SBI Introduces the Youth for India Fellowship Program for Young Professionals and Graduates

Applications are now being accepted for the 12th batch of the prestigious SBI Youth for India Fellowship program, which is run by the SBI Foundation, the State Bank Group’s CSR arm. This 13-month project offers educated urban millennials (ages 21–32)—including recent graduates and young professionals—a organized chance to work with rural communities and 13 prominent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around India. The main objective is to promote significant social change.

Applicants for the Fellowship program must be committed to advancing sustainable development objectives in rural areas and be nationals of Bhutan, Nepal, India, or overseas nationals of India (OCI).

Those who are interested in applying for fellowships are encouraged to seize the opportunity to use their knowledge and imagination to effect good change. You may find the application procedure at www.youthforindia.org/register.

This fellowship, which is now in its tenth iteration, is divided into twelve thematic areas: technology, traditional crafts, health, food security, education, water, alternative energy, women’s empowerment, self-governance, social entrepreneurship, and environmental protection. Depending on their areas of interest and competence, fellows will concentrate on one of these subjects.

Sanjay Prakash, the managing director and CEO of the SBI Foundation, emphasized that the initiative is a beacon of hope for those seeking to improve their own lives as well as the futures of rural India. According to him, “the SBI Youth for India program aims to empower urban youth to create transformative change in rural communities by bridging the gap between their aspirations and the realities of rural communities.”

Young Indian candidates for the SBI Youth for India program have embraced it with enthusiasm. They come from large cities, OCIs, and residents of Nepal and Bhutan. With more than 580 graduates, the program is expanding and has improved the lives of more than 150,000 people in more than 250 villages throughout 20 Indian states.

Additionally, the program has influenced the academic aspirations of its graduates; over 100% have gone on to seek postgraduate degrees in development-related fields, and roughly 70% have begun careers in the social sector, including academia, public policy/government, and rural development. Notable graduates include Naman Bansal (YFI 2015–16 Batch), who attended Harvard University to get a Master of Education (M.Ed.), and Himanshu Pandey (YFI 2016–17 Batch), who works at NITI Aayog & Consults in the Capacity Building Commission, Government of India. Simran Grover (YFI 2011–12 Batch), a senior graduate, founded the Centre for Energy, Environment & People (CEEP), an organization that focuses on energy and climate governance.