What Udhyam does

Udhyam is a rural entrepreneurship development program launched in 2017 and housed under Metores Trust, a charitable trust established in 1980 by the late Mr. Om Wadhwa, founder of JV Electronics. Operating primarily in Uttarakhand's Kumaon hill region across four districts (Almora, Bageshwar, Nainital and Pithoragarh), with planned expansion to Champawat, Udhyam identifies and supports entrepreneurs aged 18–35 by providing small-ticket loans (starting at Rs. 50,000), business mentorship, technical training and skill development. The program reports 750+ entrepreneurs supported, ₹8.5+ Crore in capital disbursed and 650+ additional jobs created across rural communities, with entrepreneur-reported income growth (e.g., one beneficiary's income rising from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 25,000 per month). Around this core program, the trust operates a portfolio of sub-brands: Udhyam Saheli (women's mentorship, launched April 2025 with a stated target to raise women's participation from 13.5% to 25%); Pahad Ke Rang (art mentorship launched in 2020); Khushi Ka Ek Din (women's well-being events since 2020, reaching 5,000+ women across 165 villages); Mountain Folk Festival (live music event, debuted September 2023); and Udaan (business-acceleration track for existing entrepreneurs).

The underlying operating model is non-commercial and entirely grant/donation funded through Metores Trust. There is no proprietary technology platform — distribution and mentoring are conducted by a 12-person in-house field team using direct community engagement, Google Forms for volunteer/aspirant applications, and organic social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube). Entrepreneurs span segments including general stores, tourism, garments/manufacturing/tailoring, electricals and mobile repair, beauty parlours, agriculture, animal husbandry, poultry and restaurants/dhabas, with rural women and rural artists (19–24 yrs) as additional named segments. The program explicitly aims to create economic alternatives to outmigration from Uttarakhand's hill communities and to enable reverse migration. Metores Trust itself also runs indirect education-focused initiatives across Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Ghaziabad and Pune through 10 partner NGOs, serving 9,201 total beneficiaries (5,645 direct, 3,556 indirect).

Name

Udhyam

Legal name

Metores Trust

Website

https://metorestrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Udhyam is a non-profit rural entrepreneurship program under Metores Trust that provides small loans, mentorship and skill training to young entrepreneurs (18–35) across four districts of Uttarakhand's Kumaon region, alongside sub-brands for women's entrepreneurship, art mentorship and community well-being.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Entrepreneurship Development / Social Impact Livelihoods

NAICS

All Other Business Support Services (561499)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Program & Project Implementation (TA Delivery) (BPADAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)

Keywords

• Rural entrepreneurship development
• Entrepreneurship mentorship program
• Microenterprise financing
• Women entrepreneurship support
• Art mentorship program

Headquarters

HQ city

Almora

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Non-profit / Grant-funded: Udhyam is a non-profit initiative under Metores Trust. It does not generate commercial revenue. The program is sustained through donations, grants, and charitable contributions to the parent trust. Capital deployed to entrepreneurs comes from the trust's funding sources, not revenue-generating activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Udhyam is a non-profit rural entrepreneurship development program operating in Uttarakhand's Kumaon region. It identifies and supports entrepreneurs aged 18-35 by providing business loans (starting at Rs. 50,000), technical training, business mentorship, and ongoing community support. Sub-programs include Udhyam Saheli for women entrepreneurs (launched April 2025), Pahad Ke Rang for rural artists (since 2020), Khushi Ka Ek Din for women's community bonding events, Udaan for business acceleration, and the Mountain Folk Festival.

Product overview

Udhyam is a rural entrepreneurship promotion program (founded 2017) operating under Metores Trust. It offers a suite of programs including the core Udhyam entrepreneurship support, Udhyam Saheli (women's mentorship, launched April 2025), Pahad Ke Rang (art mentorship since 2020), Khushi Ka Ek Din (women's happiness events), and Udaan (business acceleration). The programs work together to foster self-sustaining rural communities by generating employment and livelihood opportunities through financial assistance, mentorship, and skills development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Udhyam Saheli: Structured, time-bound business mentorship program exclusively for rural women, launched in April 2025, aiming to raise women's participation in entrepreneurship from 13.5% to 25%.
• Pahad Ke Rang
• Khushi Ka Ek Din
• Mountain Folk Festival

Products and services

• Udhyam A rural entrepreneurship promotion program for aspiring entrepreneurs aged 18-35 in Uttarakhand's Kumaon region, providing business loans (starting at Rs. 50,000), technical training, and ongoing mentorship to establish and grow micro and small businesses.
• Udhyam Saheli Women's entrepreneurship mentorship program exclusively for rural women in Uttarakhand hills, offering structured time-bound business mentorship aimed at growing female participation in entrepreneurship.
• Pahad Ke Rang Art mentorship program for rural artists aged 19-24 in Kumaon, providing residential workshops with senior artists, exposure visits to galleries and art schools, and exhibitions for showcasing and selling artwork.
• Khushi Ka Ek Din Women's community bonding program providing a day of celebration, relaxation, and togetherness for hardworking mountain women in Kumaon, including folk performances, live music, recreational games, beauty sessions, and cinema experiences.
• Mountain Folk Festival Annual music festival promoting Uttarakhand's vibrant music scene with local bands performing Kumaoni, Garhwali, and hybrid Indi-Kumaoni music, organized in response to demand for live music in the hills.
• Udaan Business acceleration program expanding support for existing Udhyam entrepreneurs to help them scale their businesses further.

Quantifiable outcome

• 750+ entrepreneurs enabled, ₹8.5+ Crore capital disbursed, 650+ jobs created
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PRADAN: Professional Assistance for Development Action is one of India's largest NGOs promoting rural livelihoods through self-help groups and entrepreneurship in similar hill and tribal geographies — the closest direct peer in mission and operating model.
• ACCESS Development Services: Livelihood promotion organization that builds capacities of rural producers and micro-entrepreneurs across India — directly comparable in promoting rural entrepreneurship with capital, training, and market linkage.
• Mann Deshi Foundation: Maharashtra-based organization promoting rural women entrepreneurship through business school, capital, and mentorship — highly comparable model to Udhyam Saheli's women's entrepreneurship focus.
• SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association): India's largest informal-sector women's organization, providing capital, training, and cooperative formation to women entrepreneurs — comparable in rural women's livelihood mission, though operating at much larger scale.
• BASIX (Bharatiya Samruddhi Investments and Consulting Services): Livelihood promotion institution providing financial and non-financial services to rural poor households across India — directly comparable in combining microfinance with entrepreneurship development services.

Emerging players

• Gramya Resource Centre: Smaller NGO focused on rural women entrepreneurship and micro-enterprise in Uttarakhand's hill districts — a regionally specialized emerging player overlapping with Udhyam's Kumaon focus.

Broad incumbents

• Tata Trusts: India's largest philanthropic foundation with extensive rural livelihoods portfolio across multiple states — broad incumbent in rural development philanthropy that competes for similar donor and program-partner mindshare.
• UNDP India: UN agency's India country office that funds and implements rural livelihoods and entrepreneurship programs through partner NGOs — broad incumbent that could be both competitor and potential funder for Udhyam.
• Sa-Dhan: National association of community development finance institutions in India representing MFIs and livelihood-promoting NGOs — comparable as a network/umbrella for organizations doing similar rural capital-and-mentorship work.
• NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development): India's apex development finance institution for agriculture and rural development — broader incumbent that funds many of the same livelihood programs, including through SHGs and rural entrepreneurship promotion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@udhyamruralhills
• Facebookfacebook.com/udhyamrural
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/udhyam-metores-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/udhyamrural

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Udhyam