This text is sponsored by Cybage
“I’ve at all times been captivated with engineering since I used to be a baby, however rising up in a lower-middle-class household, I wasn’t positive if that dream would ever come true,” shares 24-year-old Fiza Shaikh. Along with her father working as a carpenter and her mom a housewife, her household confronted fixed monetary struggles, leaving little room for increased schooling. Like many younger college students in related conditions, she discovered her desires clouded by the load of economic constraints.
That modified when she found CybageKhushboo, a scholarship and mentorship initiative devoted to serving to promising college students flip their aspirations into actuality. With monetary assist and skill-building alternatives, Fiza not solely pursued engineering but additionally gained confidence and skills she by no means thought doable.
Bridging the hole between expertise and alternative
“Expertise is equally distributed throughout all sections of society, however alternative just isn’t. That’s what CybageKhushboo goals to vary,” says Ritu Nathani, the driving drive behind this initiative. Extra than simply monetary help, CybageKhushboo is dedicated to creating equal entry to schooling and shaping future leaders in Science, Expertise, Engineering, and Arithmetic (STEM).
Based in 2010, the initiative has grown into a robust platform supporting a whole bunch of scholars of their tutorial {and professional} journeys.
Constructed on objective: The story behind CybageKhushboo
Cybage, an IT companies firm based in 1995 by Arun Nathani, has come a great distance since its humble beginnings in a three-bedroom condo with a crew of simply 4 engineers. Immediately, the corporate employs over 7,200 people and continues giving again to society via philanthropic efforts. The story of CybageKhushboo is intertwined with the non-public journeys of each Ritu and Arun Nathani, who, via their very own experiences, perceive the ability of schooling.
Arun’s journey started in a middle-class residence in Bhopal, the place his father labored at Bharat Heavy Electricals Restricted (BHEL). From an early age, he noticed firsthand the ability of perseverance and schooling in shaping a greater future. Decided to carve his personal path, he pursued mechanical engineering at G.B. Pant College in Nainital and later refined his abilities with a grasp’s diploma in Virginia.
These experiences laid the inspiration for his entrepreneurial journey, main him to construct a profitable software program firm. Regardless of his achievements, Arun stays deeply related to his roots. He firmly believes that schooling is the important thing to unlocking potential, and thru CybageKhushboo, he strives to make sure that monetary limitations don’t stand in the best way of a scholar’s desires.
Ritu Nathani, a former dentist, grew up in a house the place exhausting work and schooling had been deeply valued. Her father, an engineer at a personal firm in Pune, at all times inspired her to dream huge. When she and Arun constructed their very own paths to success, they couldn’t ignore a stark actuality—so many vivid, hardworking college students in India by no means get that probability due to monetary limitations.
Decided to vary this, they made it their mission to make sure that deserving college students wouldn’t must put their desires on maintain simply because they couldn’t afford an schooling.
Offering entry to STEM schooling for all
For a lot of vivid college students from underprivileged backgrounds, increased schooling—particularly in STEM fields—seems like a distant dream. CybageKhushboo was created to vary that. Via scholarships and mentorship, it ensures that monetary constraints don’t stand in the best way of expertise and ambition. ‘Training can change lives,’ says Ritu. ‘However not everybody has the sources to pursue it. That’s the place we step in—to bridge the hole and provides these college students the assist they should construct a greater future.’
When the programme was first launched, it solely supplied scholarships to college students who handed Class 12 and pursuing engineering, medical, and STEM programs. Nonetheless, as Ritu and her crew labored carefully with the scholars, they realised that monetary help alone was not sufficient. Many of those college students had been excelling academically however lacked the comfortable abilities essential to crack interviews and develop within the skilled world. This realisation led to the addition of skill-building classes, which turned a important element of the programme.
As Ritu tells The Higher India, “Our purpose is to supply these college students with extra than simply tutorial data. It’s about getting ready them for the actual world, the place communication, confidence, and comfortable abilities matter simply as a lot as technical experience.”
CybageKhushboo’s concentrate on comfortable abilities and holistic improvement is what units it aside. She elaborates, “We provide a variety of actions like mock interviews, group discussions, confidence-building workouts, and character improvement workshops. These classes assist college students grow to be extra assured, enhance their communication, and put together for the aggressive job market.”
