India is sitting on a goldmine of potential—its young people. With one of the largest youth populations in the world, the choices we make today in educating and preparing them will decide not just their futures, but the country’s economic and social trajectory for decades to come. But how do we inspire, equip, and prepare this generation to live up to the potential we all see in them? As raw talent may not be enough…What’s needed is a bridge: something that connects ambition to opportunity, potential to progress. That’s exactly what Naandi’s Job Factory sets out to do—giving young people the right mix of professional skills, self-confidence, and exposure so they can cross that bridge and step into India’s fast-changing economy.
One of the operational arms of Naandi’s Job Factory vertical is the Mahindra Pride Classroom (MPC). Running since 2016, MPC currently has 1,45,000 students under its wing being trained across 2,650 classrooms in 19 states of India. More than 80% of these learners are women, trained in 21st-century skills and career-readiness techniques—ranging from Python coding and computational thinking to emotional intelligence, English proficiency, skillful teaching, and more. And while many employability initiatives in India lean on hybrid or online learning approaches, MPC has stayed true to the in-person classroom model—with face-to-face, hands-on learning that really sticks. Even during COVID, when the programme had to temporarily shift online, the superiority of in-person teaching remained clear—and MPC returned to it as soon as possible.
Tamil Nadu is MPC’s largest base of operations, home to 277 of its 2,650 training classrooms. As an operational partner of the state’s flagship youth employability scheme, Naan Mudhalvan, MPC uses these classrooms to train and prepare thousands of young people for the job market. This July, the scheme marked its third anniversary with a grand celebration at Chennai’s Nehru Indoor Stadium attended by dignified guests: Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, senior officials, and other leaders from the state’s education and employability ecosystem. Backed by more than 40 implementation partners—from grassroots organisations like Naandi to global giants like Microsoft, Google, and Infosys—Naan Mudhalvan is equipping students, especially those from rural areas, with skills in cutting-edge fields like AI, robotics, and Industry 4.0.
Members of MPC were in attendance at the event, where something special unfolded. Out of all the scheme’s implementation partners, only 13 were recognised for outstanding work—and Naandi’s MPC was one of them. It stood out as the only non-commercial partner carrying out employability training, and even more striking, the only partner delivering all its training in-person without any reliance on hybrid/online delivery. That distinction was highlighted on stage just before Chief Minister Thiru M.K. Stalin handed the award to a senior representative of MPC.
For the MPC team in attendance—and for colleagues across MPC and the wider Job Factory who later heard about the recognition—it was truly a goosebump moment. Being acknowledged by the Chief Minister himself felt momentous, inspiring everyone at MPC to work even harder for the young people we serve. And indeed, there’s plenty more work to do! Around the same time the award was received, MPC signed a fresh MoU with Tamil Nadu’s Skill Development Corporation to train 50,000 more young people this year.
So yes, it’s a major milestone for MPC in Tamil Nadu—being recognised as one of the largest non-corporate employability initiatives in the state who prioritise in-person teaching. For all of us at Naandi, especially those working within the nationwide Job Factory vertical, it’s a strong reminder that consistent presence and engagement matters. Showing up for and teaching young people, day by day, face to face, is what transforms potential into progress.
