HCL Foundation, the philanthropic arm of global technology company HCLTech, has entered into two strategic agreements with the Government of Tamil Nadu aimed at enhancing entrepreneurship and strengthening vocational education across the state. The partnerships were formalized through the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with StartupTN and the Department of Employment and Training (DET).
StartupTN, operating under the Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, is dedicated to supporting innovation and the startup ecosystem in Tamil Nadu. As part of a three-year collaboration, HCLFoundation will extend its support to 100 emerging businesses in the state. The agreement, signed by Dr Nidhi Pundhir, Senior Vice President of Global CSR at HCLTech and Director of HCLFoundation, and Sivarajah Ramanathan, CEO of TANSIM, is focused on nurturing entrepreneurship, encouraging inclusive innovation, and driving long-term economic development through startup success.
The second agreement, a renewal of an ongoing partnership, was signed between HCLFoundation and the Department of Employment and Training. B Vishnu Chandran, I.A.S., Director of the department, and Dr Pundhir reaffirmed their commitment to upgrading the vocational education framework across Tamil Nadu. The initiative, planned over five years, includes measures such as deploying a mobile training and awareness unit (Skill Rath), updating curriculum in selected trades, conducting training for both instructors and students in government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), and integrating sports as a means of holistic youth development.
Speaking on the collaboration, Sivarajah Ramanathan highlighted StartupTN’s role in supporting over 10,000 registered startups and emphasized the importance of this new partnership in enabling 100 startups to benefit from mentorship, incubation services, market access, and business development support. B Vishnu Chandran expressed appreciation for HCLFoundation’s contribution to vocational education and stressed the importance of preparing youth with skills in fast-growing areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and other future-facing technologies.
Dr Nidhi Pundhir noted that these partnerships reflect a shared vision to empower youth and promote innovation-driven growth. She emphasized the importance of creating accessible and inclusive opportunities in both entrepreneurship and skill development, with the goal of fostering sustainable progress at the community and state levels.
HCL Foundation leads the social development initiatives of HCLTech in India. Its programs support national and global development priorities through long-term projects focused on education, livelihood development, grassroots sports, health, sanitation, the environment, and disaster response. A strong focus on equity, child protection, inclusion, and gender-sensitive approaches is central to all its efforts. HCL Foundation has positively impacted more than 6.5 million lives across the country.
HCLTech is a global technology firm with over 223,000 professionals in 60 countries. It provides solutions in digital transformation, engineering, cloud computing, and emerging technologies. The company serves key sectors such as financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, telecom, retail, and public services. As of the 12-month period ending March 2025, HCLTech recorded consolidated revenues of $13.8 billion.