The impression of those courses shines via within the tales of scholars whose lives have been remodeled. Sumit Pramod Badase (23) shares, ‘Once I determined to pursue engineering, we had no thought how we might afford it. My mom is a gardener, and my father is a tailor—protecting my schooling felt unattainable. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, I utilized for the CybageKhushboo scholarship, realizing it was my solely probability to proceed my research.’
“I used to be capable of full my BTech diploma from the Faculty of Engineering Pune due to the scholarship. The technical classes helped me perceive engineering ideas simply, whereas the comfortable abilities coaching helped me overcome the challenges I confronted in interviews. As I mirror on my development, I can say with certainty that I now converse English fluently, a ability I struggled with earlier. Group discussions had been significantly instrumental in honing my communication skills,” he provides.
Sumit’s journey with CybageKhushboo has come full circle. Now a part of the alumni wing, he spends his Sundays mentoring new college students—guiding them via technical ideas and serving to them construct the abilities they should succeed. From as soon as looking for assist for his personal schooling to now coaching over 100 others, his story is a testomony to the ability of alternative and giving again.
Reflecting on his development, he shares, “I by no means imagined I’d be on this place, serving to others the best way I used to be as soon as helped. The personalised consideration given to every scholar by CybageKhushboo is invaluable.” Immediately, he works as a software program engineer at Bajaj Finserv, incomes a wage of over 13 lakh and pursuing an govt enterprise administration course at IIM Indore. “All of that is doable due to the assist I obtained throughout my essential years,” he provides.
One of the vital distinctive features of CybageKhushboo is its dedication to mentorship. Understanding that monetary help alone isn’t sufficient, the initiative additionally focuses on ability improvement and steering to assist college students thrive.
To strengthen this assist, CybageKhushboo partnered with Angrezi Membership, an academy run by coach Pankaj Mittal, to assist college students enhance their English communication abilities. When Pankaj isn’t obtainable, his assistant lecturers step in, guaranteeing that no session is missed and college students proceed to develop in confidence.
Because the programme expanded, Ritu and Prashant, and Arjun Deshmukh, a CybageKhushboo beneficiary, a key official related to the initiative, recognised the necessity for a deeper assist system. This led to the creation of an alumni wing—an area the place former college students may keep related, mentor new college students, and share their experiences.
“We wished to create a group the place college students may assist one another, share their experiences, and study from those that have already walked the trail,” says Ritu.
This alumni community has since grow to be an integral a part of CybageKhushboo, constructing a powerful sense of camaraderie and mentorship. Graduates who’ve secured jobs at main corporations like Amazon, Bajaj Finserv, and JP Morgan now give again by guiding the subsequent era. Their involvement retains the cycle of empowerment alive, guaranteeing that each scholar receives not simply monetary help but additionally the encouragement and path wanted to succeed.
Past the alumni community, Cybage has additionally devoted a crew of 13 executives to work completely inside its CSR division, additional strengthening the programme’s impression.
Past books: Serving to college students discover their voice
All through the week, CybageKhushboo’s on-line courses concentrate on strengthening college students’ grammar abilities. However Sundays deliver a refreshing change—studying turns into interactive, participating, and enjoyable.
“The scholars are divided into teams and given completely different matters to both enact as a play or talk about,” shares Prashant. “Pankaj conducts varied actions that encourage energetic participation and construct confidence. One key rule is that college students should talk completely in English throughout these classes.”
From sharing private experiences to reviewing books and flicks, these discussions assist college students refine their communication abilities in a supportive surroundings. By practising English in real-life situations, they achieve the boldness to precise themselves fluently—a useful ability that extends far past the classroom.
Fiza, one other beneficiary, shares, “I accomplished my faculty schooling at N.M.V Women Excessive College, and through my first yr of school in 2019, I utilized for a scholarship in July. By November, I obtained it, and that marked the start of my success.”
“The Sunday courses helped me develop my comfortable abilities. These classes had been extremely invaluable, instructing me tips on how to navigate interviews and construct my character. Since I got here from a Marathi medium background, English had at all times been a problem for me. However via actions targeted on character constructing, communication, and English talking, I slowly overcame my difficulties,” she provides.
