Creating digital pathways for young indians
India is home to one of the youngest populations in the world, with 65% of Indians under the age of 35, and a digital economy set to power nearly a fifth of the country's GDP by 2030. Harnessing that potential means making sure every young person has the skills and opportunity to take part in it.
The problem
Despite the advances in the new digital and AI era, adolescents and youth in underserved communities, especially girls, face limited digital access, unsafe online environments, weak education and skilling pathways, and restrictive social norms that hinder their learning, agency, and economic opportunities.
Families, teachers, communities, and institutions often lack the capacity to act as unified and informed supportive allies, resulting in fragmented and insufficient efforts. Strong, coordinated partnerships are needed to build a holistic ecosystem that advances digital empowerment, education, skills, employability, and entrepreneurship, all while enabling online safety for young people.
Our solution
Since 2019, BT and the British Asian Trust have partnered to empower over 2 million adolescents and youth in India, primarily girls, by addressing the critical barriers they face in the transition from education to employment.
Our programmes combine digital literacy, AI and STEM learning, life skills, mentoring, online safety, career counselling, employability pathways, and entrepreneurship support to help young people learn, lead, and thrive. Implemented in collaboration with BT and eleven local partners, these initiatives enable young people to take charge of their social and economic destinies.
Our partnership strengthens and aligns with India’s priorities on education, skilling, digital inclusion, and safe and responsible online participation. We also work with allies, communities, families, teachers, and institutions to build an enabling ecosystem that supports young people’s aspirations, autonomy, and agency.
BT's employees play a catalytic role by contributing their time, expertise, and mentorship. Their involvement helps young people, especially girls from vulnerable and low-income communities, to build confidence, develop digital and soft skills, and envision brighter futures in an increasingly digital world.
Our current initiatives :
We are working with local partners across high-need communities in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and select cities and towns.
- Digital literacy, STEM and emerging- tech learning
We equip adolescents and youth with foundational and advanced digital skills through blended learning, hands-on STEM labs, AI training, coding, robotics and creative tech. Programmes in schools and community centres help young people build confidence, curiosity and early tech readiness. This is done through various partners across the portfolio. - Infrastructure, labs and content innovation
We invest in digital and STEM infrastructure lab upgrades, robotics equipment, broadcast content and blended learning tools to make technology accessible, engaging and empowering. Partners like Katha, SOS and Outdoor School enhance learning through modern, future-ready spaces. - Mentoring and career guidance
We offer personalised and digital mentoring pathways to support career clarity, soft-skill development and workplace readiness. Through Mentor Together’s ‘Mentor To Go Programme’, 1:1 mentoring, group sessions and employer linkages, young people receive guidance for transitions into higher education and jobs.
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Online safety and digital citizenship
We embed online safety across partners through adolescent-friendly curricula, peer-led Digital Champions Programme by Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC). Programmes covering faculty development and training in online safety by Indian Institute of Science help create a larger and more informed ecosystem of digitally intelligent individuals.
- Employability, entrepreneurship and livelihood pathways
We strengthen skilling-to-employment pipelines through sectoral skills training, apprenticeships, job fairs, and micro-entrepreneurship support. Through programmes by partners ETASHA Society, Katha, and Magic Bus India Foundation, youth connect to meaningful income opportunities through partners offering job placements, nano-entrepreneur models and career-linked training. - Learning recovery, foundational skills and life skills
We support academic catch-up, gender-transformative life skills, and socio-emotional learning to keep adolescents engaged in school and reduce dropout risks. Programmes like Learning Equaliser by Transform Schools enable this. Structured modules and safe spaces like Kishori clubs under the Hossa Dishe Programme by IT for Change strengthen agency, resilience and grade- level learning.
- Inclusion and disability-responsive programming
We mainstream disability inclusion through accessibility assessments, adaptive tools, staff capacitation and referral linkages. Such programmes like Better Together by Motivation India reduce participation barriers and ensure young people with disabilities can fully benefit from programme activities. - Community and gender norms change
We involve families, teachers, peers, and communities to shift gender norms and build allies supporting girls’ mobility, learning, and aspirations. Community events, screenings, and parent sessions deepen awareness and create enabling environments. - Volunteer and employee engagement
BT employees contribute through mentoring, mock interviews, digital sessions and technical workshops, enhancing programme quality and providing role models to youth. Their engagement strengthens employability outcomes while leveraging BT’s culture of purpose-driven leadership.
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Blogs
Children never lose hope: Reflections on a visit to British Asian Trust projects in Delhi
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News & events
New online safety report maps harms, habits and coping strategies for young people in India.
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News & events
BT Group India and the British Asian Trust to empower a further two million young people.
The partnership reaches adolescents, mostly girls, equipping them with digital skills, confidence and access to opportunity.
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News & events
Our work with BT Group: Sport as a pathway to confidence and community
Building digital skills, and challenging gender stereotypes in creative ways.
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Blogs
Driving in change! Overcoming the societal and logistical challenges to a higher education
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News & events
The British Asian Trust’s partnership with BT Group India wins the Social Impact Project of the Year Award at UK-India Awards 2024
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Blogs
Quality Education India Development Impact Bond shortlisted for the Concordia Impact Award
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News & events
Partnership renewal with BT at residence of British High Commissioner to India
