FUEL Launches Second NSE Social Stock Exchange Issue to Fund MBA Education for 25 Women
Pune, November 12, 2026: Friends Union for Energising Lives (FUEL), an organisation working in education, skill development and youth empowerment, has launched its second social-impact project on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Social Stock Exchange (SSE). The initiative aims to raise ₹50 lakh to fund two-year MBA education for 25 young women from economically weaker and drought-affected regions of Maharashtra. The issue is open for subscription from November 11 to 20, 2026.
Alongside the education initiative, FUEL has announced 2,000 short-term skilling opportunities to prepare young people for employment in Global Capability Centres (GCCs). The programme will focus on developing digital, technical and workplace skills required by these centres.
The skilling cohort will receive support from organisations including VFS Global, CGI, Castrol, SBI Foundation, Principal, Straive, Capgemini, Jio bp, Syngenta and AXA. Corporate partner Fujitsu has also adopted scholarships for 100 BBA students.
The second SSE issue builds on FUEL’s earlier listing, through which it raised ₹98.29 lakh to support the undergraduate education of 40 young women. Among the 25 women covered under the current initiative, around 68% come from farming backgrounds, 73% are first-generation learners and 60% have migrated from drought-prone areas of Maharashtra to Pune.
FUEL is also developing a network of industry-backed Schools at FUEL SkillTech & Entrepreneurship University. Under this model, corporate and philanthropic partners adopt and co-create individual Schools or Centres of Excellence. The School of Science has been adopted by Dr. Yusuf Hamied, Chairman of Cipla, while a School of Logistics is planned in partnership with the Allcargo Group.
The university is inviting corporates, foundations and philanthropists to participate in the initiative by adopting Schools or Centres of Excellence in areas such as emerging technologies, green skills, banking, manufacturing, insurance and entrepreneurship.
Speaking about the launch, Dr. Ketan Deshpande, Chairman and Vice Chancellor, FUEL SkillTech & Entrepreneurship University, said, “Our mission is to make talent — not circumstance — the deciding factor in a young person's future. This launch brings together industry-backed skilling that leads to real jobs, the chance for deserving young women to complete their higher education, and a growing network of Schools that companies can adopt and build with us. The 2,000 short-term skilling opportunities will prepare youth for employment in Global Capability Centres, while our second Social Stock Exchange listing helps 25 young women finish their MBAs. Together, they create a ripple effect across their families and communities. Every contribution, irrespective of its size, can help change the direction of someone's life.”
The issue will be marked by a bell-ringing and listing ceremony at the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai on November 30, 2026. Individuals can also contribute to the initiative through the Zerodha app to support the MBA education of the 25 young women.
