upGrad commits Rs 200 cr training programme for PM's internship scheme

The firm has created a specialised course with nine comprehensive modules and virtual classrooms

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Edtech startup upGrad will spend Rs 200 crore on a skills training programme for 100,000 young people in financial year 2024-25 (FY25), seeking to assist the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme.

Intern-Zip Program prioritises national-level skilling to “bridge the education-employment gap for underserved youth”, said the company on Thursday. It will have nine comprehensive modules and virtual classrooms for people aged 20-24 and belonging to families who don’t pay taxes.

The course will be free for the first 100,000 “learners”. For corporates and subsequent learners, the cost for the specially designed fully online course will be Rs 20,000 one time.

Intern-Zip will teach “technical savviness”, soft skills and professional development. It would skill individuals in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and ChatGPT, the popular artificial intelligence chatbot. It will include communication, problem-solving, time management, professional grooming, and networking.

The company said it has made additional investments for research, content and faculty to ensure the programme delivers “right outcomes”. It will enable companies to access skilled and ready-to-deploy talent for a fee.

“Skilling is no longer a product but a necessity that must be scaled beyond traditional income slabs to empower individuals from all walks. With India’s growing population and with talent migration that’s happening from agriculture to formal jobs, it’s critical for us to build an infrastructure that could equip larger groups," said Ronnie Screwvala, co-founder and chairperson of upGrad.

“With this initiative, we’re empowering a whole new community of aspiring individuals to get trained adequately and get placed across leading organisations, GCCs (global capability centres) and partner companies, leaving a stronger economic mark,” he said.

“Even when the individuals go for an internship at companies they will need skills during that time. The entire course and curriculum that we have designed would help them skill under this internship programme that is being mounted by the government,” said Screwvala. “We would conduct this course virtually and in multiple languages. It is really about making students job-ready. But it is not a degree or diploma.”

The company has some 500 counsellors who would provide support for the programme.