India gets $40 mn aid from IKEA

New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) In a move that will allow the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to reach 2.2 million women and their families in over 20,000 villages, international charitable body IKEA foundation has committed $40 million in aid for India.

An official statement Tuesday said a pilot project has already helped 35,000 women participate in a diverse array of businesses from dairy to craft production.

"In addition, it has provided training on financial literacy and business management, creating over 12,000 financially literate women and 4,000 entrepreneurs. The new grant will allow UNDP to reach an additional 2.2 million women and help them to improve their ability to become entrepreneurs and to create and own assets," the statement said.