Mumbai : To ensure continued upskilling and recognition of retailers, PayNearby has joined hands with the Retailers Association’s Skill Council of India (RASCI) to certify retailers for Individual Sales Professional / Self Employed, Retailer and Distributor Salesman job roles. The company wishes to reach out to 20 lakh retailers at the earliest through existing digital channels and help upskill and certify the retailers. Through a rigorous process of audit and training, RASCI in partnership with PayNearby conducted a pilot to assess & certify more than 24,000 retailers as of March 2019, under the national flagship skilling initiative Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).
PayNearby has been working closely with retailers at the last mile to make them the torch bearers of financial inclusion at the first mile. The company’s mission to make ‘Har Dukaan Digital Pradhan’ is envisaged to empower the local retailer and create a thriving eco-system for the local community. PayNearby has successfully enabled Digital Pradhans to provide many essential services to their local communities, including Aadhaar banking, domestic deposits/remittances, insurance, access to government schemes and many more.
Commenting on this accomplishment, Mr. Anand Kumar Bajaj, Founder & CEO, PayNearby remarked, “Retailing in India is one of the pillars of our socio-economic structure, with retailers having deep rooted relationships in the local communities. For India to thrive and grow, it is important that the owner manned small and medium shops, who form the bulk of the retail industry, are given the necessary support and tools to stay relevant in the fast evolving economy.
It has been our mission to partner with retailer friends across the country and bridge the digital divide that exists in India. We are fortunate and extremely proud of our 8,00,000 strong and growing retailer base, who provide Bharat with all the essential financial inclusion & other services, that the masses were deprived of till date.
As an organization, PayNearby acknowledges the deep symbiotic relationship that it has with the retailer community, and the company wants to take all possible steps to ensure the health and recognition of retailers. An important milestone in this direction is the partnership with RASCI, an autonomous industry-led body under the National Skill Development Corporation.
The partnership will enable upskilling and certification of close to 20 lakh uncertified retailers and provide them with enhanced recognition and social boost that they deserve. We look forward to working closely with RASCI to upskill and conduct certification of the retailer workforce as per the National Skill Qualification framework (NSQF).”
Commenting on this, Mr. James Raphael, Executive Head & Joint Central Apprenticeship Adviser, RASCI said, “PayNearby is pioneering great work for retailers and we are happy to partner with them in upskilling the retailer workforce leading to enhanced recognition and pride through NSQF Certification, aligned with the Skill India Mission under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. This initiative would help trigger the retailer transition from the traditional to modern way of retailing as “Job Generators” for relevantly skilled “Job Seekers”, nearby.”
