The national initiative will train young people across five major technology corridors, combining industry-aligned courses, employer partnerships, apprenticeships and entrepreneurship pathways to improve employability in AI, cloud computing and electronics.
Dell Technologies has launched uDaan: Empowering India’s Future Workforce, a national skilling and innovation initiative aimed at preparing 23,000 young people for emerging career opportunities in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and electronics manufacturing.
The programme is being delivered through a consortium comprising FITT-IIT Delhi, Learning Links Foundation and Generation India Foundation. Beyond classroom training, uDaan is designed to establish stronger connections between learners and employers through structured placement opportunities, apprenticeships and entrepreneurship pathways.
The initiative has been developed around Dell Technologies’ India AI Blueprint and will operate across the company’s India footprint. It will cover 100 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 90 Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) across Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Pune, creating a multi-city framework for industry-oriented workforce development.
"India's AI economy is creating roles faster than employers are able to fill them, and those roles require new skillsets. uDaan is how Dell is helping build pathways from education to employment at scale, in partnership with institutions that serve millions of young Indians. We believe skilling is a critical enabler of AI adoption, workforce readiness and long-term innovation and economic viability. This is technology driving human progress. This is Dell's commitment to India's future," said Manish Gupta, President and Managing Director, Dell Technologies India.
Industry-aligned curriculum and employment pathways
FITT-IIT Delhi will develop and certify four industry-focused curricula covering AI Application Development, Cloud Development, Assembly Line Operations and Field Technician roles. The courses have been co-validated by more than 40 employers spanning technology companies, electronics manufacturers, Global Capability Centres and hyperscalers.
Learning Links Foundation will oversee delivery across higher education institutions and support institutional onboarding, while Generation India Foundation will manage implementation across ITIs and employment linkages. The model is intended to connect training more directly with actual industry requirements and available career opportunities.
The programme is aligned with Skill India 2.0, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Make in India and Digital India. Dell said uDaan is being developed as a replicable model, with state Directorate of Vocational Education and Training (DVET) and Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) officials being engaged from the first year.
Entrepreneurship and mentorship form key pillars
Entrepreneurship has also been incorporated as a formal component of the programme. Through FITT-IIT Delhi's innovation ecosystem, technical mentorship and physical bootcamps, uDaan aims to support the creation of 25 deep-tech startups among HEI learners and 10 micro-enterprises among ITI learners during its first year.
Participants will also receive access to accelerator networks and potential capital pathways. More than 2,000 hours of mentoring from Dell employees are planned across the five regions, covering career guidance, AI awareness and interview preparation.
Rather than measuring success only through enrolment and course completion, uDaan will track employment and retention at three, six, 12 and 24 months after placement. Learners choosing alternatives to direct employment will be connected to apprenticeship opportunities through the government’s NATS and NAPS portals.
Building on Dell's wider skilling initiatives
The new programme builds on Dell Technologies’ broader community and education initiatives in India. Over the past decade, the company has supported digital literacy, problem-solving and experiential learning initiatives for K-12 students, with its programmes reaching more than 50 million beneficiaries through foundational and vocational skills initiatives.
Dell has also worked with Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog on the Student Entrepreneurship Programme 2.0, supporting young innovators from Atal Tinkering Labs.
With uDaan, Dell is shifting a greater part of its community impact focus towards workforce readiness and the changing demands of India’s technology economy. The company continues to support digital inclusion through its global Solar Community Hubs programme. Since FY23, the initiative has reached 2.67 million beneficiaries across 18 districts and 14 states in India, providing AI-enabled learning resources, skilling modules and employability pathways.
In June 2026, Dell added five new hubs spanning 50 additional institutions, taking its global Solar Community Hubs footprint to 63 hubs across 12 countries.
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