Poonam Gupta: Turning Skills into Opportunities and Empowering Women Towards Self-Reliance

A Journey of Social Commitment, Skill Development and Grassroots Transformation

True social change does not always begin with a large institution or a grand initiative. Sometimes, it begins with a simple idea—to help someone discover a skill, believe in their ability and find an opportunity to build a better future. Poonam Gupta, President & CEO of Pushker Society, Ramnagar, Nainital, Uttarakhand, has built her social journey around this powerful belief.

Her work focuses on Women Empowerment, Skill Development, Employment Generation, Entrepreneurship and Social Welfare. Through her initiatives, she has worked towards creating opportunities for women, children and economically weaker sections of society, with a vision of building a more skilled, confident and self-reliant community.

The Beginning of a Social Vision

Poonam Gupta's journey in community development began with Pushker Hobby Classes, where she was involved in hobby-based education and different skill-development activities.

These early experiences gave her an opportunity to understand the talent that existed within the local community. More importantly, they helped her recognize that practical skills could become much more than hobbies—they could become pathways towards confidence, livelihood and independence.

With time, this understanding developed into a broader social mission.

On 8 December 2023, Poonam Gupta, along with a group of women, established Pushker Society with the objective of working towards Women Empowerment, Social Welfare and Community Development. Today, she continues to lead the organization as its President & CEO.

Empowering Women Through Practical Skills

At the heart of Poonam Gupta's work is a simple belief: every individual has talent, and the right opportunity can transform that talent into confidence and livelihood.

Skill development is therefore one of the central pillars of her initiatives. Under the guidance of Pushker Society, women and learners have access to activities and training in areas such as:

  • Jute Bag Making

  • Stitching & Embroidery

  • Mehendi & Beauty Parlour Training

  • Knitting

  • Candle Making

  • Soap Making

  • Coaching Classes

  • Music & Harmonium

  • Dance Workshops

These programmes are designed not merely to teach an activity but to encourage individuals to recognize the economic and personal value of their abilities.

For Poonam Gupta, empowerment means helping women become more confident, independent and capable of making decisions about their own future.

From Learning a Skill to Earning Through It

One of the defining aspects of Poonam Gupta's social vision is her effort to connect skill development with livelihood opportunities.

Training provides knowledge, but the real transformation can begin when that knowledge is connected with employment, entrepreneurship or a market.

Through her initiatives, more than 200 women have received support in accessing employment opportunities. Her approach can be understood as a journey:

Learn a Skill → Develop the Skill → Create a Product or Service → Explore Opportunities → Generate Income → Become Self-Reliant.

This philosophy encourages women to look beyond simply completing a training programme. It motivates them to consider how their skills can become part of their economic journey.

Building Confidence Alongside Skills

For Poonam Gupta, true empowerment cannot be measured only by income.

It is also about confidence, independence, decision-making and belief in one's own abilities.

Many women possess creativity and traditional skills but may not always have access to appropriate guidance, markets or platforms. Through activity-based learning and community initiatives, her efforts seek to create an environment where women can learn without hesitation, develop their abilities and gradually become more independent.

The journey from learning a skill to confidently displaying or selling something created with one's own hands can become a powerful personal transformation.

Creating Markets for Women's Talent

A major development in this journey came in February 2026, when an initiative associated with platforms such as Uttarakhand Corbett Haat created opportunities for local women to showcase and sell products made through their skills.

For Poonam Gupta's vision, this connection between training, production and market access is crucial.

A woman may have the ability to create an excellent product, but without customers or a platform to showcase it, that ability may not generate sustainable economic value. Creating access to markets helps bridge that gap.

Connecting Tourism with Women Entrepreneurship

Located in the Corbett region, Ramnagar attracts visitors from different parts of India. Poonam Gupta's initiative seeks to connect this tourism ecosystem with local women-led entrepreneurship.

Visitors can discover and purchase products created by members of the community, while women receive an opportunity to present their creativity to a wider audience.

The products include:

  • Pickles

  • Murabba

  • Chutneys

  • Papad

  • Handbags

  • Cotton Suits

  • Aipan Paintings

  • Handicrafts

  • Crochet Products

  • Toys

  • Mandala Art

  • Other Handmade Products

In this way, the initiative creates a bridge between local talent and market opportunities, while encouraging recognition of handmade and locally produced goods.

Promoting Local Talent and Local Products

Uttarakhand has a rich tradition of handmade products, traditional art, creative skills and locally produced food items. Poonam Gupta's efforts focus on giving this talent a platform.

Her philosophy can be summed up in a simple thought:

“Local talent deserves recognition, and local products deserve a market.”

When women are able to create and sell products within their communities, the impact can reach beyond an individual. Families can gain additional income, traditional skills can receive greater recognition and a culture of entrepreneurship can become stronger.

Beyond Training Classes

Poonam Gupta's vision does not end when a training programme is completed.

Her broader objective is to encourage women to take the next step—whether that means starting a small business from home, creating and selling products, finding employment, training others or participating in community-based entrepreneurship.

