Get All Access for $5/mo

Junoon Raises Seed Round From Angel Investors The skill development platform provides training in 20 different categories in text and video format to blue-collared workers

By Prabhjeet Bhatla

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Junoon

Junoon, a vocational training and Jobs search platform for blue-collared workers in India, has said to have raised an undisclosed sum in a seed round from reputed investors like Sandeep Aggarwal, Chaim Freidman, and Vishesh Tandon which was led by Kunal Khattar of AdvantEdge and tech entrepreneur and investor Viren Rana.

The startup was launched in April 2020 with a mission to help blue-collar workers unleash their full potential by providing standard and easy to assimilate vocational training and land jobs.

Instructional-based online vocational training and job search platform provide training programs to workers across 20 categories like auto mechanic, auto driver, painter, plumber, electrician, warehouse keeper, security guard, carpenter, mason, construction worker, cleaner, laundry attendant, gardener, server, runner, cooking assistant, nanny, delivery man.

"India is the home for the largest number of blue-collared workers in the world. During the lockdown, most of us normalized work-from-home very quickly, I could see that it was not the same for the large majority of unskilled workers across the country. The mass exodus from the urban areas due to extinguished opportunities was horrifying on multiple aspects," affirmed Junoon founder and chief executive officer Ahaan Aggarwal, while speaking on the investment.

The training programs come in both text and video formats and are deemed to be an important step towards standardizing the modest jobs in the country to provide a substantial living. It offers an end-to-end workforce management system by producing quality, skilled manpower, thereby contributing to the Indian economy.

"I created Junoon to support our workers to come back to the job market by being better trained and give them the ability to easily find opportunities. In many ways, we are creating digital community colleges for vocational training and placements. We are supported in this endeavor by corporates, individuals, and government branches – and would like to invite more to work with us on this life and economy changing initiative," Aggarwal added.

During the pandemic, over 360 million informal jobs were impacted in India, resulting in an unemployment rate of over 23.5 per cent. According to a research report released on the informal jobs sector, that further talks about the eradication of livelihoods, and lack of training and opportunities to upskill for the 500 million labor force in India.

Over 93 per cent of the workers in this segment had never received any vocational training. To solve this problem, the 17-year-old young entrepreneur Ahaan Aggarwal conceptualized and developed Junoon which provides training and upskilling programs to workers and also supports them in finding a sustainable livelihood as per their improved proficiency.

"We have been observing the way this young venture has been leading from the front and believe that it has the requisite vision and execution in place to upskill our blue-collared workers in the country. These people witnessed hand to mouth situation due to no job in the Pandemic and now facing lots of challenges to get back the required Job. Right set of training will scale the working procedure of these workers. I collaborated considering how the vision is to provide the right set of talent to enterprises too," stated AdvantEdge Founders managing partner Kunal Khattar.

Prabhjeet Bhatla

Former Staff

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Science & Technology

Why Businesses Are Relying on Automation to Survive the Labor Crisis

Robots are revolutionizing industries by addressing labor shortages and enhancing efficiency, while businesses navigate challenges like workforce adaptation and high implementation costs.

Marketing

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Giving a Presentation

Are you tired of enduring dull presentations? Over the years, I have compiled a list of common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them. Here are my top five tips.

Leadership

Visionaries or Vague Promises? Why Companies Fail Without Leaders Who See Beyond the Bottom Line

Visionary leaders turn bold ideas into lasting impact by building resilience, clarity and future-ready teams.

Green Entrepreneur®

How Global Business Leaders Can Build a Sustainable Supply Chain

Businesses can build sustainable supply chains by leveraging technology to reduce environmental impact, optimize resources and track emissions while balancing operational efficiency and sustainability goals.

News and Trends

Fast Fire Watch Guards: Protecting Your Business From Today's Fire Hazards

As a watch guard company, Fast Fire Watch Guards provides vigilant monitoring and immediate responses to signs of potential fire hazards in commercial spaces.