SBI Foundation Invites Application For Youth For India Fellowship

BHUBANESWAR: 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 an opportunity for educated urban youth—graduates and young professionals between the ages of 21 and 32—to collaborate with rural communities and 13 reputed partner NGOs across India, including The Ant, to drive meaningful change at the grassroots level.

Aspirants can apply through 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, 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 contributed to community development across these key areas, impacting more than 1,50,000 lives through various grassroots interventions and community engagement initiatives in over 250 villages in 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 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 decor products. Her efforts have removed 2000 kg of pine waste, which is one of the major causes of forest fires in hills.

12 thematic areas

• Health
• Rural Livelihood
• Food Security
• Environmental Protection
• Education
• Water
• Technology
• Women’s Empowerment
• Self-Governance
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Traditional Craft
• Alternate Energy

On completion of the fellowship, 70% of the fellows have pursued careers in social sector by working in Rural Development, Public Policy/Governance, Academia, etc., enabling positive change.

Take the first step towards creating lasting change. Applications for the SBI Youth for India Fellowship 2025-26 are closing soon!

Application Deadline: 30th April, 2025.

Apply now and be part of the journey. Application link: https://t.co/IYs83Nj7vK#SBIYFI #ApplyNow… pic.twitter.com/8UsbINDCOG

— SBI Youth for India (@sbi_yfi) April 5, 2025

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.

The project also supports youth in their future academic pursuits. Over 100 fellowship alumni pursued higher studies in development domains.

Among them is Naman Bansal (YFI 2015-16 Batch), who pursued a Master of Education (M.Ed.) from Harvard University, USA; and Dadi Jaswanth (YFI 2016-17 Batch) who pursued a Master of Science (MSc) from the University of Oxford.

Youth for India

Inspired by US ‘PeaceCorps’, SBI Youth for India Fellowship is SBI Foundation’s uniquely designed 13-month Fellowship programme that came into inception in 2011.

For more information, please contact:

Atul Kumar: atul@thereppro.com: 9968807709

Roshni Thapa: Roshni@thereppro.com: 9650591873