This approach transforms skill development from a classroom experience into a potential pathway towards livelihood and independence.

The message behind her work is simple:

“I have a skill, I believe in my ability, and I have an opportunity to use it.”

Encouraging Women-Led Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship does not always begin with a large investment or a formal business establishment.

Sometimes it begins with a skill learned at home, a handmade product, a creative idea or a small opportunity discovered through training.

Poonam Gupta's initiatives encourage women to explore entrepreneurship according to their individual circumstances, interests and abilities. By encouraging women to become Creators, Producers and Entrepreneurs, her work contributes to a culture of self-reliance within the community.

Supporting Children and Economically Weaker Sections

Her social contribution extends beyond women empowerment.

As a social worker, Poonam Gupta has also worked towards supporting children and economically weaker sections of society. Her initiatives include special classes for children with disabilities, support towards educational fees for underprivileged children and free skill training for economically weaker women.

Her work with children reflects the belief that education and development opportunities should reach people regardless of their economic or social circumstances.

Building an Inclusive Community

Poonam Gupta's approach to community development brings together several interconnected areas:

Education + Skill Development + Employment + Entrepreneurship + Social Welfare

This broader approach allows different sections of the community to benefit in different ways. Women can access practical skills, children can receive educational support, local producers can find market platforms and economically weaker individuals can receive opportunities to move forward.

The Power of Grassroots Development

Meaningful social change often begins at the grassroots level.

Poonam Gupta's journey demonstrates how small, community-based activities can gradually develop into a wider social initiative. Her work remains connected to the everyday realities of women, children and local communities.

Rather than focusing only on theoretical empowerment, her initiatives emphasize practical, accessible and opportunity-oriented development.

Turning Creativity into Opportunity

For many women, stitching, embroidery, crochet, handicrafts, traditional art and food preparation are skills learned through family and community traditions.

Poonam Gupta's initiatives seek to show that these abilities can have value beyond personal creativity. With appropriate development and access to markets, they can become potential sources of livelihood.

This creates an important connection between traditional skills and modern entrepreneurship, helping preserve creativity while opening possibilities for economic participation.

Creating a New Generation of Skilled Women

One of the greatest strengths of skill development is that knowledge can be passed from one person to another.

A woman who learns stitching, embroidery, handicrafts, beauty skills or another profession can eventually teach the same skill to someone else or to the next generation.

In this way, one training opportunity can become the beginning of a wider chain of learning. Poonam Gupta's vision therefore extends beyond creating skilled individuals—it also encourages women to support, teach and inspire one another.

A Philosophy of Dignity and Independence

At the centre of Poonam Gupta's work is the belief that support should ultimately lead towards self-reliance.

Helping someone in a moment of need is important, but enabling a person to develop the ability to stand independently can create a more sustainable impact.

That is why Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship remain central to her social vision. Her initiatives seek to promote ability, confidence and opportunity rather than long-term dependence.

Looking Towards the Future

Going forward, Poonam Gupta's vision is to strengthen the ecosystem around Women-Led Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Local Products and Community Welfare.

The larger goal is to bring opportunities to more women, help more people acquire practical skills and strengthen the connection between training and market access.

Through Pushker Society and platforms such as Uttarakhand Corbett Haat, her efforts seek to strengthen local economic participation and encourage greater self-reliance within the community.

Her future vision can be captured in four simple words:

Skills. Opportunities. Entrepreneurship. Self-Reliance.

A Legacy Built Through Action

Poonam Gupta's story is not simply about holding a leadership position. It is about using leadership to create opportunities for others.

From Pushker Hobby Classes to the establishment of Pushker Society, her journey reflects how consistency and a clear social purpose can gradually create a broader community initiative.

Her work demonstrates that leadership can be expressed through education, skill development, social service and continuous efforts to make opportunities more accessible.

From Skills to Self-Reliance

Poonam Gupta's journey can be understood through a simple philosophy:

Skill is the Beginning.
Confidence is the Foundation.
Opportunity is the Bridge.
Entrepreneurship is the Path Forward.
Self-Reliance is the Ultimate Goal.

Through Pushker Society, she continues to work towards putting this philosophy into practice.

From supporting women with practical skills and employment opportunities to helping underprivileged children and children with disabilities; from promoting handmade products to creating platforms for local women entrepreneurs—her work connects multiple dimensions of community development.

An Inspiring Vision for the Community

Today, Poonam Gupta, President & CEO of Pushker Society, continues to work towards building a more skilled, confident and self-reliant community in Ramnagar, Nainital, Uttarakhand.

Her focus on Women, Children, Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Social Welfare places people and their potential at the centre of community development.

Her journey carries a powerful message: when people gain skills, they gain capability; when they receive opportunities, they gain confidence; and when they receive a platform, they can begin building their own future.

Poonam Gupta — a woman empowering women, nurturing local talent and turning skills into opportunities, with a vision of building a more inclusive, skilled and self-reliant community.