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EaseMyTrip signs a MoU with the Ministry of Rural Development
Mumbai: EaseMyTrip.com, an online travel tech platform, signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Rural Development to train Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)‘s Women’s Self Help Groups (SHGs) members under the Lakhpati Didi Yojana to focus on women-led skill development allowing them to nurture their entrepreneurial skills and become financially independent. Through this strategic move, EaseMyTrip intends to empower members of SHGs in 800 districts across the country.
The Ministry of Rural Development’s Lakhpati Didi Yojana aims to train members, affectionately called Didis. It helps rural females set up micro-enterprises in their respective villages and earn a sustainable income of at least Rs. 1 lakh annually per household by leveraging their entrepreneurial skills. As per the MoU, MoRD will mobilise the SHG members and ensure their availability for the training by EaseMyTrip for the purpose. The eligibility criteria for selection of the Didis will be basic knowledge of reading & writing English / Hindi and knowledge of using a Computer & browsing the internet. The agreement enlists that EaseMyTrip shall contribute to this initiative by training and empowering 1 SHG member per block across 800 districts in India. The members will be trained in making travel reservations across all essential segments, including trains, buses, hotels, and flights. Additionally, EaseMyTrip will provide them with the required digital tools and impart education on integral aspects like searching, booking, making payments, and printing tickets on behalf of the customers. The selected members can be called ‘Ticket Wali Didi’.
Excited to start the project, EaseMyTrip CEO and co-founder Nishant Pitti said, “We strongly believe that empowering women is integral to the socio-economic growth of the country. Women’s representation is gradually taking an upturn in the entrepreneurial scenario, and they are acing the game with their multifaceted skills. However, their potential is yet to be unlocked in rural areas. Initiatives like the Lakhpati Didi Yojana empower rural women, helping them become financially independent by leveraging their inherent entrepreneurial skills. Through this historic agreement with the Ministry of Rural Development, we aim to train and equip members of Self-Help Groups and build future women entrepreneurs.
As a part of the alliance, EaseMyTrip will conduct the Pilot project across 10 Blocks in Districts identified by the MoRD which are Patna, Begusarai, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Bhopal, Ujjain, Ayodhya and Varanasi. Initially, the trial will be conducted at the specified locations, followed by the full-scale rollout. The agreement further binds that for every booking the members complete, EaseMyTrip will share the generated revenue with them, enabling them to be financially self-reliant. Additionally, its platform will be available and accessible for the selected member. In the next 3 weeks, the remaining nine blocks will also be covered.
Expressing his thoughts on the partnership, Minister of Rural Development Giriraj Singh stated; “We are committed to ensuring the holistic development of women in rural areas. The Lakhpati Didi Yojana is a testament to our dedication to empowering women and fostering entrepreneurship at the grassroots level. This strategic partnership with EaseMyTrip will provide invaluable training and opportunities for women’s self-help groups across the nation, enabling them to become financially independent and contribute meaningfully to their communities.”
Currently, 83 lakh SHGs with nine crore women are transforming the rural socio-economic landscape and have trained one crore females to become lakhpati didis. Through this MoU, EaseMyTrip intends to contribute to this cause and help rural females become financially independent.
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MS Dhoni joins Cars24’s Crashfree India as Goodwill Ambassador
Cricketing legend lends his voice to the fight against road fatalities in India.
MUMBAI: MS Dhoni has traded his cricket whites for a new kind of captaincy, one that aims to save lives on India’s roads. The former India captain has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Crashfree India, Cars24’s national road safety initiative. The move brings one of the country’s most trusted and disciplined public figures to a cause that desperately needs both credibility and urgency.
India continues to record the highest number of traffic fatalities globally. In 2024 alone, 1,80,000 people lost their lives on Indian roads, one every three minutes. The country has roughly 1% of the world’s vehicles but accounts for 11 per cent of global road deaths. Shockingly, 66 per cent of those killed were between 18 and 34 years old, the most productive age group, and nearly 10,000 were school students. Seven in ten fatalities were linked to overspeeding.
Dhoni, known for his calm judgment under pressure, did not mince words when speaking about the issue. “A vehicle gives you freedom, but it also gives you responsibility,” he said. “On our roads, too many people still see safety as a rule to follow only when someone is watching. That mindset has cost us far too much.”
He added: “We already know what is going wrong. We know how many lives are being lost. What we need now is not more excuses. We need more responsibility, more discipline, and more respect for life.”
For Cars24, the association goes beyond a celebrity endorsement. Founder and CEO Vikram Chopra described Dhoni’s involvement as a game-changer: “His understanding of Indian roads is grounded in lived experience. He holds us to a higher standard and his involvement challenges us to push this mission further.”
Crashfree India aims to shift the national conversation on road safety from reaction to prevention, from accepting deaths as routine to treating them as the urgent failure they are. With Dhoni on board, the initiative gains a powerful, trusted voice that transcends statistics and connects directly with millions of Indians.
In a country where dangerous driving is too often mistaken for confidence, Dhoni’s message is refreshingly clear: true strength lies in control, discipline, and respect for life. When one of India’s most respected captains decides to lead this fight, the conversation suddenly becomes much harder to ignore.
The roads just got a new captain. And this time, the goal is not to win a trophy but to save lives.
