Standard Chartered and Dr. Reddy’s Foundation (DRF) have renewed their partnership to train and support the employment of 1,250 persons with disabilities (PwDs) across Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Delhi by March 2028.

The programme will provide employability training and placement support for people with locomotor disabilities, hearing impairment, dwarfism, and cerebral palsy to help them find jobs in the formal sector.

The renewed partnership was announced on 18 July. The agreement was signed in the presence of P.D. Singh, Chief Executive Officer, India and South Asia, Standard Chartered, and K. Satish Reddy, Chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Dr. Reddy’s Foundation.

Standard Chartered and DRF first partnered in November 2023 to launch a skill development programme for persons with disabilities. According to the organisations, more than 3,000 participants completed the training by December 2025, and about 70 per cent secured jobs in the formal sector.

The partnership was expanded in January 2026 with a self-employment programme that provided financial support to 1,900 persons with disabilities to start or grow micro-enterprises. The organisations said the initiative is expected to help participants increase their monthly income by at least 50 per cent and will continue until September 2027.

With the latest expansion, the two organisations expect their combined skill development and self-employment initiatives to benefit more than 6,000 young people and persons with disabilities by March 2028.

Karuna Bhatia, Head of Sustainability, India, Standard Chartered, said the partnership is focused on improving access to skills training and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Shamik Trehan, Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Reddy’s Foundation, said the collaboration supports persons with disabilities and young people from economically weaker sections by helping them build job-ready skills, access formal employment and strengthen self-employment opportunities.

Founded in 1996, Dr. Reddy’s Foundation works in education, healthcare, livelihoods and climate resilience. The organisation said its programmes had directly reached 2.5 million people across India as of March 2025.

Standard Chartered has operated in India for more than 165 years and offers corporate, investment, wealth, and retail banking services through branches in major cities.