The Indian Army and Monica Sarin Foundation have launched a skill-development initiative connecting young people from remote Dooars villages with training and employment opportunities in hospitality, healthcare and retail.
For young people growing up in remote communities, finding a job can sometimes begin with finding access—to training, professional networks and workplaces beyond their immediate surroundings.
Project Yuva Shakti, launched by the Indian Army and Monica Sarin Foundation, is attempting to create that connection for youth from the Dooars region of West Bengal.
The initiative began on August 25, 2026, with an initial cohort of 10 participants travelling to Delhi for skill development and training. Four of the participants are young women. The programme is focused on industry-linked training and exposure across hospitality, healthcare and retail.
The Dooars region is home to several communities where tea plantations remain an important source of livelihoods. The organisations behind the initiative say limited access to career opportunities is one of the challenges facing young people in the region.
Project Yuva Shakti is designed around practical exposure rather than classroom training alone. Participants receive industry-oriented skill development, workplace exposure and mentorship intended to connect their training with potential employment opportunities.
The programme also brings a geographic shift into the equation. Moving participants from remote border villages to Delhi gives them exposure to workplaces and industries that may otherwise be difficult to access from their home communities.
For the first cohort, the programme is relatively small—10 participants. But the model raises a broader question about rural employment: whether skill development programmes can be more effective when they connect young people directly with employers, workplaces and sectors where jobs are available.
The longer-term impact will depend on what happens after the training—whether participants secure employment, return with new skills and opportunities, or become part of a wider network connecting other young people from the region to industry.
For now, Project Yuva Shakti represents an attempt to bridge that gap by taking youth from remote communities into professional environments and giving them exposure to employment pathways beyond the traditional livelihoods available around them.
