ICECD

What ICECD does

International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development (ICECD) is a private, non-profit development organization founded in 1986 by Dr. Hina Shah in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The organization focuses on entrepreneurship development, capacity building, and sustainable livelihood training for socio-economically disadvantaged populations — primarily women, youth, rural, tribal, and urban-marginalized groups across India and 55+ developing countries. Its operating methodology is the 'Three-Level Model' spanning grassroots direct empowerment, institutional capacity building via Training of Trainers (ToT) cascades, and policy-level advocacy, complemented by a 'Training Before Lending' pedagogy and a self-sustaining revolving microfinance corpus.

ICECD's product portfolio comprises Women Entrepreneurship Development (WED) programs, MSME development programs, Holistic Village Development programs, Socio-Economic Development programs, Safety Training (notably the Castrol/Tata Motors 'Minimum Mandatory Standards Programme'), Training of Trainers programs, and two online certificate courses — the 6-week Certificate Course in Sustainable Development and the 3-month Certificate Course in Rural Development Management. Underlying assets include proprietary curricula co-published with ILO, Commonwealth Secretariat, and GTZ Germany. Distribution is entirely grant- and partnership-driven: programs flow through Government of India ministries and national financial institutions (NABARD, SIDBI), corporate CSR wings (Amazon, Tata Group, Bajaj Group, Castrol, British Gas), multilateral agencies (UN-ESCAP, ILO, UNIDO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group/IFC), and bilateral aid donors (DANIDA, NORAD, CIDA, IFAD, GTZ/GIZ, USAID). ICECD operates with a lean headcount of 32 staff while sustaining a ToT-trained network of 5,500+ Indian and 4,000+ international trainers across 1,350 national and 950 international partner organizations, having cumulatively supported 200,000+ entrepreneurs and mobilized approximately US$120 million in women-led enterprise investment. Reported metrics include 1.5 million jobs created, 1 million+ women and families reached through 200+ villages, and 50,000+ child labor cases addressed through mothers' micro-enterprises.

Name

ICECD

Legal name

International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development

Website

https://icecd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICECD is a 1986-founded, Ahmedabad-based non-profit that delivers entrepreneurship training, microfinance linkages, and capacity-building programs to disadvantaged women, youth, and rural communities across India and 55+ developing countries through a Training-of-Trainers cascade model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Development Training

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Access & Quality (International Development) (BPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship development training
• Women empowerment programs
• Rural development management
• Capacity building services
• Micro-enterprise development

Headquarters

HQ city

Ahmedabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Project Funding: ICECD receives project grants and contracts from Government of India ministries and departments (Ministry of Science & Technology, Women & Child Development, Social Welfare, Rural Development, Tribal Affairs) and national financial institutions (NABARD, SIDBI) to implement entrepreneurship development and rural development programs.
2. Corporate CSR Partnerships: Corporate social responsibility wings of large MNCs and companies (Amazon, Tata Group, Bajaj Group, Castrol, Tata Motors, Cairn Energy, British Gas) fund and collaborate on programs for women empowerment, skill development, and rural entrepreneurship.
3. International Development Agency Funding: Grants and project funding from international organizations including ILO, UNIDO, UNICEF, UNFPA, CARE, Commonwealth Secretariat, DANIDA, World Bank Group, NORAD, CIDA, IFAD, GTZ/GIZ, and UN-ESCAP for implementing programs in India and other countries.
4. Education and Training Course Fees: Revenue from certificate courses including the Certificate Course in Sustainable Development (6 weeks online) and Certificate Course in Rural Development Management (3 months online), targeting development professionals, NGO workers, government officials, and students.
5. Institutional Capacity Building Services: ICECD provides Training of Trainers services to NGOs, colleges, universities, Panchayat Raj Institutions, government departments, and corporations, building their capacity to deliver entrepreneurship and development programs independently.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICECD is a non-profit development organization founded in 1986 that delivers entrepreneurship training, micro-enterprise development programs, and capacity building services for women, youth, rural, tribal, and urban disadvantaged populations across India and 55+ countries. It sells structured Training of Trainers (TOT) programs to NGOs, government bodies, corporate CSR teams, and educational institutions, plus online certificate courses in Rural Development Management and Sustainable Development, all built around its signature Three-Level (Grassroot, Institutional, Policy) development model.

