SBI Foundation Awards ₹69 Lakh to 6 Social Ventures at YFI Conclave 2026

Kochi, April 13, 2026: SBI Foundation announced the winners of the SBI Youth for India (YFI) Sahyog – Pitch Fest 2026, awarding seed funding of ₹69 lakh to six social ventures focused on driving grassroots impact and rural development. The announcement was made during the SBI Youth for India Conclave 2026 held in Kochi, Kerala.

The annual conclave brought together social entrepreneurs, Fellows, development practitioners, and sector leaders to discuss scalable solutions for rural transformation. A key highlight of the event was the Pitch Fest, where 10 shortlisted ventures presented their ideas before an expert jury comprising SBI Foundation leaders and independent consultants.

The six winning ventures—spanning areas such as groundwater management, tribal development, sustainable housing, education, circular economy, and enterprise development—received grants ranging from ₹6 lakh to ₹15 lakh, along with strategic mentorship support to scale their initiatives.

Over the years, SBI Foundation has supported 30 youth-led social ventures with cumulative funding of over ₹1.06 crore, helping build sustainable and community-driven solutions across rural India.

Speaking on the occasion, Swapan Dhar, Managing Director, SBI Foundation, said, “SBI YFI Sahyog – the Pitch Fest reflects our continued commitment to nurturing grassroots innovation by enabling promising social ventures to scale with the right support. Over the years, it has evolved into a strong platform for SBI Youth for India Alumni to transform their ideas into sustainable, high-impact enterprises. As we mark 15 years of the Fellowship, initiatives like the Pitch Fest play a crucial role in strengthening this ecosystem by combining funding with strategic mentorship to drive meaningful change at the community level.”

Jagannath Sahoo, President & COO, SBI Foundation, added, “As SBI Youth for India marks 15 years of impact, the Sahyog Pitch Fest highlights the spirit of innovation nurtured through the Fellowship. It offers a platform for Fellows and social entrepreneurs to present solutions that are rooted in grassroots realities and designed for scale. Over the years, we have seen how such ideas can evolve into sustainable models with meaningful community impact. Through Sahyog, we aim to further strengthen this ecosystem by enabling access to mentorship, resources, and visibility, empowering changemakers to translate ideas into long-term outcomes.”

The conclave also marked 15 years of the SBI Youth for India Fellowship, which continues to build a network of young leaders working closely with rural communities. Many alumni have gone on to lead social enterprises, influence policy, and drive long-term development outcomes.

Applications for the 2026–27 cohort of the SBI Youth for India Fellowship are currently open, with the deadline set for April 30, 2026.

The initiative underscores the importance of cross-sector collaboration in scaling grassroots innovations and strengthening India’s rural development ecosystem.