10th batch of SBI YFI Fellows aligns with 10 UN SDGs to drive rural development; 100,000 lives in 250 villages impacted by the program

New Delhi, November 3, 2023: The SBI Foundation's Youth for India program celebrated the valediction of its 10thbatch at SBILD, Bangalore. The event marked the culmination of the 13-month fellowship for a total of 67 fellows. The fellows showcased their contributions to rural development in remote areas across the country and presented a roadmap to social development to 13 NGO partners. The event was attended by Krishan Sharma, Chief General Manager, SBI Bangalore circle; senior SBI officials and partner NGO representatives. The YFI currently has an alumni base of 580+ fellows, with over 70% working directly in the development sector.

Krishan Sharma, CGM, SBI Bengaluru Circle, complimented the fellows and said, “I commend the bold decision of the fellows to step out of their comfort zone to undergo a challenging journey for the sake of bringing about a change in the rural landscape.”

Sharing his thoughts on the YFI program and the fellows' contributions to the development sector, Sanjay Prakash, MD & CEO, SBI Foundation, said, "The 13-month long fellowship provides an active framework for the Youth to come up with sustainable development solutions for rural development and capacity building in multiple ways. It serves as a shining example of how young individuals can actively engage in rural development. As we celebrate the accomplishments of the 10th Batch, it is clear that their efforts have left an indelible mark on the lives of the communities they served. We are proud to see them step into the world as impactful social change-makers."

Jagannath Sahoo, President & COO, SBI Foundation, said “This fellowship has consistently demonstrated its potential to drive rural development and empower communities, and we are immensely proud of our fellows, both present and past, who have worked tirelessly to create lasting social change in the rural and remote regions of India. This is not the end of a 13-month journey for the Fellows; but rather the beginning of a lifelong commitment to change.”

The SBI Youth for India Fellowship works on 12 thematic areas- 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 areas as per their interest.

An initiative was conceived by an SBI YFI fellow advocating to the tribal population of Kantaphod in Madhya Pradesh about eco-friendly, affordable yet sturdy building material using the ‘Rammed Earth’ technique, which focuses on constructing foundations, floors, and walls using compacted natural raw materials such as earth, chalk, lime, or gravel.

Another initiative was started by a YFI fellow in promoting the use of millets and also developing a Millet Value Chain through tribal women entrepreneurship in Jawhar, Maharashtra. In line with 2023 being declared as the Year of the Millet by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, this initiative is focussed on providing training in market analysis, marketing & community involvement.

Over the last 10 batches, Youth for India has seen participation from hundreds of Indian youth. This also included Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) in addition to applicants from metropolitan cities of India. In terms of capacity building, the program has impacted over 1,00,000 beneficiaries through the fellows' interventions. These interventions were carried out in 250+ villages across 20 states in India. 

The project has an impact on the country’s development sector ecosystem. 45+ fellowship alumni have either founded or initiated a program, enterprise or non-profit. Among some notable alumni is Siddharth Daga, Co-founder of NeoMotion, which customises tech-enabled wheelchairs. He also appeared on Shark Tank this season. Another former fellow Shriti Pandey, who founded ‘Strawcture’ in 2018, was covered in Forbes 30 under 30 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 pursue higher studies in the development sector after their SBI Youth for India Fellowship experience, and about 70% go on to pursue careers in the social sector by working in rural development, public policy/governance, academia, etc., thereby enabling lasting positive change.