Head Held High Foundation will deliver three-month programmes in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai, covering literacy, communication, digital and workplace skills.
HYDERABAD (India CSR): Zeta, a banking technology company, has inaugurated a skilling centre in Hyderabad under its CSR programme, Zeta CARES, to help underprivileged youth prepare for employment and entrepreneurship. Delivered with Head Held High Foundation, the centre combines literacy, communication, digital capability and workplace readiness. Training began before the formal inauguration on October 10, while operations have also begun in Bengaluru and Mumbai. Formal inaugurations in Bengaluru and Mumbai are planned in the coming months.
The initiative is part of Zeta’s Employability pillar. Zeta is funding curriculum delivery, training-centre set-up and trainer fees across Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Each centre will run a three-month programme for two batches of 60 participants, creating a planned capacity of 120 learners per centre. Zeta said the intervention links practical skills with employment and self-employment opportunities for young people who have had limited access to formal training and professional networks.
Zeta has partnered with Head Held High Foundation to deliver its Make India Capable programme for marginalised youth. The Hyderabad module covers functional skills such as spoken English, communication and confidence building; digital skills for everyday and work settings; and workplace skills, including professional conduct, teamwork and work readiness. The approach treats skilling as more than a classroom exercise, bringing together capabilities that can help young people enter the workforce, sustain work or consider entrepreneurship.
The programme comes amid an employability challenge. The India Skills Report 2026, cited by Zeta, estimates overall employability at 56.35 per cent. This suggests that many candidates may still need stronger technical, communication or workplace skills before meeting employer expectations. The gap can be especially sharp for youth from underprivileged backgrounds, who may have ambition but fewer opportunities to access quality training, digital tools, career guidance and exposure to workplace norms. Zeta’s new centres seek to address these barriers through structured training.
Zeta has opened a Hyderabad skilling centre under Zeta CARES to help underserved youth develop communication, digital and workplace skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
“India has no shortage of young people with ambition. What many of them lack is an opportunity to develop skills that help them secure employment and build a livelihood. Through Zeta CARES, we are supporting practical training that builds both the technical and soft skills young people need to start a career or a business. Our partnership with Head Held High Foundation brings this opportunity to young people across three cities,” said Sivaram Kowta, President, Zeta India.
Pankaj Singh Thakur, CEO, Head Held High Foundation, said the collaboration is centred on widening choices for young people. “Skilling should expand the choices available to a young person, irrespective of their background. With Zeta’s support, we are helping young people build the skills and confidence to enter the workforce, pursue entrepreneurship and shape their own livelihoods,” he said.
For Head Held High Foundation, the programme is aligned with its Make India Capable framework, which seeks to support young people from vulnerable communities in becoming both life-capable and work-capable. The organisation’s public programme material describes a model that emphasises self-belief, communication, world knowledge and professional preparedness alongside employability. In this partnership, Zeta’s CSR support provides the resources to deliver the three-month training cycle at the three urban centres, enabling the Foundation to extend its approach to a fresh cohort of learners.
The new skilling-centre initiative also builds on Zeta’s earlier digital learning work. Under Project Shiksha, the company has set up two computer labs in government schools in Bengaluru over the past two years. Zeta said the labs have given more than 600 students access to digital learning tools, structured computer education, coding and STEM exposure. The Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai centres move this engagement from school-level learning to the transition into work, focusing on the knowledge, confidence and behaviours young adults may need in a changing labour market.
With the centres now operational, the next measure will be the programme’s ability to convert training into meaningful employment, self-employment and long-term livelihood outcomes. Zeta did not disclose a numerical placement target in the announcement. However, its decision to combine digital, functional and workplace skills reflects a recognition that employment preparation extends beyond technical certification. For participants, the immediate value will lie in gaining usable capabilities and greater confidence; for the partnership, it will be in demonstrating how corporate CSR can help bridge the gap between aspiration and opportunity.
