MAM
Britannia Marie Gold in partnership with NSDC announces India’s first Skill Development Program for homemakers to startup
MUMBAI: Britannia Marie Gold has announced the launch of the second season of its annual ‘Britannia Marie Gold My Startup’ initiative which provides financial assistance to homemakers with entrepreneurial ideas. This year, the brand has partnered with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to launch India’s first-ever skill development programme customized for women with entrepreneurial aspirations. 10,000 women homemakers from across the country will undergo this online certification course between April and June 2020. The online training touches upon all key levers of entrepreneurship. The Britannia Marie Gold My Start Up initiative is designed to help India’s homemakers become financially independent and transform them into job creators.
The online courses will be available through NSDC’s eSkillIndia portal that drives Government of India‘s Skill India Mission digitally. The e-courses will empower women to gain basic communication skills, financial literacy along with information and communication technology (ICT), and micro entrepreneurial skills for socio economic self-reliance. The online nature of the training provides easy access to the courses from the comfort of their homes across the country. The primary aim is to train women on key functional skills to boost their confidence at the start of their entrepreneurial journey. The training program will be available in two languages – English and Hindi. The digital skilling content will be supported by formative and summative assessments, and eCertification will be awarded to the participants upon successful completion of the course.
Britannia’s ‘My Startup’ Initiative also provides financial assistance to homemakers who have entrepreneurial ideas backed by a practical business plan. To participate in the program, the homemakers can give a missed call, send a WhatsApp message to the number provided on the Britannia Marie Gold pack or log on to www.mystartupcontest.com and share their business idea.
Britannia Marie Gold launched the ‘My Marie My Startup’ campaign in the year 2019 on the back of a Nationwide Survey on Barriers and Triggers to Women Entrepreneurship in India conducted in 2018. The overwhelming response of 1.5 million entries in the first Edition of the campaign and the insights gained thereof encouraged the brand to add skill development as a core delivery in the initiative this year.
Talking about the second edition of Britannia Marie Gold My Start Up campaign and partnership with NSDC, Britannia Industries head of marketing Vinay Subramanyam said: “Britannia Marie Gold My Start Up initiative aims to fulfill Indian women’s aspirations of embarking on an entrepreneurial journey and gaining financial independence. We believe that homemakers are the drivers of growth for a country's success. They have uninhibited energy, endless love and limitless patience. They exhibit an entrepreneurial aptitude in their everyday lives. And yet they seek to do more and be more. This is the rationale for the "Britannia MarieGold My Start up" initiative. Data from a nationwide survey we conducted also pointed out that skill development was a crucial need along with finances. We found the perfect partner in National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to develop and deliver the requisite skills. The scale of the initiative this year has increased manifold with 10,000 homemakers going through an online, certified skill development program. Our partnership with NSDC will help build a vibrant ecosystem and facilitate micro entrepreneurship amongst women.”
Commending the campaign, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said: “In India only 22 per cent women work while the global average is about 48 per cent. A report by McKinsey specifies that if we reach the world average it would add another USD 700 billion to our economy and for India to grow at high rates of 9 to 10 per cent would not be possible without the participation of women as key entrepreneurs. I would like to compliment this unique initiative by Britannia Marie Gold and the National Skill Development Corporation to transform homemakers to entrepreneurs. We are in the midst of a massive technological disruption and this initiative creates huge opportunities and redefines our existing boundaries in innovation. They are opening up new avenues for business, innovation and entrepreneurship. I am particularly delighted that through this initiative there will be more opportunities for homemakers because women in India have a great spirit for innovation and the resilience to make the best of every available resource and without them it would not be possible for the country to grow, expand and progress.”
The 21st century poses many challenges that require new ways of thinking, but nothing is more important than the economic role of women in a rapidly changing world. A key pillar to lead this transformation is skill development.
Sharing his thoughts on the same, NSDC MD and CEO Manish Kumar quoted, “Women constitute 48 per cent of Indian population but as per estimates only 23 per cent participate in labour force. Skilling initiatives especially focused towards Entrepreneurship and Gig Economy is the need of the hour given that 229.2 million, out of the 301.5 million who are not in the labour force, state their status as ‘attending domestic duties’ and innovative approaches that create economic opportunities for them without conflicting with social needs will be a win-win solution for all. If we could add 20 percentage point more to women labor force, India's GDP will go up by more than 1 trillion USD.”
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship joint secretary Anuradha Vemuri said: “In the modern world, more and more women are emerging as beacons, leaders in integral roles contributing towards the nation’s growth. They are change-makers and custodians of a value system that holds the keys to the society’s development. Through their enterprise and compassion, women today are not only transforming their own lives but are also inspiring others to do better. The Government’s vision of Skill India rides on the ability of women to rise as entrepreneurs and employers and we are focusing all our energies to create conditions that empower women to strive for their dreams and ambitions. We will continue to be catalysts in the journey to unlock their potential and help them find success.”
Aspiring women entrepreneurs can log onto www.mystartupcontest.com for more details and participation criteria.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
