skill Council, IT/ITes Sector Skills Council, Retailers Association's Skill Council of India, Telecom Sector Skill Council, and Indian Institute of Banking and Finance.
• State Governments (Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborations with state governments to implement skill development programs through various state missions including OSDM, UPSDM, JSDM, BSDM, EGMM, ASAP, NULM, and SJSRY-STEP UP.
• Employment PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganizations helping provide sustainable employment to trainees upon completion of courses. Placements made based on skill-set acquired through training in suitable job roles.
• Rotary Club GurgaonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Udaan' initiative providing skill-based training to underprivileged children in Gurgaon, with Chairman Rajiv Sharma recognized for contributions to Rotary's mission of transforming lives.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Aptech Limited: Listed Indian vocational training and IT education company with a network of centers across India. Comparable in vocational course delivery and center-based training model, though more commercially oriented.
• Quess Corp: Large Indian business services platform with a dedicated skilling and education vertical serving enterprise and government customers. Comparable in vocational training and staffing adjacency, though diversified across many other services.
• Pratham Education Foundation: One of India's largest NGOs working in education and vocational skilling for underprivileged youth, with a national footprint. Overlaps in target beneficiary and life-skills curriculum focus, but operates more broadly in primary education.
• TeamLease Services: India's largest staffing and workforce solutions company with significant presence in skill development, apprenticeships, and government skilling programs. Comparable in placement-linked training, though operates at much larger scale and is for-profit listed.

Direct peers

• Centum Learning: India-focused vocational skilling and employability company that delivers government and CSR-funded programs across multiple sectors. Comparable in operating model, target segments, and NSDC partnership approach.
• Quest Alliance: India-based non-profit that equips underprivileged youth with employability and life skills through partnerships with government and corporate funders. Comparable beneficiary segment, funding model, and outcome metrics.
• Don Bosco Tech Society: Non-profit delivering technical and vocational training to underprivileged youth across India, with a multi-state network of training centers. Comparable scale, beneficiary profile, and government-skilling scheme participation.
• IL&FS Skills Development Corporation: One of India's largest vocational training organizations operating as an NSDC partner across multiple states and sectors. Direct peer in government-implemented skilling programs and placement-linked training.
• Magic Bus India Foundation: Non-profit focused on livelihood skilling for underprivileged youth in India, with programs in vocational training, life skills, and job linkages. Highly comparable in mission, target beneficiary, and placement-linked training model.

Emerging players

• Generation India: Non-profit that prepares young people for careers through employer-aligned training programs in India. Comparable in target beneficiary, outcome-driven model, and partnership-based program structure; currently a customer/funder of Empower Pragati.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PragatiEmpower
• Facebookfacebook.com/empowerpragati1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empowerpragati
• Instagraminstagram.com/empowerpragatiofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empower Pragati