In the high-pressure hallways of IIT Delhi, excellence is the standard. But for students like Sakshi Padir and Akhshitha Laxmi Devi Rathod, the challenge isn’t just the rigorous curriculum, it’s the quiet, daily battle against financial gravity.
By building a pathway from hardship to high-level careers, Yuva Unstoppable, one of India’s top 10 leading NGOs founded by Yale alum Amitabh Shah who declined a Wall Street offer to work on the real streets of India, is ensuring that India’s brightest minds aren’t forced to drop out due to the weight of a tuition fee or a broken laptop. So far from Yuva Unstoppable’s pool of scholars, 484 boys and 102 girls from underserved and economically vulnerable backgrounds have secured admission into IITs across the country, turning stories of constraint into journeys of courage, aspiration, and generational change.
Breaking the Cycle in Ahmednagar
For Sakshi Padir, a girl from a small town where most discussions at age 18 centered on marriage rather than merit, reaching IIT Delhi was a feat of pure defiance. With a family income of just ₹87,000 and a father working a modest private job, the financial strain was immediate.
“I have been surviving without taking money from my parents since my second year,” Sakshi shared. To cover essential costs, like repairing her laptop, she borrowed using a friend’s credit card, paying it back by moonlighting as a tutor. Despite these hurdles, her resilience has paid off. Sakshi has secured a placement at Accenture with an annual package of ₹21.7 Lakhs, a life-altering sum that will not only clear her education loans but lift her entire family into a new bracket of stability.
“I want to be the support for others that I once received in the form of scholarships and guidance,” says Sakshi, who now aspires to become a product manager and eventually an entrepreneur.
A Joint Family’s Double Triumph
Similarly, Akhshitha Laxmi Devi Rathod represents the incredible potential of India’s rural youth. Living in a large joint family where her father runs a small seed shop, the financial pressure is doubled: both Akhshitha and her brother beat the odds to secure seats at IIT Delhi and IIT Roorkee, respectively.
While having two children in IITs is a matter of immense pride, it is also a significant financial mountain for a small-business owner to climb. For Akhshitha, the Yuva Unstoppable scholarship isn’t just a grant; it’s the “fillip” that allows her to focus on her studies at IIT Delhi and her future placement at Yes Bank in Mumbai, rather than worrying about her father’s ability to save for the next semester.
Swati Shah, Head- Scholarships at Yuva Unstoppable remarked, “Financial aid opens the door, but it is the mentorship and career guidance we provide that ensures our students walk through it with confidence. We are grateful to our donors who believe in the potential of these students and support them emotionally through this journey.”
A Vision for “Unstoppable” Leaders
These stories are the heartbeat of Yuva Unstoppable’s mission. To date, the organisation has empowered over 7,000 merit scholars. The organization aims to significantly scale this impact by 2030, with a mission to empower 15,000 merit scholars. Beyond financial aid, the program provides comprehensive support including mentorship sessions, career guidance, and webinars to enhance professional skills. Success stories from the program include beneficiaries becoming Medical Officers and Chartered Accountants at top firms like PwC.
Amitabh Shah, Founder of Yuva Unstoppable, believes these students are the architects of a Viksit Bharat. “A scholarship is more than a financial transaction; it is a vote of confidence that tells a young person their circumstances do not define their destination,” remarked Amitabh. “By supporting students like Sakshi and Akhshitha, we are enabling a one-generation jump for entire families out of poverty.”
As these young women prepare to join the corporate workforce at global giants like Accenture and Yes Bank, they carry with them more than just a degree, they carry the proof that with the right support, no dream is too far from a small town.
About Yuva Unstoppable
After completing his Master’s degree from Yale University, Mr. Amitabh Shah turned down a Wall Street offer with JP Morgan to work on the real streets of India and establish Yuva Unstoppable (among the top 10 largest NGOs in India). Amitabh is also the youngest Indian to receive the US Government’s International Ellis Island Award, an honour previously given to global icons like President Bill Clinton, President George Bush, Muhammad Ali, Paula Abdul, Indra Nooyi, and Malala Yousafzai. Yuva Unstoppable’s efforts have also been recognised by former Presidents of India – Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and Shri Ram Nath Kovind, and Amitabh was recently appointed as the Viksit Bharat Ambassador for his nation-building efforts. Their interventions include projects across Education; Early Childhood Care, Health and Nutrition; Employability and Skilling; and Environment and Agroforestry.
Impact at a Glance:
- 10M+ beneficiaries empowered across 25 Indian states
- 9,000+ schools transformed with WASH facilities, STEM labs, and smart classrooms, boosting attendance by
- 15% and learning outcomes by 4x (validated by London School of Economics)
- 7000+ students supported through scholarships
- 1,00,000+ youth skilled
- 35 million trees planted, supporting 50,000+ farmers and sequestering 27M tons of carbon
- CSR projects implemented with partners like HDFC Bank, IBM, Disney, EY, PwC, Adani, Torrent, Bank of America, Gates Foundation. KPMG is the audit partner.
For a quick glance at Yuva Unstoppable’s impact video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9elW8E-2cR4
For CSR Collaborations, connect with kuldeep.arora@yuvaunstoppable.org
To know more about Yuva Unstoppable, visit www.yuvaunstoppable.org
