Standard Chartered partners with Sambhav Foundation to empower over 5000 Youth for New-Age Skills and Employment

• On World Youth Skills Day, Standard Chartered launches a future-focused skilling initiative across seven cities.

15 July 2025, India — On the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, Standard Chartered, under its flagship community initiative Futuremakers, has announced its partnership with Sambhav Foundation to equip 5,160 young Indians with cutting-edge skills in emerging sectors. The initiative focuses on specialised training in – Electric Vehicles (EV), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics — industries that are shaping the jobs of tomorrow.

The three-year project, which has just commenced has been rolled out across centres in Noida, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Tinsukia (Doom Dooma, Assam), with a strong emphasis on preparing youth for sustainable, high-demand career opportunities. The programme also offers job placement support, ensuring that participants can seamlessly transition into meaningful employment in these sectors.

As India emerges as a global hub for technology and green innovation, addressing the skills gap is essential to ensure that the youth are job-ready rather than merely job-seeking. Initiatives focused on such skill development in high-growth areas like EV and AI are therefore crucial. By equipping them with relevant, in-demand skills, especially in major economic centres, such initiatives not only meet immediate workforce needs but also drive long-term, inclusive economic growth.

This initiative marks Standard Chartered’s renewal of its existing partnership with Sambhav Foundation to equip underserved youth with employable skills. In the earlier phase, 2,280 individuals were trained in sectors such as BFSI, Tally, and Data Analysis. Similarly, the Bank, late last year, had signed another partnership with GTT foundation to train 613 youth across Karnataka, Delhi, Maharashtra and West Bengal in the EV sector.

Additionally, under the Bank’s Futuristic Employability initiative – delivered in collaboration with various NGOs and skilling partners – so far, 51,195 candidates between the ages of 18 – 35 have been successfully trained in future-ready skills, with strong placement rates across reputed organisations. Notably, 26,142 (51%) of those trained are women.

Karuna Bhatia, Head of Sustainability, India, at Standard Chartered Bank & Global Business Services, said, “At Standard Chartered, through our focused community initiative Futuremakers, we are committed to driving economic inclusion and sustainability by empowering youth with relevant skills to navigate our rapidly changing world. Through this initiative, we are training these youth with the skills of tomorrow and support them with suitable placements on completion of their respective training tenures. By equipping individuals with these in-demand skills, particularly in major economic hubs, we can address immediate industry needs and enhance the long-term employability of vulnerable youth, fostering sustainable economic growth.”

Standard Chartered, under its Futuremakers programme, is focussed on driving economic inclusion and sustainability through education, employability, and entrepreneurship initiatives. It is designed with the objective of providing industry-relevant, market-led future skills training and job opportunities through career academies, to youth, with a focus on women and differently abled individuals. Futuremakers is committed to scaling its impact by fostering partnerships, expanding skill development programmes, and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for underserved communities.

For further information please contact:

Rahul Virkar

Head – External Communications, India

Standard Chartered Bank

Email: rahul.virkar@sc.com

Rajiv Banerjee

Head – Communications, India and South Asia

Standard Chartered Bank

Email: rajiv.banerjee@sc.com

About Standard Chartered

Standard Chartered has been operating in India with a continuous presence of over 165 years making it one of the oldest foreign banks in the country. The Bank has a network of 100 branches across 42 cities. Key business segments include Corporate and Investment Banking and Wealth and Retail Banking. For more information, visit https://www.sc.com/in/

Globally, we are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 53 of the world’s most dynamic markets. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, here for good.

Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges.

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