Ketan Deshpande: The Social Entrepreneur Changing Lives through Education and Skill Development

Ketan Deshpande, the social entrepreneur, is changing lives through education and skill development.

Ketan Deshpande, the founder and CEO of Friends Union for Energising Lives (FUEL), is a social entrepreneur dedicated to the development of society through education and skill development. His non-profit organization, FUEL, provides career counselling, assistance, scholarships, and skill-building for youth nationwide. Women’s empowerment through education and skill development has always been his area of focus.

Ketan’s hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed. He was awarded The Champions of Change-2017 by Niti Aayog, an event graced by the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Ketan has completed his MBA from Symbiosis International University and is a Fellow at Judge Business School, Cambridge University, UK. For his work, he has received appreciation from the then President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and prestigious awards like the Ashoka Fellowship.

Social Impact

Ketan Deshpande’s team has achieved significant social impact through counseling, training, and education initiatives.

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FUEL has counselled 10,000 girl children from Haryana and Rajasthan. Skill training is provided to 2000 women artisans in Mumbai & Thane. Ketan and his team’s untiring work led to starting Edu Raksha program with the Army Schools & Jawan’s children impacting 137 Army Public Schools and the Edu-Suraksha program for the children of police personnel of Maharashtra.

Representation at Global Entrepreneurship Summit

Ketan’s GES representation and FUEL’s CSR projects have made a significant social impact in India.

Ketan represented India at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit GES-2016, Stanford University USA, hosted by former President Barrack Obama. FUEL has implemented large-scale CSR projects across the lengths and breadths of the country in areas of Career counselling, skill development, and scholarships for defence personnel, children and rural youth through CSR programs in partnership with various corporates.

Journey to Social Entrepreneurship

Ketan Deshpande’s journey to social entrepreneurship is a story of overcoming challenges.

Ketan’s journey to becoming a social entrepreneur started with the challenges he faced while growing up. His single mother, a judge, brought up Ketan, and they had to move every three years due to her job. This meant searching for new schools and getting accustomed to the new environment, peer groups, etc., which was a continuous challenge because of the lack of information about the education system in the small rural towns Ketan’s mother was posted to. This problem was exacerbated when he finished high school and moved to Pune to pursue higher studies.

Journey of Empowering Youth

During the second year of his college, Ketan realised that every student in India was suffering from similar problems. He thus started a non-profit Friends Union for Energising Lives (FUEL) at 19, mentored by Mr Santosh Huralikoppi – Pavate Fellow Cambridge. When asked about why this name is for the organisation, Ketan mentions that he and his team are partners in this journey of societal development, and to work with the youth, one needs to become friends to be able to understand their issues and work together to overcome the challenges.

Education and Skilling Projects

Ketan’s untiring effort towards societal development and his experiences earned him a place at the esteemed Symbiosis International University, Pune, where he completed his MBA course. With an ideal blend of academic credentials with the practical execution of education and skilling projects in the remote rural areas of India, Ketan has shown a visible and sustainable impact on the country’s youth.

Mission to Empower Students for Successful Careers

Understanding the need for career awareness among students, he has been at the forefront of overcoming the educational and employability skills challenges of the youth through Career Educonnect. Ketan published a career book wherein students are exposed to a multitude of career opportunities with its eligibility criteria, mode of application & other information required for making successful applications. Ketan received appreciation from noted scientist and former President of India, Honourable Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, and got a mission to impact 10 million students

FUEL’s Career Counselling

Ketan’s work and contribution to society have been remarkable. His decade-long efforts in career counselling, skill development, and scholarship programs have impacted over one million youth. His organisation, FUEL, has created a profound social impact in education to skill development across 13 states in India, ten aspirational districts, and one African country (Uganda) through government and CSR partnerships.

Skilling and Entrepreneurship Initiatives

Through his initiatives, over 108,000 youth have been provided with industry-relevant skilling, and a remarkable placement rate of 70%-75% has been achieved. Additionally, 350 young entrepreneurs have been created who, in turn, will become job creators. Ketan’s innovative models, such as Edu Raksha and Edu Suraksha, have provided career support to children of the army and police personnel, respectively. This has enabled them to pursue higher education in top institutes with the help of scholarships won through career counselling and skilling programs.

Scholarship and Future Skill Programs

Moreover, underprivileged students are being supported through the Talent Search Scholarship Program, where they receive free coaching, transport, and food. FUEL has also launched a scholarship portal, connecting donors and beneficiaries, enabling scholarships worth Rs. 200 lakhs 2+ crores to be granted to aspiring youth in need.

FUEL is adapting to the changing times by setting up Future Skill University, where needy youth will be equipped with future skills such as AI, IoT, Social Media & 3D Printing. Ketan’s work has thus contributed significantly to society, empowering the youth to become skilled and employable while supporting underprivileged and deserving students.

“We aim to establish FUEL as a Future Skills Institute and University in Pune and other parts of India.”, the organization said.

To learn more about FUEL, please check out this CNN News 18 video about organisation: https://lnkd.in/dBGkYA4U. 

(Copy Right – India CSR Network)