NEW DELHI: The Bajaj Group on Friday committed Rs. 5,000 crore to social impact initiatives over 5 years, with a sharp focus on skill development, under ‘Bajaj Beyond’—the Group’s new identity for all its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and charitable programs.
According to the diversified group whose business interest ranges from running the country’s largest NBCF firm to selling automobiles in more than 90 countries, the new initiative will benefit over 2 crore of tomorrow's youth and enable them to take advantage of the employment and entrepreneurial opportunities offered by India’s growing economy.
In the last 10 years alone, the Bajaj Group said that they have contributed close to Rs 4,000 crore towards CSR initiatives largely focused on skilling and education, health, livelihood, water conservation, and several other areas of development.
Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto, said that one cannot change the world by sloganeering. While taking a jibe at some popular slogans, Rajiv Bajaj said, “Saying Make in India does not change the world; saying Aatmanirbhar does not change the world; saying vocal for local does not change the world; saying Viksit bharat does not change the world.”
He added, “Words would not change the world unless you have the skills to put those words into action. It would certainly not change the world by saying I will spend tens of thousands of crores of rupees on CSR or that I want to touch billions of lives…CSR should mean constructive social reform.”
The Bajaj Group’s key CSR initiative includes the Bajaj Engineering Skills Training (BEST) program, launched in 2023, which aims to enhance the skills of engineering and diploma graduates in the latest technologies relevant to Industry 4.0. The program has successfully inaugurated its flagship centre in Pune, enrolling 120 students. It is now scaling up with a plan to establish 15 centres across India.
Then there is Bajaj Finserv Ltd’s Certificate Program in Banking, Finance and Insurance (CPBFI) which works to bridge the skilling gap, by linking industry with academia, enabling young first-generation students from tier 2 & 3 towns to take advantage of employment opportunities in the financial services sector. With a presence in 140 towns, the CPBFI program has trained and benefited over 53,000 fresh graduates across India.
Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman & Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv Ltd, said, “Skilling has been at the heart of our social impact initiatives and we have seen the positive multiplier effect it has on the well-being of youth and their families. Our Certificate Programme in Banking, Finance and Insurance (CPBFI) prepares youth for employment in the fast-expanding financial services sector which is currently seeing a shortage of talent. With Bajaj Beyond, we commit to strengthening India’s skilling ecosystem, especially in the hinterland, enabling greater access to economic prosperity.”
While the initiative will be enrolling a large number of students to upgrade their skills, not everyone will be absorbed within the Bajaj Group. The Bajajs believe that the short-duration courses under the program will provide hands-on training on contemporary and evolving industry-relevant topics.
Rajiv Bajaj stated that launching the Bajaj Engineering Skills Training (BEST) last year has been a valuable learning experience for them. “It gave us a very clear picture of the critical gap between theoretical education and practical skills needed in the manufacturing industry. The insights gained through BEST acted as a cornerstone in laying down the groundwork. With Bajaj Beyond, we will expand our skilling efforts across the group. Together, we will design future-proof curriculums, provide real-world, hands-on experiences, and equip our youth with the adaptability and innovation required to thrive in the ever-evolving mobility landscape,” he said.