Uber Signs MoU with NSKFDC, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

Uber, a smartphone app that connects riders with drivers at the push of a button has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC), an apex corporation formed under the aegis of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment tasked with skilling and rehabilitating Safai Karamcharis.

Through this agreement with NSKFDC, Uber will empower former Safai Karamcharis by providing them flexible micro-entrepreneurship opportunities as driver-partners on its platform. The partnership between Uber and NSKFDC is aimed at rehabilitating former Safai Karamcharis, preventing discrimination against the community and breaking existing gender barriers and social stereotypes.

Uber will provide training and micro-entrepreneurship opportunities to qualified candidates who have received skill based training from NSKFDC. It will also bring down the entry barrier for people wishing to join the Uber platform by providing them the opportunity to purchase their own vehicles through special partnerships with leading financiers and car manufacturers. Additionally, qualified candidates will also get the opportunity to provide partner support for Uber’s fast-growing bikesharing pilot, uberMOTO.

Uber will also provide bike training to select women candidates through a government certified training centre and facilitate their financial independence by onboarding them on the uberMOTO platform .

Gagan Bhatia, General Manager, Uber North said, “We truly value this partnership as it gives us the privilege to be a part of this important social justice movement. At Uber, we are committed to promote equal opportunity for all and we are hopeful that this partnership would lead to financial and societal empowerment of the marginalised community in India.”

Said Shri M Nagaraj. Managing Director, NSKFDC, “ These women have displayed incredible tenacity in overcoming socio-economic obstacles that they encounter on a daily basis. I am happy that companies like Uber are coming forward to promote their empowerment and providing them opportunities to be their own bosses. The Honorable Prime Minister’s vision of Stand Up India will only be executed through such initiatives and we need more companies like Uber to drive this change “.