The Vyakti Vikas Kendra, India (VKKI),
founded by Sri Sri Ravishankar as part of Art of Living Worldwide, and ITC have joined
hands to train rural youth and provide vocational opportunities in rolling out agarbathis.
The ‘Agarbathi Community Participation
Programme’ as it is called, is in keeping with VKKI’s mission of conducting
service projects involving youth in and around villages to make them economically and
socially self-reliant, besides reviving human values, said VKKI Chairman Arun Madhavan.
At a press conference here today, he said
as part of the agarbathi community participation programme, people will be trained to roll
agarbathis by the VKKI, while the ITC will extend through an out-sourcing tie-up to pick
up these agarbathis by its agarbathi manufacturing associates in Bangalore- Sankranthi
Agarbathi Company and Ananth Agarbathi Company.
The associates will add the required
fragrances and supply the final product to ITC.
The ITC will then market these agarbathis
under its brands ‘Spriha’, ‘Nivedan’ and ‘Ashageet’.
Chief Executive of ITC’s Agarbathis
Business VM Rajasekharan said, "Given ITC’s abiding social commitment, the
company saw an inspiring opportunity here to support VKKI’s activities by creating
stable employment opportunities in the manufacture of agarbathis, a craft unique to India
and its spiritual heritage."
"The project will commence with the
services of over 100 women who live close to the ashram and we hope to expand the project
by involving more people from VKKI. We are also planning to launch a brand jointly in
association with The Art of Living," he said. In this project, apart from training
youth in rolling agarbathis, VKKI teachers will also teach meditation and yoga to help
revitalise workers and build their self-esteem.
