Pillar: Opportunity Infrastructure
Malda disburses ₹35,754 in small business loans per lakh population. The district trains 62.2 youth per lakh under short-term skilling, behind the typical district. The Rural Self Employment Training Institute prepares rural youth to use credit like this to start their own enterprise.
75% of registered enterprises are in services while 25% are in manufacturing. Only 3% of employment is in small and medium enterprises. 74% of school-age children are enrolled in higher secondary school (classes 9–12). Only 16% of ITI trainers are certified.
In Malda, which ranks 19 of 23 in West Bengal for youth opportunity, the overall opportunity score is 41.8 out of 100. It runs ahead of the national picture on young people in the labour force aged 15 to 29 at 58.8%. On skilling trainees who get certified at 88.8%, self-employed workers at 60.5% and women-owned enterprises at 49.6%, it sits close to the national mark.
Mandated services and how to locate the RSETI in Malda are in the Malda district course and the English reference guide (Hindi). See the Malda youth opportunity scorecard for the full district picture.