MUMBAI: Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister, Chandrakant Dada Patil, and Skilling Minister, Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Monday inaugurated the ‘bell ringing’ ceremony for FUEL (Friends Union for Energizing Lives) at the National Stock Exchange (NSE). The event marked the official listing of FUEL on the Social Stock Exchange (SSE) platform.Patil announced the ‘Earn and Learn’ initiative for female students through FUEL. Under this scheme, the government will provide a monthly stipend of Rs 2000 from this academic year.Patil said that when students are given clear instruction, they develop the skills necessary for the development of themselves and society. He added that this partnership between the state government, NSE, and FUEL will open the doors of free education to underprivileged girls, ensuring that their lives are better and prosperous.Lodha praised FUEL’s transformation into a Skill Tech University. He emphasized the importance of innovation over mere expertise, turning challenges into opportunities. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made this comment through video conference. The strategic roadmap for the institution, he said, announcing that the FUEL Board is planning a 100 crore social issue to enable wider public participation in their mission. The initiative offers diversified investment categories for retail and institutional investors to effectively democratize social impact. Ashish Kumar Chauhan, MD and CEO of NSE, announced that FUEL has successfully raised around Rs.99 lakh through the SSE platform. Importantly, 37% of these funds were given by retail donors. Chauhan noted, “The NSE platform now reaches 99.85% of India’s PIN codes, allowing ordinary citizens to collaborate with institutional investors to drive social change.FUEL Founder Chairman Ketan Deshpande reflected on the organization’s 20-year journey. He announced a new strategic partnership with Syngenta and Global Capability Centers (GCC) to bridge the gap between education and global employment.The program, attended by Anurag Pratap (Capgemini) and anchored by Manasi Shontke, culminated with a shared vision of scaling up impact to reach more people.