Past comfortable abilities, the initiative helped her study coding, web site improvement, and programming languages like C++ and Java, all of which supported her via her tutorial journey at MKSSS’s Cummins Faculty of Engineering, Pune.
“Throughout my third yr, when it was time for internships, I utilized for an internship at Amazon. I attended the interview, and due to the boldness I gained via the classes, I used to be capable of carry out properly. I joined Amazon as a software program engineer intern for 2 months, and by the tip of my internship, I obtained a pre-placement supply. In 2023, I formally joined Amazon with a CTC of round 46 LPA,” she explains. Earlier than becoming a member of Amazon, she labored as a mentor, taking technical classes for beneficiaries.
Turning desires into careers
The true impression of CybageKhushboo is mirrored within the success of its college students. Within the early years, solely 25% of graduates had been capable of safe jobs, highlighting the challenges they confronted past lecturers. Recognising this, the crew expanded its focus in 2014—going past scholarships to equip college students with important comfortable abilities, confidence-building workouts, and interview preparation.
The outcomes have been outstanding. Immediately, a powerful 95% of scholars land jobs at main corporations via campus placements, proving that the suitable assist can flip aspirations into actuality.
One other success story is that of Arjun Deshmukh, who secured a job at JP Morgan after commencement. “Arjun saved diligently over time, and now he’s on the College of California, Berkeley, pursuing his grasp’s. He began his course in 2023. My son, Anish, additionally studied at Berkeley, the place he accomplished his diploma in pc engineering. To be sincere, I feel I used to be even happier when Arjun obtained his admission to Berkeley than when Anish did in 2017. I used to be completely on prime of the world when he advised me he’s going to Berkeley,” shares Ritu, with pleasure in her eyes.
Taking schooling to rural India
The programme is working to broaden its attain to rural villages via Cybage Asha, one other CSR initiative launched to assist farmers and enhance their livelihoods. Madhuri Sarpale, a scholar from Sonde Hiroji, a village in Velhe taluka, turned the primary individual in her village to pursue engineering. She is now a job mannequin for different college students in her group, proving that irrespective of the place you come from, schooling can open doorways to countless potentialities.
Trying forward, CybageKhushboo has bold growth plans. With an bold purpose of awarding Rs 35 crore in scholarships over the subsequent 5 years, CybageKhushboo is ready to create an excellent higher impression. In 2024-25 alone, the initiative granted over Rs 6.66 crore in scholarships, empowering 500 new college students and renewing assist for greater than 700 others, guaranteeing they proceed their schooling with out monetary limitations.
It’s at present being run in three places: Pune, the place the headquarters are primarily based, and Gandhinagar and Hyderabad. “In the intervening time, we’re restricted to those three locations as a result of that’s the place our workplace is,” Ritu explains. The crew plans to broaden to different states, although the problem lies within the absence of places of work in these areas. As an answer, they collaborate with NGOs that function in related areas to assist with the growth.
Opening doorways to schooling: A easy and inclusive software course of
The applying course of for college kids is carried out in two methods.
The primary methodology is thru the programme’s web site, which fits dwell in July 2025. This timing is in keeping with the outcomes of varied exams, that are sometimes declared in Might and June.
For college kids who do not need entry to a pc or any system, Cybage has arrange a assist system. “Any scholar who doesn’t have entry to a pc or any system can come to Cybage at our workplace. We arrange a kiosk on the entrance for these college students, and considered one of our CSR volunteers helps them fill out the shape and submit it,” she provides.
The second methodology is thru direct collaborations with faculties. “We’ve got direct tie-ups with faculties, the place we inform them about CybageKhushboo. Yearly, they obtain purposes and ship us those they really feel match the standards for the scholarships,” says Ritu.
At the moment, CybageKhushboo has fashioned partnerships with 19 faculties, and the crew continues so as to add extra establishments annually.
As Ritu places it, “Training is not only about textbooks. It’s about constructing character, confidence, and the power to contribute to the world. Via CybageKhushboo, we try to realize that.”
Edited by Leila Badyari; All footage courtesy Cybage