Week 41 briefing, 28 September to 5 OctoberRebuilt from dated news searches

Two calls worth making this week.

Prioritise outreach to Castrol India and Mukul Madhav Foundation this week as both announce fresh vocational and youth skilling allocations.

Call Castrol India first following the launch of their flagship Ujjwal Kal youth skilling centre in Kolkata to explore implementation partnerships for similar youth skilling models.
Engage Finolex's Mukul Madhav Foundation (MMF) immediately after their new partnership with FICCI FLO for Karnataka skilling, leveraging their strong existing footprint and our alignment on vocational programmes.
Monitor national skilling and digital literacy drives from Adani Foundation (Gopalpur Port) and Tecumseh (Project Kaushal Setu with United Way) as mid-term partnership opportunities outside our primary geography.
Note significant corporate capital flowing to education infrastructure, highlighted by NTPC Bongaigaon committing ₹5 crore for an Assam model school project.
Exercise heightened compliance diligence in response to the Enforcement Directorate's raid unearthing a ₹200 crore multi-state bogus CSR diversion racket.

Call sheet

Warmest first

1Castrol IndiaNew initiative, Kolkata, West Bengal72
2MMFNew initiative, Karnataka75

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72Hot

Castrol India

New initiativeKolkata, West Bengal

Castrol India launches flagship Ujjwal Kal youth skilling centre in Kolkata

CSR track record: Rs 23.20 cr CSR spent in FY24 (calendar 2024); long-standing skilling focus via Castrol Eklavya and Ujjwal Kal, which reached ~5,000 beneficiaries in 2025.

On October 1, 2026, Castrol India inaugurated its first 'Ujjwal Kal' skilling centre at Santoshpur, Kolkata, partnering with Smile Foundation to train disadvantaged youth aged 18–28 in AI, digital tech, retail, and beauty. The initiative targets 50–55% placement rates and specifically aims to empower young women, who make up roughly 85% of participants.

Why it matters to you

While this specific centre is locked with Smile Foundation in Kolkata, Castrol is Mumbai-headquartered and actively deploying budget into youth skilling and digital literacy under Ujjwal Kal, offering a prime opening to pitch Maharashtra and Pune expansions.

How to open the conversation

Pitch an expansion of Castrol's Ujjwal Kal skilling model into Maharashtra, leveraging our Pune-based delivery network for dropout youth and first-generation job seekers.

Who to approach: Ms. Rekha Pillai, Head – CSR and Sustainability Group Lead, Castrol India

Summarised from headlines only; open the source before calling

Castrol India Launches First Skilling Centre In Kolkata For Youth Development, Free Press Journal, 1 Oct
Castrol India launches first skilling centre under CSR initiative 'Ujjwal Kal' in Kolkata, Business Upturn, 1 Oct

75Hot

MMF

New initiativeKarnataka

Finolex's Mukul Madhav Foundation partners with FICCI FLO for Karnataka skilling

CSR track record: Finolex Industries reported Rs 25.64 crore CSR spend in FY24, channeled via MMF with heavy focus on healthcare, education, and livelihood skilling.

Finolex Industries' CSR partner Mukul Madhav Foundation (MMF) expanded its ongoing national partnership with FICCI FLO on September 29, 2026, to skill rural women in beauty and wellness in Karnataka. No budget amount or public call for implementation partners was disclosed for this specific state expansion.

Why it matters to you

MMF and its parent Finolex are headquartered right in Pune and actively fund skilling programmes across chapters. Because MMF operates by appointing regional NGO implementation partners alongside FICCI FLO, their skilling expansion creates an immediate opportunity to pitch youth and women skilling projects in Pune and Maharashtra.

How to open the conversation

Congratulate MMF on expanding women's livelihood initiatives with FICCI FLO and pitch a Pune-based digital and employability skilling partnership for marginalized youth.

Who to approach: Ms. Ritu Prakash Chhabria (Managing Trustee, Mukul Madhav Foundation / Chairperson of CSR, Finolex Industries)

Checked against Google Search results

MMF partners with FICCI FLO to skill rural women in Karnataka, Deccan Herald, 29 Sept