Friends Union for Energising Lives (FUEL), a not-for-profit organisation focused on 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 expand higher education opportunities for young women while preparing thousands of young people for employment in emerging sectors.
The issue is open for subscription from November 11 to November 20, 2026, and includes a fundraising target of ₹50 lakh to support the two-year MBA education of 25 young women from economically weaker and drought-affected regions of Maharashtra.
₹50 Lakh for Higher Education of 25 Women
The fundraising initiative will provide financial support for 25 young women pursuing MBA programmes. The beneficiaries come from communities where access to higher education is often constrained by economic difficulties and limited opportunities.
Among the selected beneficiaries, approximately 68% come from farming backgrounds, 73% are first-generation learners and 60% have migrated from drought-prone regions of Maharashtra to Pune.
The initiative 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 previous issue, the organisation raised ₹98.29 lakh to support the undergraduate education of 40 young women.
2,000 Skilling Opportunities for Future Employment
Alongside the scholarship initiative, FUEL has committed to creating 2,000 short-term skilling opportunities to prepare young people for employment in Global Capability Centres (GCCs).
The programmes are intended to equip participants with digital, technical and workplace skills aligned with the requirements of GCC employers. Organisations supporting this skilling initiative include VFS Global, CGI, Castrol, SBI Foundation, Principal, Straive, Capgemini, Jio bp, Syngenta and AXA.
Additionally, corporate partner Fujitsu has adopted scholarships for 100 students pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programmes.
Industry Partnerships to Strengthen Higher Education
FUEL is also developing an industry-backed education ecosystem at the FUEL SkillTech & Entrepreneurship University, where corporate and philanthropic partners can adopt individual schools and 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 organisation is inviting corporates, foundations and philanthropists to collaborate in developing additional schools and centres focused on emerging technologies, green skills, banking, manufacturing, insurance and entrepreneurship.
Leadership Perspective and Social Investment
Dr. Ketan Deshpande, Chairman and Vice Chancellor of FUEL SkillTech & Entrepreneurship University, said the initiative brings together industry-supported skill development, higher education funding for deserving women and corporate partnerships to expand employment opportunities.
He emphasised that the organisation aims to ensure that a young person’s talent, rather than their circumstances, determines their future. The initiative is expected to strengthen access to education and employment while creating wider benefits for families and communities.
The issue will be marked by a bell-ringing and listing ceremony at the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai on November 30, 2026. Individuals interested in supporting the education of the selected women can also contribute through the Zerodha app.
About FUEL SkillTech & Entrepreneurship University
Established under Maharashtra Act No. 23 of 2026 and promoted by Friends Union for Energising Lives, FUEL SkillTech & Entrepreneurship University focuses on skill-based and entrepreneurship-driven higher education.
Building on FUEL’s more than 18 years of work across over 18 states, the university aims to develop an employable and future-ready generation through industry-aligned education and practical skill development.
Disclaimer: This report has been editorially prepared using publicly available information and official company disclosures. Readers are advised to refer to official announcements and disclosures for further details.
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