NEW DELHI, July 18, 2026 — In a significant move to advance the economic inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), Standard Chartered and Dr. Reddy’s Foundation (DRF) have officially announced the extension of their strategic partnership. This renewed collaboration focuses on bridging the gap between talent and opportunity through targeted skill development and employment facilitation across five major Indian states: Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Delhi.
The signing ceremony marking this renewed commitment was attended by P.D. Singh, CEO of India & South Asia for Standard Chartered, and K. Satish Reddy, Chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Dr. Reddy’s Foundation.
The New Mandate: Equipping for the Future
Under the newly signed agreement, DRF is tasked with training and facilitating the placement of 1,250 PwDs by March 2028. The program is specifically tailored to equip individuals with core employability skills, allowing them to access mainstream employment opportunities and achieve greater financial independence.
The initiative places a focused emphasis on supporting individuals with specific physical challenges, including:
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Locomotor disabilities
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Hearing impairment
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Dwarfism
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Cerebral palsy
Leadership Perspectives
The extension of this initiative highlights a growing corporate recognition that meaningful economic participation begins with accessible, market-relevant training.
“Our skill development programme is a youth economic empowerment initiative, tackling inequality and promoting greater economic inclusion. We truly believe that meaningful economic participation begins with access to opportunities. Our partnership with Dr. Reddy’s Foundation reflects our commitment to fostering an inclusive workforce and enabling persons with disabilities to build sustainable careers. By investing in skills development and employment pathways, we aim to help create a more equitable future where talent is recognised and nurtured irrespective of physical abilities.”
— Karuna Bhatia, Head of Sustainability, India, Standard Chartered
“Our partnership with Standard Chartered is central to our work in equipping persons with disabilities and youth from economically weaker sections with future-ready skills and competencies. Through this partnership, we enable them to secure formal sector employment and support self-employed PwDs in growing their businesses.”
— Shamik Trehan, CEO, Dr. Reddy’s Foundation
A Track Record of Proven Impact
The partnership between Standard Chartered and DRF originally commenced in November 2023 with a comprehensive skill development initiative. Since then, the collaboration has consistently scaled its efforts to create sustainable livelihood opportunities.
| Program Phase | Timeline | Key Achievements & Goals |
| Initial Skill Development | Nov 2023 – Dec 2025 | Successfully trained over 3,000 PwDs, with 70% securing mainstream employment. |
| Self-Employment Initiative | Jan 2026 – Sept 2027 | Provided funding support to 1,900 PwDs to establish or expand micro-enterprises, targeting a 50% increase in their monthly income. |
| Renewed Placement Drive | July 2026 – Mar 2028 | Will train and place an additional 1,250 PwDs in the formal workforce. |
Collectively, all initiatives operating under the Standard Chartered and DRF partnership are projected to positively impact more than 6,000 youth and PwDs by the conclusion of the program in March 2028, setting a robust benchmark for corporate social responsibility and inclusive workforce development in India.