Youth Central, the annual flagship event by UNICEF-YuWaah, convened over 100 stakeholders from the government, private sector, foundations, civil society, and young people for a dynamic dialogue on key youth development issues, exploring key priorities such as – youth centrality, economic opportunities for women, AI and entrepreneurship, internships, disability inclusion, and service-based learning.
Present at the event were Mr. Nitesh Kumar Mishra (Additional Secretary Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports), Dr. Nadi Albino (Acting CEO, Generation Unlimited), Ms. Rashmi Verma (Chief Inclusion and Social Impact Officer, SAP), Mr. Jesper Moller (Deputy Representative, Programmes, UNICEF India), Mr. Kumar Manish (UNFPA) and Ms. Pooja Mahaldar (UNICEF YuWaah Youth Representative).
Mr. Jesper Moller, Deputy Representative, UNICEF India said: “The power of cross-sector collaboration comes alive through convenings such as Youth Central, convened by UNICEF YuWaah. Today, over 100 public, private and youth partners have come together to engage in dialogue on issues critical to children and young people. At Youth Central, young people are at the heart of the conversation. Youth representatives are participating with an equal seat at the table alongside leaders from government, the private sector and civil society. Platforms like these are critical to building truly youth-centric systems, policies and programmes.”
At the event, UNICEF YuWaah and SAP India unveiled ‘The Road to Yutopia: Youth Centrality at Workplaces Framework’, a practical guide to help businesses build workplaces that are youth-friendly, inclusive, and future-ready. Designed for organisations employing youth, it offers an actionable roadmap for embedding perspectives and insights from early talent or young professionals across workplace systems, from recruitment and culture to governance and innovation.
Dr. Nadi Albino, Acting CEO of Generation Unlimited (UNICEF’s global public-private-youth partnership for youth skilling and livelihoods which is called YuWaah in India) said, “Young people show up to work every day with energy, ambition and sharper questions than the systems around them are built to handle. Too many workplaces still aren’t designed to see them, hear them, or trust them. The Road to Yutopia gives business a practical place to start: embedding youth centrality into how companies recruit, mentor, listen, collaborate and decide with young employees, not about them. Give young people real room to contribute and they will challenge outdated habits, surface what isn’t working, and prove that the future of work isn’t something we hand them. It’s something we build together, starting now.”
The framework builds on Yutopia, a Public, Private, Youth alliance jointly led by UNICEF YuWaah and SAP India, which envisages a future where young people are not only as participants or employees, but as partners, co-creators, and leaders.
Sindhu Gangadharan, MD, SAP Labs India; President, Indo German Chamber of Commerce said, “At SAP, we believe that when young people are empowered with the right skills, support systems, and a genuine seat at the table, they become powerful catalysts for innovation, inclusion, and growth. Through our continued partnership with UNICEF YuWaah, we are committed to helping build workplaces where every young person can thrive and contribute meaningfully.”
“Young people bring fresh thinking, energy, and a genuine sense of purpose to the workplace,” said Rashmi Verma, Chief Inclusion & Social Impact Officer at SAP. “When organizations give them a real seat at the table – not just a voice in the room – they push us to innovate faster, think differently, and drive positive impact for business and society at large. That’s the shift SAP is committed to: moving from including young talent to being shaped by their ideas.”