Long before entrepreneurship and skill building became buzzwords in India, the Wadhwani Foundation had already established itself as a global leader in these domains. Its core mission remains rooted in enabling families around the world to achieve economic stability through what it calls a family wage—ensuring that at least one member in each household earns enough to support the entire family.
Dr Ajay Kela, President and CEO of the foundation, notes that their work focuses on two interlinked fronts: creating family-wage jobs and equipping individuals with the skills required to access and sustain those jobs.
Scaling across populations
Wherever the foundation operates—be it in India, Indonesia, Brazil or Mexico—it aims to work at a national scale. The rationale, Dr Kela points out, lies in the enormity of the need and the size of the youth populations in these countries. Achieving scale in such contexts requires a strategic approach based on three key levers.
First, the foundation leverages technology to drive scale and efficiency. Second, it works closely with both governments to integrate its efforts into national frameworks. Third, it actively seeks collaboration with other organisations and large partners who are also striving to create systemic impact. Dr Kela emphasises that success depends on collective effort, not isolated action.
Tapping into India’s human capital
If India’s demographic advantage is tapped effectively—by upgrading skills to meet contemporary industry demands—it could result in significant economic gains. Dr Kela suggests that such an approach could potentially add one to two percentage points to India’s GDP growth.
Grounding skills in local needs
For skill-building initiatives to truly lead to sustainable livelihoods, they must be rooted in the local economic context. Dr Kela observes that many young people in emerging economies are likely to enter mid-skill jobs, which often do not require traditional four-year degrees.
He argues for a model where the skilling ecosystem starts with mapping local job demand, builds training programmes aligned with those needs, and uses technology to connect training with job opportunities. This kind of ecosystem-based approach, he feels, is often missing and needs urgent attention.
Youth first
Transforming a nation, Dr Kela believes, begins with serving its youth. He reflects on the universal aspiration among young people to earn their first pay cheque—a moment that symbolises self-worth and independence. Regardless of background, this first income holds emotional and economic significance.
He advocates for a twin strategy: creating a large base of job opportunities and simultaneously upskilling youth to be able to command those roles. This approach, he suggests, can spark not just economic growth, but also enhance citizens’ sense of productivity, national pride, and even their overall happiness.
Ultimately, he sees upskilling as a powerful tool—not just for individual empowerment, but for collective transformation.
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