BT Group India and the British Asian Trust to empower a further two million young people.

The British Asian Trust and BT Group India have renewed their award-winning partnership to empower a further 2 million adolescents and youth, primarily girls, over three years.
Since 2019, the partnership has already reached over 2.1 million adolescents, most of them girls, equipping them with digital skills, confidence, and access to opportunity. It has also mobilised parents, teachers, and communities to create environments where girls can thrive.
While digital skills, agency building and access to opportunity remain at the core of the partnership, in its next phase, the programme will:
- Prioritise online safety, equipping vulnerable girls with the tools to recognise and respond to online exploitation.
- Include disabled young people as a key focus group, ensuring equitable access to education, employment, and social participation.
- Support nano-entrepreneurship initiatives enabling women and youth from marginalised communities to start and grow their enterprises to generate a sustainable livelihood.
- Introduce updated telecom curriculum in STEM education and building faculty capacity, to create a future-ready workforce for the telecom sector in partnership with UK-India Future Networks Initiative.

Pooja Lamba, Director, BT Business & Chair, Indian Responsible Business Board, BT Group India said, “This partnership represents everything BT Group stands for, harnessing the power of technology to drive equity, inclusion, and meaningful change. Over the years, we’ve watched girls transform from hesitant learners to confident leaders, enabled by digital tools and strong community ecosystems. We’re proud to continue this journey with the British Asian Trust to empower young people in India with the skills, support, and opportunities they deserve.”
Richard Hawkes, CEO, the British Asian Trust said, “We’re incredibly proud of what this partnership has achieved over the last six years. Together with BT Group, we are on track to reach more than 4 million young people, particularly girls, helping them to thrive in a digital world. As we renew our commitment, we’re excited to explore new avenues, like online safety, inclusive access for disabled youth, and innovative entrepreneurship, to ensure every young person has the chance to fulfil their potential.”
Bharath Visweswariah, Executive Director (India), British Asian Trust said, “This partnership is about more than just skills. It’s about opening up possibilities. In India, adolescent girls still face deep-rooted barriers to mobility, safety, and opportunity. Through this collaboration, we’ve seen girls use their experiences to lead football leagues, design climate games, and become agents of change in their communities. We’re excited to for the new phase of this partnership – helping youth navigate the online world safely, creating inclusive spaces for disabled persons, and sparking livelihoods opportunities in underserved areas.”
The partnership will implement its vision with trusted local organisations across India, combining local insight with scalable models. The partners include ETASHA Society, Katha Lab Schools, IT for Change, Mentor Together, Transform Schools, Going to School, YLAC, and Motivation India.
Key highlights of the programme include the creation of safe spaces in Karnataka government schools, which have helped over 36,000 adolescent girls to develop essential life skills. A digital mentoring initiative has also supported 25,500 college girls with career guidance, mentorship, and access to professional networks. In 2024–2025, nearly 750 young women secured jobs in the formal sector, supported by targeted skilling and mentorship efforts.
The partnership has also deepened its collaboration with state governments to scale impact. Notably, a 200-hour digital learning programme is being implemented with the Government of Karnataka, covering core subjects like English, Maths, Science, Kannada, and Social Sciences. Delivered through a mobile app and interactive content, this initiative reached nearly one million students in the past year alone with the aim of improving learning outcomes.
The partnership has also been recognised as the Social Impact Project of the Year at the India Global Forum in both 2019 and 2024.
Photo credits: IT for Change, Going To School, Katha.
