Delhi/Mumbai: SBI Foundation, the CSR arm of the State Bank of India Group, has announced the registrations for the 13th Batch of its flagship programme, the SBI Youth for India Fellowship, inviting applications from young, dynamic individuals eager to contribute to rural development.
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 Partner NGOs across India to drive meaningful change in society. Aspirants can apply through http://apply.youthforindia.org.
Applicants for the SBI YFI Fellowship programme must be Indian citizens, Overseas Citizens of India (OCI), or citizens of Bhutan or Nepal who are passionate about advancing sustainable development objectives in rural areas.
Emphasising the significance of the Fellowship in empowering youth to contribute to India’s progress, Sanjay Prakash, Managing Director & CEO, SBI Foundation, said, “The SBI Youth for India Fellowship aligns with the vision of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by empowering the youth to drive transformative change in rural India. By working on 12 crucial thematic areas such as education, women’s empowerment, and rural livelihoods, and more, the Fellows not only contribute to community development but also build their own leadership and problem-solving skills. We invite passionate young minds to join us in shaping the future of our nation and creating lasting impact.”
Over the past 12 years, 640 Fellows have significantly contributed to community development across these key areas. The programme has positively impacted more than 1,50,000 lives through various grassroots interventions and community engagement initiatives in over 250 villages spanning 20 States across India.
Some of the notable SBI Youth for India alumni include Siddharth Daga (YFI 2016-17 Batch), Co-founder of NeoMotion, which customises Tech-Enabled Wheelchairs, who recently drew appreciation from Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the vision. Another former Fellow is Nupur Poharkar (YFI 2020-21 Batch), who founded ‘PIRUL Handicrafts’ in 2020, mobilising a group of women in the villages of Uttarakhand to address the environmental issue of pine waste and turning it around to create beautiful home décor products. Her efforts have removed 2000 kg of pine waste, which is one of the major causes of forest fires in hilly regions.
The SBI YFI Fellowship focuses on 12 thematic areas, including Health, Rural Livelihood, Food Security, Environmental Protection, Education, Water, Technology, Women’s Empowerment, Self-Governance, Social Entrepreneurship, Traditional Craft, and Alternate Energy. Fellows work on one of these themes based on their interests during the 13-month programme. Post-completion of the Fellowship, 70 per cent of our Fellows have pursued meaningful careers in the social sector by working in Rural Development, Public Policy/Governance, Academia, etc., thereby enabling positive change.
In addition to an experiential learning opportunity, the SBI YFI Fellowship offers hands-on experience in grassroots development, equipping the youth with leadership, problem-solving, and project management skills. After completing the 13-month programme, Fellows are equipped and inspired to build impactful careers in social entrepreneurship and development sectors.
The project also supports youth in their future academic pursuits. Over 100 Fellowship alumni pursued Higher Studies in development domains after the successful completion of their SBI YFI Fellowship experience. 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 Dadi Jaswanth (YFI 2016-17 Batch), who pursued a Master of Science (M.Sc) from the University of Oxford.