Product overview

ICECD (International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development) is a development organization founded in 1986 that offers a portfolio of training programs, certificate courses, and capacity building services focused on entrepreneurship development, rural development, and women's empowerment. The core offerings include two main certificate courses: the 3-month Certificate Course in Rural Development Management (CRDM) and the 6-week Certificate Course in Sustainable Development. Beyond formal education, ICECD provides Women Entrepreneurship Development (WED) Programs, MSME Development Programs, Holistic Village Development Programs, Safety Training Programs, and Socio-Economic Development Programs. These programs work through a Three-Level Model approach encompassing grassroots direct empowerment, institutional capacity building through Training of Trainers, and policy-level interventions. The organization specializes in reaching disadvantaged populations including rural, tribal, urban slum dwellers, women, and marginalized youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certificate Course in Rural Development Management (CRDM)

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ entrepreneurs created (100,000 India + 100,000 international)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Government of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986Government of India ministries and departments including Ministry of Science & Technology, Women & Child Development, Social Welfare, Rural Development, and Tribal Affairs. ICECD implements government-sponsored entrepreneurship development and rural development programs nationwide.
• ILO (International Labour Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICECD partners with ILO for implementing international labor standards and entrepreneurship development programs, including development of training manuals and curriculum published for ILO.
• UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for promoting entrepreneurship and SME development with UNIDO's global network and technical expertise.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with UNICEF on child development, adolescent empowerment, and community health programs integrated with entrepreneurship development.
• UNFPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for reproductive health interventions, adolescent girls empowerment, and population development programs alongside entrepreneurship training.
• CARE India / CARE InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with CARE for implementing women empowerment, livelihood, and community development programs targeting marginalized populations.
• Commonwealth SecretariatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded 'Best Project in Asia' (1996-1999) by Commonwealth Secretariat. ICECD developed curriculum and training manuals published by the Commonwealth for international use.
• GTZ/GIZ GermanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICECD developed books and manuals published by GTZ Germany for international entrepreneurship development training.
• Amazon CaresminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate CSR partnership with Amazon for supporting women entrepreneurs and livelihood development programs through Amazon's corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• Tata GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing partnership with Tata Group for CSR implementations focused on women entrepreneurship, rural development, and skill training programs across India.
• Bajaj GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate CSR partnership with Bajaj Group for women empowerment, entrepreneurship development, and community welfare programs.
• Castrol India Ltd.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Castrol India for industrial safety training programs, including the Creating Safety Champions in Automobile Sector initiative implemented pan-India.
• Tata MotorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Tata Motors and Castrol for the Minimum Mandatory Standards Programme for industrial safety training at Tata Motors dealer workshops and authorized service stations across India, reaching 1,675 participants.
• Cherie Blair FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Cherie Blair Foundation for Women for supporting and mentoring women entrepreneurs in India through capacity building and entrepreneurship training.
• Dharma LifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Dharma Life for Training of Trainers program on solar lighting entrepreneurship. Over 1,000 rural entrepreneurs trained by Dharma Life. ICECD conducted Needs Assessment for digitizing the Entrepreneurship Development Module with Dharma Life and IFC.
• British GasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate CSR partnership with British Gas for energy access and livelihood programs in India.
• Frontier MarketsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Frontier Markets (a rural distribution company) for developing women entrepreneurs as solar lighting distributors. ICECD conducted TOT for Frontier Market's resource team at Ahmedabad, with programs later replicated in Bihar and Rajasthan.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association): India-based membership organization for self-employed women in the informal economy. Directly comparable to ICECD on women-focused microenterprise development, livelihood training, and financial inclusion, though operating at much larger scale primarily within Gujarat and India.
• PRADAN (Professional Assistance for Development Action): India-based NGO working with rural women to build sustainable livelihoods through Self-Help Groups and microenterprises. Closely comparable to ICECD's grassroots women's entrepreneurship model and rural community mobilization approach.
• Trickle Up: International NGO focused on extreme poverty through livelihoods and microenterprise for women and people with disabilities. Comparable to ICECD on targeting the poorest women, capacity building, and graduation-style programs that move beneficiaries from subsistence to sustainable enterprises.
• Hand in Hand International: India-rooted international NGO focused on poverty eradication through women's entrepreneurship and microenterprise development. Directly comparable to ICECD on the training-before-credit methodology, SHG formation, and community-led enterprise creation model.
• Grameen Foundation: International nonprofit working on microfinance, women's economic empowerment, and poverty alleviation. Comparable to ICECD's microfinance-plus-training model and global footprint in developing economies, though more technology-enabled in delivery.
• Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: International foundation supporting women entrepreneurs in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Already an ICECD partner and directly comparable on mentoring, capacity building, and growth-stage support for women-led enterprises in developing economies.

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: One of the world's largest international development NGOs operating across Asia and Africa. Comparable to ICECD on microfinance, women's empowerment, skills training, and ToT-based scaling, but at vastly larger scale and broader programmatic scope.
• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian and development NGO operating in 40+ countries. Comparable on entrepreneurship and youth livelihoods programming, though Mercy Corps operates at much larger scale with broader sectoral coverage.
• CARE International: Major international humanitarian and development organization present in 100+ countries. Comparable to ICECD on women's economic empowerment, livelihood training, and partnership-driven program delivery; CARE is also an active partner of ICECD.

Regional players

• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC): India's flagship public-private skills development body. Comparable to ICECD on entrepreneurship and skill training for disadvantaged groups in India, but operates as a government-backed umbrella entity rather than a grassroots implementation NGO.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@icecd
• Facebookfacebook.com/ICECDIndia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icecd
• Instagraminstagram.com/icecdindia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ICECD