Y.S. RANA, CHANDIGARH—When ex-servicemen bearing the vagaries of weather and protesting for past 60 days for one-rank-one-pension (OROP), Ola company steps in to provide some solace to the community. It has taken an initiative and it marks the beginning what could potentially be one of the largest public-private partnership (PPP) between the State and a corporate may prove a transition for ex-servicemen from military to civilian life in the days to come. Ola, country’s most popular mobile app for personal transportation announced first of its kind corporate partnership with the Directorate General of Resettlement (DGR), Ministry of Defence (MoD) to enroll one lakh ex-servicemen by 2020 as entrepreneurs on the Ola platform.
The step will involve Ola investing in the skilling up interested ex-servicemen to help them embrace technology and empower them to grow as skilled micro-entrepreneurs on the Ola Platform. ‘Ola Sainik’ will, in a phase manner, provide training, education and insurance for the family members of ex-servicemen on the Ola app. The first batch of ‘Sainiks’ is expected to roll out in the coming week.
Keeping the youthful profile of the Armed Forces, approximately 60,000 armed forces personnel are retired/relieved every year at an young age. Majority of the service personnel at the time of retirement has a number of unfinished domestic responsibilities, which necessitate them to look for a second occupation.
Aims at bringing a significant change in the lives and careers of these ex-servicemen by bringing them on-board as entrepreneurs on its platform, the company has social responsibility to provide a consistent revenue opportunity by giving access to the millions of customers available on its platform. “As one of India’s fastest growing companies, Ola is committed to the mission of mobility for a billion people enabling micro-entrepreneurship within the country,” said the official of the company.
Yugantar Saikia, senior vice president, Ola said,”We salute the ex-servicemen for their contribution to the service of the nation. Ola Sainik will allow them to work with pride and flexibility as entrepreneurs on its platform. Undoubtedly they constitute high quality talent in terms of skill and discipline. A stable income, an opportunity to grow and serve the nation like always, makes this initiative a win-win situation for the both. We at Ola are honoured to have hundreds of thousands of our country’s heroes coming on-board with us in the time ahead.” Col Vipin Patpatia, Joint Director, Directorate General of Resettlement while speaking on the occasion said that they were excited to associate with Ola and they thought it was a wonderful opportunity for retired or relieved servicemen to settle in their civil life also.
Ola has changed the course of mobility and transportation in the country and by getting them on board through Ola Sainik program, they are allowing top notch talent available amongst us to serve the nation again. This initial opportunity of employment would open many more promising opportunities of employment in management of back-end operations and other entrepreneurship ventures for them, hopes Col Vipin.