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Friends Union for Energising Lives (FUEL), an organisation working in education, skill development and youth empowerment, is launching its second social-impact project on the National Stock Exchange's (NSE) Social Stock Exchange (SSE). The initiative aims to expand access to higher education and industry-oriented skill development for young people across Maharashtra. The issue will open for subscription on November 11 and remain open until November 20, 2026.
A key component of the initiative is the creation of 2,000 short-term skilling opportunities to prepare young people for employment in Global Capability Centres (GCCs). The programmes will focus on developing digital, technical and workplace skills aligned with industry requirements. The initiative is supported by leading organisations, including VFS Global, CGI, Castrol, SBI Foundation, Principal, Straive, Capgemini, Jio bp, Syngenta and AXA.
Additionally, corporate partners such as Fujitsu have adopted scholarships for 100 BBA students, strengthening industry participation in higher education and employability initiatives.
₹50 Lakh to Support MBA Education for 25 Women
Alongside its skilling initiative, FUEL's second SSE issue aims to raise ₹50 lakh to fully fund the two-year MBA education of 25 young women from economically weaker and drought-affected regions of Maharashtra. The initiative seeks to reduce financial barriers to postgraduate education and enable women from underserved communities to access professional qualifications.
This builds on FUEL's earlier achievement of becoming the first organisation to list a social-impact project on the NSE Social Stock Exchange. Through its first listing, the organisation raised ₹98.29 lakh to support the undergraduate education of 40 young women.
According to the organisation, around 68% of the 25 women being supported come from farming backgrounds, 73% are first-generation learners, and 60% have migrated from drought-prone regions of Maharashtra to Pune. The initiative aims to improve their access to higher education and create opportunities for long-term career growth.
Industry-Backed Schools to Strengthen Skill-Based Education
FUEL has also started developing a network of industry-backed Schools at FUEL SkillTech & Entrepreneurship University. Under this model, each School is adopted and co-developed by a corporate or philanthropic partner to align academic programmes with evolving industry requirements.
The School of Science has been adopted by Dr. Yusuf Hamied, Chairman of Cipla, while a School of Logistics is planned in collaboration with the Allcargo Group. The university aims to extend this partnership model across emerging technologies, green skills, banking, manufacturing, insurance and entrepreneurship.
FUEL has invited corporates, foundations and philanthropists to adopt a School or Centre of Excellence at the university. Through these collaborations, the organisation aims to strengthen industry-academia partnerships and prepare young people with practical skills, entrepreneurial capabilities and employment-oriented education.
FUEL Chairman Highlights Education and Employment Opportunities
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. The event will highlight the organisation's efforts to mobilise social investment for education and skill development.
Social investors can also contribute to the initiative through the Zerodha app, providing individuals with an opportunity to support the higher education of the 25 young women. Through its second SSE listing, FUEL aims to expand educational access, strengthen industry-linked skilling and create wider employment opportunities for Maharashtra's youth.
