Mumbai: Centum Foundation, a social impact organisation dedicated to enhancing skills and livelihoods, has partnered with upGrad and YES Foundation, the social development wing of YES Bank that strives for an empowered and equitable India. Together, they have been honoured with the esteemed Mahatma Award for Partnership & Impact 2025 for their collaborative initiative, the Youth Empowerment for Security (YES) Program, which was recently awarded.
This recognition underscores the transformative influence of the YES Program, which has empowered underserved youth, particularly focusing on women beneficiaries in Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Telangana, Assam, and the North-East region. So far, the program has trained over 1,800 young individuals, with more than 30% of participants being women, and has successfully facilitated over 1,250 job placements in high-demand sectors such as Retail, BFSI, Healthcare, and Logistics.
The YES Program is a comprehensive initiative aimed at fostering robust learning and enhancing employability outcomes. It provides underserved youth, particularly women, with essential industry-relevant training, certification, and opportunities for sustainable employment.
According to data from the Indian government, the participation of women in the workforce is on a steady rise. The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) for women increased from 30.2% in June 2025 to 32% in August 2025. Additionally, the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for women aged 15 and older climbed from 32% to 33.7%, with rural women seeing greater improvements compared to those in urban areas. This trend underscores the increasing potential of women as vital contributors to India’s workforce.
On receiving the award, Garima Dutt, President, CSR – YES Bank Ltd. & CEO – YES Foundation, remarked: “I strongly believe that empowering youth is key to India’s social and economic development. Through our partnership with Centum Foundation, we are enabling underserved young people to gain skills, confidence, and meaningful opportunities. This collaboration is not just transforming lives but also building a future of economic self-reliance and inclusive growth.”
Instituted in 2016 by philanthropist Amit Sachdeva (also known as The CSR Man of India) and supported by the Aditya Birla Group, the Mahatma Award honours organisations and leaders whose work exemplifies Gandhian values of truth, social justice, and inclusivity. Past recipients include Ratan Tata, Azim Premji, Sudha Murthy, Microsoft Philanthropy, and Google Ad Grants, among others.
Commenting on the achievement, Srikanth Iyengar, CEO, upGrad Enterprise, added: “Social impact never happens overnight – it is the result of deep partnerships and scalable models of training and skilling. This is a proud moment for both Centum Foundation and YES Foundation because together, we’re building bridges from aspiration to opportunity. In a country with the world’s largest youth population, the real dividend lies in including those who have been on the margins. We constantly strive to bring them closer to meaningful impact and employability. This award is a call to scale, sustain, and accelerate that impact, especially for women and underserved rural communities.”
The honour comes shortly after Centum Foundation received the Brandon Hall Gold Award for the same initiative, further highlighting its commitment to quality skill development and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for underserved communities across India.