Zindagi Fellowship
Zindagi Fellowship is a six-month online incubation program for Dalit, Bahujan, Adivasi women, non-binary and transgender youth to take the lead in their economic empowerment. Through this flagship program, we aim to build a network of the emerging generation of Dalit, Bahujan and Adivasi (DBA) women, non-binary and transgender youth who are entrepreneurs, working professionals and change makers.
What We Offer
Laptop & Internet
Workshops
Network
Who Can Apply
The Zindagi Fellowship is open to individuals:
who identify as woman, queer, gender non-conforming or a transgender person from the SC/ST/OBC/NT/DNT and minority community.
who are passionate about starting their own business or exploring career pathways
With working knowledge of computers and basic understanding of English.
Apply Now
Join us if you can commit your time, energy, and active participation to grow with the cohort.
For Queries: sumit@projectmukti.com
Seed Fund
Mentors
Zindagi Fellowship was started from a dream within Project Mukti to create a residential space for actvists and students from Dalit, Bahujan, Adivasi, and minority communities to learn, rest, belong and reclaim dignity. Post Covid pandemic, the orientation changed to supporting communities to gain economic empowerment. After the Covid pandemic altered daily realities our communities’ realities, the Fellowship evolved to meet the urgent need for economic empowerment, especially among those most affected: women, non-binary, queer, and transgender people from DBA communities. What began as an in-person program transformed into a powerful online space for learning and resilience. It brought together DBA women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming people from across India, creating a collective where skills, confidence, and community could thrive. Through digital literacy, entrepreneurship, financial education, and personal development, the Fellowship became much more than a training; it became a space of care, solidarity, and possibility. Fellows learned to build business plans, navigate digital tools, and trust their own voices and visions.
As it grew, the Fellowship expanded into regional workshops and opened opportunities for DBA communities to enter the world of research through the Zindagi Research Grant. What started as a career development and entrepreneurial skills program is now a multifaceted platform nurturing new entrepreneurs, knowledge-builders, and changemakers rooted in the legacy and liberatory vision of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
To date many fellows have been part of the Zindagi Fellowship annual cohort, nurturing spaces for the DBA communities to reimagine their identity, reclaim their rights and build pathways to economic independence and collective growth.
For Zindagi Fellowship 2026 cohort, we are inviting participants who want to start their own businesses or explore employment opportunities. Over the span of six months, fellows will engage with entrepreneurship, digital literacy, personal development, and employability skills. The Fellowship aims to nurture ideas, strengthen confidence, and create a safe, inclusive space where our community can learn, share, and grow together.
Learning In Fellowship
During the six-month Zindagi Fellowship, fellows will engage in:
Financial Literacy
Digital and Computer Literacy
Entrepreneurship Training or Job-Readiness Skills
Personal Development and well-being
English Literacy
What You’ll Gain
The Fellowship is designed to offer not only skills, but also care, support, and opportunity. Fellows will receive:
Trauma-informed learning grounded in empathy, compassion, and empowerment
A safe space for belonging and community connection
Mentorship and professional guidance
Peer learning and collective support
Visibility and access to new networks and opportunities
Seed funding of ₹40,000 to support your project or idea
