Painting a bright future for women empowerment in rural Tamil Nadu

A year ago when her husband suddenly fell ill, Kalaivani, who lives in Karattai village of Vanur block in Villupuram district, was at her wits end. She had two young sons to support and getting employment in a village was never easy. That’s when she came in touch with the Project Indradhanush team supported by AkzoNobel India and joined the vocational skill training in November 2022 to learn paint application. Post-training, the project team introduced her to a local contractor. Today she earns `5,000-`6,000 a month as a house painter working flexi hours (10-15 days a month).

Kalaivani is not alone. Uppu Velur village also of Vanur block in Villupuram district is home to a women painters’ group. Most women in nearby villages are typically homemakers or involved in agriculture. But these women have broken gender barriers to become the first all-women’s painters’ group as part of paint major AkzoNobel India’s Project Indradhanush.

Started in 2021, Project Indradhanush has one objective – to improve the livelihoods of rural women. Launched in Darrang district of Assam, the project was extended to Villupuram district in September 2022. Under the project, rural women are provided vocational skill training in decorative paints so they can become professionals. Since taking the training in November 2022, the women of Uppu Velur now regularly take up independent painting projects, working flexibly for 6-7 days and earning `3,000-`4,000 a month. The income comes as a huge support as their husbands are mostly farmers with seasonal employment.

Their newly found entrepreneurship venture has also empowered the women to voice their opinion, not only in family decisions but also in village panchayat meetings. Project Indradhanush women painters have become popular in all nearby villages in the block. In only 11 months since starting work, the team of Baby, Vagyalakshi, Kamala, Renuka has done more than 18 projects.

In just one year since Project Indradhanush’s launch in Tamil Nadu, it has already helped nearly 10,000 women in 100 villages of Vanur, Marakkanam and Mailam taluks across Villupuram district.

“Project Indradhanush aims to empower women to become independent and realize their entrepreneurial dreams,” says Rajiv Rajgopal, MD of Akzo Nobel India. “Every single one of our women entrepreneurs is much more than a solo success story; they’re also inspiring other women in their communities to become financially independent,” he adds.

That entrepreneurial spark is the real success of the project. Women SHG members, after completing a two-day entrepreneurship development programme by Dulux, have expanded their existing shops, -- be it grocery, stationary, hardware or tailoring -- to include Dulux Indradhanush non-conventional paint counters. “Earlier this year, we inaugurated our landmark 40th Indradhanush store in Tamil Nadu. Another landmark soon followed with the inauguration of the first Dulux dealership in India to be owned and operated by a women’s self-help group,” says Rajagopal. “Together, the Indradhanush women – right from our painters, non-conventional paint store owners to our Indradhanush paint dealerships – are not only strengthening a sustainable ecosystem, but also taking the male-dominated paints industry in India towards a more diverse and inclusive future,” he adds.


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