Mumbai: CNBC-AWAAZ, India’s most-watched Hindi business news channel, in partnership with UTI Mutual Fund, the pioneer of mutual funds in India, recently concluded ‘Udaan- Taiyari Kal Ki’, a first-of-its-kind pan-India initiative designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world readiness. Spanning more than 10 cities and 18 premier institutions, including leading IIMs and IIFT, Udaan has set a new benchmark in preparing India’s youth for a seamless transition from campus to corporate life.
At its core, Udaan addresses a critical and often overlooked reality: while India produces millions of graduates each year, many face challenges not because of lack of degrees, but because they are not prepared for real-world financial, emotional, and professional demands.
Conceptualised as an architect of workforce preparedness, Udaan equipped final-year postgraduate students with essential life and career skills, ranging from financial literacy and investing fundamentals to career clarity, strategic thinking, and mental resilience frameworks.
Impact at Scale
Udaan engaged over 3,800 graduating students directly across 18 top-tier institutions in 10 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. Its national footprint was further amplified through television and digital platforms, extending its reach well beyond physical attendees and creating a scalable, hybrid learning platform.
The strong response from campuses highlights a clear need for structured initiatives focused on workforce readiness, reflecting the need to equip students with practical skills and real-world perspectives beyond traditional academic learning.
Through immersive, day-long summits hosted directly on campuses, CNBC-AWAAZ extended its newsroom expertise beyond studios and into the lives of young India. Each edition featured a compelling mix of expert panels, fireside chats, interactive sessions, and problem-solving workshops delivered in a broadcast-ready format that resonated strongly with students.
Reflecting on the initiative, Anuj Singhal, Managing Editor, CNBC-AWAAZ & CNBC BAJAR, said, “UDAAN is one of our most engaging and interactive IPs, built around empowering India’s youth. It felt good to be back on college campuses, engaging directly with students. You could feel the energy, curiosity, and ambition in every session; it’s what makes initiatives like this so meaningful. These conversations go beyond classrooms, helping students gain real-world perspective and confidence as they step into their careers. Udaan is about enabling, guiding, and inspiring young India, and we’re excited to take this journey forward with an even bigger Season 2.”
A Larger Vision
By elevating youth preparedness into a mainstream economic narrative, Udaan has positioned workforce readiness as critical national infrastructure. The initiative marks a significant shift in how financial journalism can evolve, transforming from information delivery to actionable, life-readiness enablement.
With its successful first season, CNBC-AWAAZ and UTI Mutual Fund have firmly established themselves as catalysts in India’s campus-to-corporate transition ecosystem.
Vetri Subramaniam, MD & CEO, UTI Asset Management Co. Ltd. said, “UTI Mutual Fund strongly believes that it is important to engage with the final year graduation and post-graduation students who are on the brink of their corporate journey. We need to guide them on financial investments in general and mutual funds in particular so that they can start their investment journey at the earliest. Initiatives like Udaan are designed to inspire the young minds of today who will be the nation builders of tomorrow. With partnership with CNBC-AWAAZ, we intend to create financial awareness at a national level, covering metro and non-metro cities.”
Highlighting the vision behind the initiative, Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, said, “Through Udaan, CNBC-AWAAZ is proud to be at the forefront of driving meaningful change by taking real-world knowledge directly to campuses, while shaping the next generation of leaders. In partnership with UTI Mutual Fund, this initiative has scaled its impact across institutions and students nationwide. The overwhelming response from students across the country reinforces the urgent need for platforms that go beyond academics and focus on real-world readiness. Together, we are not just enabling conversations, we are empowering young India with the skills, perspective, and confidence to thrive in an evolving world.”
Building on the strong momentum, CNBC-AWAAZ’s ‘Udaan- Taiyari Kal Ki’, in partnership with UTI Mutual Fund, will soon return with Season 2, expanding its reach, engaging more deeply with India’s youth, and amplifying its impact across campuses nationwide.
