Empowerment Through Skill ITC’s Initiative Transforming Lives of Persons with Disabilities

Vocational Training: In a significant push toward inclusive economic growth, ITC Limited has expanded its flagship vocational skilling programme to create sustainable livelihood pathways for the specially-abled. As of May 2026, the initiative has successfully trained over 2,370 differently-abled youth, with more than 30% of participants being women, effectively bridging the gap between “disability” and “capability.”

Breaking Barriers: Real-World Success Stories:
The programme’s impact is best reflected in the transformed lives of its trainees who have moved from social isolation to financial independence:

Kavali Jyothi (Andhra Pradesh): Despite a 65% locomotor disability, she now earns ₹16,000 as a Customer Support Associate at Kempegowda International Airport.

Jayram Ramesh Sonune (Maharashtra): With 40% visual impairment, he secured a role at Pune Airport earning ₹25,000 per month after receiving computer and communication training.

Sunil Kumar (Uttar Pradesh): Living with 90% locomotor disability, he now serves as an Accountant earning ₹15,000 per month.

Bindhu (Karnataka): Overcoming an 85% orthopedic disability, she works on a shop floor and is now using her newfound confidence to pursue higher education.

A Comprehensive Training Ecosystem:
The programme operates through eight specialized centers across five major cities: Bangalore, Mysuru, Lucknow, Howrah, and Bhubaneswar. ITC collaborates with expert partners such as Youth4Jobs, Anudip, and the Cheshire Disability Trust to offer:

Industry-Relevant Skills: Data entry, hospitality, retail operations, and IT-enabled services.

Soft Skills: Spoken English, workplace etiquette, and financial literacy.

Specialized Training: The Mangaldeep Sixth Sense initiative trains the visually challenged in fragrance evaluation, utilizing their heightened olfactory senses.

Essential Support: Sign-language interpretation, ergonomic adaptations, and mentorship.

Addressing the Rural-Urban Divide:
The initiative is particularly crucial given that 69% of India’s PwD population resides in rural areas, where barriers to education and employment are highest. With a national literacy rate for the specially-abled at just 54.4% and only 25% engagement in the workforce, ITC’s localized approach targets those most at risk of exclusion.

“At its core, our programme is about nurturing dignity and self-belief. When given the right opportunities, everyone can prosper,” says Mr. Prabhakar Lingareddy, Executive Vice President and Head of Social Investments at ITC Limited.

Corporate Integration and Sustainability:
The programme aligns with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Corporate India has shown increasing acceptance of these trained candidates, integrating them into sectors like FMCG, logistics, and e-commerce.

Beyond individual financial gain, the programme is fostering an improved workplace culture and stronger employee retention for hiring organizations, proving that inclusive hiring is not just a social duty, but a sound business strategy.