NMDC Empowers Bastar Youth with 100% Placement in Skill Development Initiative

The achievement reflects NMDC’s deep commitment to skill development, inclusive growth, and nation building, while advancing the vision of making Bastar’s youth truly Atmanirbhar.

India’s largest iron ore producer, NMDC Limited, hosted the first batch of 80 youth from the Bastar division who have successfully completed job-oriented skill training and achieved 100% placement, marking a significant milestone in empowering tribal youth and strengthening livelihoods in Chhattisgarh.

The achievement reflects NMDC’s deep commitment to skill development, inclusive growth, and nation building, while advancing the vision of making Bastar’s youth truly Atmanirbhar.

---

CSR-Driven Skilling Programme in Partnership with CIPET

The programme was conducted under NMDC’s Skill Development initiative as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, in association with the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET).

The initiative aims to empower unemployed and less privileged tribal youth of Bastar by providing:

• Industry-relevant skills

• Structured vocational training

• Sustainable employment pathways

• Confidence to enter the formal workforce

---

Senior NMDC Leadership Felicitates Trainees

The felicitation and interaction session was held in the presence of NMDC’s senior leadership, including:

• Shri Amitava Mukherjee, Chairman & Managing Director

• Shri Vinay Kumar, Director (Technical) and Director (Commercial, Additional Charge)

• Shri Joydeep Dasgupta, Director (Production) and Director (Personnel, Additional Charge)

• Shri P. Shyam, GM (CSR)

• Shri B. Ravi, Principal Director, CIPET

Senior officials and employees from both NMDC and CIPET also attended the event, celebrating the success of the trainees.

---

Youth from Remote Districts Step Into Formal Employment

Coming from modest backgrounds across districts such as:

• Dantewada

• Bastar

• Sukma

• Narayanpur

• Kondagaon

• Bijapur

The students shared stories of lives where opportunities were scarce and career choices limited.

They described the programme as not only an avenue to employment, but also a turning point that gave them the courage to leave their hometowns and build independent futures.

---

“Today, I Am Going to Work and Earn”: Sukhram’s Story

Sukhram, a Class 12 pass youth from Bastar, spoke of a childhood shaped by early loss and hardship.

Securing a job, he said, will change the trajectory of his family’s life:

“I never knew how I would leave my hometown. Today, I am going to work and earn.”

His journey reflects the transformative impact of structured skilling interventions in tribal regions.

---

CMD Amitava Mukherjee: “This Is Not Just About Jobs”

Speaking on the occasion, NMDC Chairman Shri Amitava Mukherjee said that watching young people from Bastar step into formal employment is a powerful reminder of what opportunity can achieve.

“This is not just about jobs. It is about young people realising they belong in the workforce and in the country’s growth story.”

He added that such moments reaffirm why skilling remains central to building an Atmanirbhar Bastar and a more inclusive Viksit Bharat.

---

Directors Encourage Youth to Continue Learning and Become Entrepreneurs

Shri Vinay Kumar highlighted the visible transformation of Chhattisgarh over the years and noted NMDC’s integral role in the state’s development journey.

Shri Joydeep Dasgupta described the placements as an important milestone and encouraged the students to keep learning, move forward with confidence, and aspire to become future entrepreneurs.

---

Inclusive Eligibility Ensures No Youth Left Behind

Under the programme, eligibility was kept highly inclusive with a minimum qualification of Class 8, ensuring that:

• School dropouts

• Youth from economically weaker sections

• Tribal communities with limited access to education

are not excluded from the skilling ecosystem.

The first batch included 80 sponsored students, all of whom have now been successfully placed, reflecting the programme’s effectiveness.

---

NMDC–CIPET Programme to Train 500 Youth

Under its CSR commitment, NMDC has partnered with CIPET to provide free skill development training to 500 youth from Dantewada and Bastar districts.

Fully funded by NMDC, the programme offers training across qualification levels, including:

• Operator-level short-term courses

• Diploma programmes

• Postgraduate diploma programmes in plastics technology

The initiative is designed to enhance employability and strengthen the local workforce in emerging industrial sectors.

---

Building an Atmanirbhar Bastar Through Skills and Opportunity

The success of the first batch marks a major step toward sustainable development in one of India’s most underserved tribal regions.

With 100% placement and expanding training capacity, NMDC’s skilling initiative is emerging as a model for how industry-led CSR can create real pathways of dignity, employment and empowerment for tribal youth.