"I Don't Worry": Kiran Shaw Assures Bright Future For 'Agniveers'

The Agnipath scheme is a "very innovative reform" will "hugely benefit young people," Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw told NDTV on Monday, adding that she "would not worry about them finding gainful, meaningful opportunities thereafter". Ms Shaw was one of the several corporate leaders who stepped up on Monday to assure employment for young people recruited by the armed forces for a four-year term under the Agnipath scheme.

"India Inc in general will have a huge, huge need for skilled army trained personnel to carry out a number of jobs and if India Inc is growing, I think we will need this kind of persons," she told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

The question of finding jobs amid the economic downturn and the high rates of unemployment has been a key factor driving the countrywide violent protests since the government's announcement of the scheme last week.

Declaring that her firm employs 60 to 100 ex-servicemen, Ms Shaw said they are working on a varied cross section of jobs and not just security. "They are in administrative, engineering, project management jobs. There are a number of areas where we use ex-servicemen and find them very, very good," she said.

The army experience, she said, adds an extra dimension to these employees in terms of project management, she said. In case of Agniveers, things can only get better with the technological, digital and other training they will gain, she added.

Earlier on Monday, expressing dismay over the violent protests, Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra tweeted: "Saddened by the violence around the Agneepath program. When the scheme was mooted last year, I stated- and I repeat-the discipline and skills Agniveers gain will make them eminently employable. The Mahindra Group welcomes the opportunity to recruit such trained, capable young people".

RPG Group chief Harsh Goenka responded to the tweet, commenting, The RPG group too welcomes the opportunity to employ the Agniveers. I do hope other corporates will also join us to take this pledge and assure our youths of a future".