In 1991 Shree Narayan Acharya (IAS) and Lena Acharya settled in Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh. They found themselves in an area where villagers had recently sold their agricultural and pastoral land to the government and had very limited employment prospects. They were driven to help these people develop marketable skills to participate in India’s growing economy in a way that protects and preserves natural resources. With their collective experience in industrial and agricultural development and environmental management, the founders established the Indian Institute of Natural Resources Management.
With the growth of the cooperative came the need, in 1992, to establish a Common Facility Service centre Building. This was carefully designed to provide a multi-functional workspace with a minimal environmental footprint. Open spaces provided ventilation for temperature control and natural lighting. Private sanitation facilities allowed the women to work comfortably. Spaces were established for schooling and computer classes for children. All this was made possible through generous funding from the Japan and Development Commissioner Handicrafts.
Recognizing the urgent need for skills development, IINREM then went on to establish Vocational Training Centers in rural areas in several states. Approximately 10000 youth have been trained, and the programs have been supported by Central Govt Ministries, State Government Departments and Corporate. Several corporate businesses are partners in this program for providing jobs to the skilled workforce, and have made jobs available to more than 7000 graduates from our training programs.
