On a quiet morning in a crowded Delhi neighbourhood, 21-year-old Yashika opens her laptop and begins writing lines of code. Outside, vendors call out and traffic hums past. Inside, she is building software — and a future that once felt unreachable.
Just a few years ago, Yashika struggled to speak in English, hesitated to introduce herself, and viewed technology as a necessity rather than a passion. Today, she works as a software developer, teaches computer skills at an NGO, and contributes to her family’s income.
Her journey is not a standalone success story. It is one of over five lakh similar transformations enabled by Anudip Foundation, an organisation that has spent nearly two decades equipping underserved youth across India with industry-relevant tech skills, workplace readiness, and the confidence to enter the formal workforce.
From full-stack development and cloud computing to data analytics and AI fundamentals, Anudip trains young people not just to learn technology but to use it as a pathway to dignity, stability, and economic mobility.
Bridging the digital divide through skills that matter
Founded in 2007 by technologists Deepak and Radha Basu, Anudip emerged from a growing concern: as technology advanced rapidly, millions were being left behind — not due to lack of talent, but lack of access.
“What we realised early on was that digital literacy alone wasn’t enough,” says Monisha Banerjee, CEO of Anudip Foundation, speaking to The Better India.
“Over time, our work evolved to focus on how technology could drive real economic change for disadvantaged communities — with a strong emphasis on access to new-age careers.”
Today, Anudip works with youth from rural, tribal, and urban low-income communities, many of whom are first-generation learners.
-
91% of its students come from families earning under Rs 20,000 a month
-
More than 52% are women
-
Over 500,000 learners have been trained across India
Supporting this scale is a nationwide ecosystem of over 400 trainers, grassroots teams, and industry partners who work directly within communities.
What Anudip teaches and why it works
Anudip’s programmes are designed around industry-relevant technology roles, with a clear focus on employability and long-term economic mobility.
Learners are trained in core programming and development skills, including Java-based full stack development, Python, and web technologies, preparing them for entry-level roles in software development and application support.
To align with evolving job markets, Anudip also equips students with exposure to cloud computing, data-driven roles, and AI fundamentals, ensuring they are not left behind as technology advances.
Built around real industry needs, Anudip’s programmes focus on employability, economic mobility, and futures that last.
Alongside technical training, every programme integrates communication, interview preparation, and workplace readiness, recognising that confidence and professional skills are often the biggest barriers for first-generation learners entering the formal workforce.
“Learning is supported by a digital LMS where assessments and feedback happen online, while AI-powered tools like iChat help students practise interviews through repeated, guided simulations,” adds Monisha.
Among the many learners Anudip has trained across the country, some stories have stayed with Monisha. One such story is that of Barnali, who came from a village in West Bengal, acquired technical skills, and went on to secure a job with an AI data services organisation.
“It makes me incredibly happy to share that today, she is a successful project manager. Her child studies in an English-medium school, and she has bought her own apartment in Kolkata,” says Monisha.
Building access before building skills
Anudip’s work begins long before the first class.
Teams reach young people through door-to-door campaigns, panchayats, employment exchanges, colleges, social media, and government partnerships. Counsellors then work closely with applicants to understand aspirations, assess readiness, and often introduce them to the programme through demo classes.
From enrolment to placement, the learner journey is digitally tracked. Attendance is monitored, mentors stay closely involved, and placement teams guide students through job roles, interviews, and workplace expectations.
Outreach, counselling, mentoring, and placement — Anudip’s work is designed to support first-generation learners at every step of their journey.
“Learning doesn’t stop at lectures,” says Monisha. “It’s reinforced through feedback, practice, and real-world exposure.”
Quality is overseen by an academic excellence team, trainers receive regular upskilling, and final assessments are conducted by third-party evaluators. Partnerships with organisations like Google, Microsoft, Accenture, and UNICEF help keep programmes aligned with evolving job markets.
From a farming village to a future in tech
For 25-year-old Amit Singh, education always came with sacrifice.
Growing up in Pokharbhinda near Gorakhpur, Amit’s father cycled him and his sister kilometres to school every day. Farming income was uncertain, and higher education felt distant.
“Our household depended entirely on the land,” Amit recalls. “Financial uncertainty was always there.”
After Class 12, Amit pursued a diploma in Mechanical Engineering, unexpectedly topping his first semester. That moment changed how he saw himself — but not the challenges ahead.
Despite later transitioning to Computer Science, Amit struggled after graduation. Job interviews repeatedly ended with feedback about weak communication skills. Rejections took a toll on his health and confidence.
At his lowest point, he heard about Anudip.
Enrolling in the Full Stack Java programme, Amit encountered structure, accountability, and something he hadn’t experienced before — a safe space to speak.
With live classes, constant interaction, and an insistence on participation. Speaking became a daily habit. Mock interviews became learning tools rather than judgment spaces.
Learners were encouraged to speak every day — about themselves, technical topics, or even random prompts in a space where mistakes were allowed and growth was nurtured.
“Speaking every day terrified me at first,” he says. “But my trainers listened, corrected me gently, and helped me find my voice.”
Today, Amit supports his family financially, and his father no longer carries the full burden alone. For him, success is not just employment; it is resilience and the belief that he can keep learning.
Finding a voice through code
Yashika’s journey followed a different path but led to the same turning point.
Growing up in Sahibabad, financial hardship forced her to move from a private school to a government school in Class 9. Communication, especially in English, remained a struggle.
“I found it difficult to express my thoughts or make friends,” she says.
Though interested in political science, Yashika chose a BCA degree for practical reasons. After graduating, she realised that technical knowledge without confidence wasn’t enough.
In 2023, she enrolled in Anudip’s Advanced Java programme, balancing online classes with travel to the Vivek Vihar centre. The training focused as much on interviews and articulation as it did on coding.
Through consistent mentoring and iChat mock interviews, Yashika found clarity — and courage.
When skills meet confidence, training becomes transformation — creating impact that goes far beyond a job.
Today, she works as a software developer and also teaches computer skills at an NGO in Noida. She contributes to her family’s income and supports her brother’s education.
“I came to Anudip to become job-ready, but it shaped me into the person I am today. It helped me understand the true power of training — showing me the difference between simply teaching technology and creating real, lasting impact through it,” says Yashika.
Her dream now extends beyond herself. She hopes to work at the grassroots and one day open her own NGO, a space where learning is accessible, practical, and empowering.
More than jobs, a shift in belief
Across Anudip’s classrooms, the most visible outcome is not salary, it is confidence.
Monisha recalls working with the Metiaburuz community in Kolkata, where girls rarely worked outside the home. Convincing even 20 young women to enrol took months.
More than jobs, Anudip builds confidence that reshapes families, opens opportunities for women, and changes what communities believe is possible.
“Today, around 1,800 women from that community are working in AI,” she says. “Many now ask us to train their mothers.”
Transformations like these often go far beyond one individual. When a learner steps into the formal workforce, entire households shift — children grow up with new aspirations, and communities begin to imagine different futures.
A hopeful tomorrow
If Anudip’s vision continues at scale, India’s future workforce will not only be more digital but also more inclusive, confident, and prepared.
Across villages, informal settlements, and tech workplaces, opportunity is no longer something to wait for — it can be learnt, practised, and claimed. In classrooms like Yashika’s, a generation of learners is quietly transforming their lives, shaping communities, and building the India of tomorrow.
All images courtesy Anudip Foundation
