CSR: SBI Foundation invites applications for Youth for India Fellowship Programme

Delhi, India: SBIFoundation, the CSR arm of the State Bank Group, is inviting applications for the 12^th Batch of the SBI Youth for India Fellowship program. The 13-month long programme offers a structured opportunity for educated urban youth– graduates and young professionals-between the age of 21-32 years, to collaborate with rural communities and 13 reputed NGOs across India to drive meaningful change in the society.

The applicant for the Fellowship programme must be an Indian citizen, or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), or Citizen of Bhutan, or Citizen of Nepal who is committed to advancing sustainable development objectives in rural areas.

“The SBI Youth for India programme aims to fill the gap that exists between urban youth’s aspiration to contribute to the development sector and the rural reality, as also supplement the lack of qualified human resources with diverse educational and professional backgrounds in the NGOs working at the grassroots level. With 10 successful editions behind us and the 11^th underway, our programme remains committed to empowering youth to create transformative change in rural communities. This initiative is the flagbearer of hope for those seeking to shape a brighter future for themselves and rural India,” said Mr. Sanjay Prakash, Managing Director & CEO, SBI Foundation.

The SBI Youth for India Fellowship, which is one of its kind, works on 12 thematic areas such as Health, Rural Livelihood, Food Security, Environmental Protection, Education, Water, Technology, Women’s Empowerment, Self-Governance, Social Entrepreneurship, Traditional Craft and Alternate Energy. During the Fellowship program, the Fellows work on one of these 12 thematic areas as per their interest.

Prospective Fellows are encouraged to seize this opportunity to make a tangible impact, leveraging their skills and creativity to drive positive change in the lives of those in rural India. They can apply using the link www.youthforindia.org/register

 The SBI Youth for India programme has witnessed enthusiastic engagement from numerous young Indian applicants from major metropolitan cities in India, Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and citizens of Nepal and Bhutan. The programme has made a significant impact with a growing alumni network of over 580+ individuals, impacting more than 1,50,000 lives through the interventions of the Fellows in more than 250+ villages spanning 20 States across India.

One notable alumni is Siddharth Daga (YFI2016-17Batch), Co-founder of Neo Motion, that customises Tech-Enabled Wheelchairs, who appeared on Shark Tank last season. Another former Fellow is Shriti Pandey (YFI 2016-17Batch), who founded ‘Strawcture’ in 2018 and was covered in Forbes 30U30 Asia in the 2021 edition for her use of technology that helps reduce pollution by compressing crop waste into agri-fibre panels for industrial and commercial builds.

The project also impacts youth in their future academic pursuits. 100+Fellowship alumni pursued Higher Studies in development domains after their SBI Youth for India Fellowship experience, and about 70% have gone on to pursue meaningful careers in the social sector by working in Rural Development, Public Policy/Governance, Academia, etc., thereby enabling positive change. Among them is Naman Bansal (YFI 2015-16 Batch), who went on to pursue a Master of Education (M.Ed.) from Harvard University, USA, and Himanshu Pandey (YFI 2016-17 Batch), currently employed with NITI Aayog & Consults in Capacity Building Commission, Government of India. Simran Grover (YFI 2011-12 Batch) is a senior alumni who has leveraged the learnings from his YFI journey and founded the Centre for Energy, Environment & People (CEEP), which works closely in the energy and climate governance space.