A six-day programme on business and management capacity development would be conducted in Sri Lanka and India as part of a special project funded by the Asia Foundation for empowerment of rural women entrepreneurs.

According to Indian media reports, T. Velnampy, Dean of Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Jaffna, praised the initiative, saying that it will be a boon to those settled in the war-torn areas in Sri Lanka.

Addressing a select group of women members of Tamil Nadu at an awareness programme organised as part of the project on “business and management capacity development of rural women entrepreneurs of India and Sri Lanka” in Tiruchirapalli on Friday, he said that a large number of women traders and entrepreneurs in the war-torn areas of Sri Lanka were not educated enough to find a skilled employment. The project would benefit them, he added.

G. Kannabiran, Professor of Management Studies, National Institute of Technology – Tiruchi and founder member of Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, said that the whole project of one-year duration was being implemented through the centre in association with South Eastern University of Sri Lanka and the University of Jaffna.

The Asia Foundation had granted Rs. 3.2 million for the project being implemented in coordination with the Women Entrepreneurs’ Association of Tamil Nadu.

About 50 entrepreneurs would be identified and assisted in identifying market, development of product, and financial management, media reports said.