New Delhi, May 13: Dr Ketan Deshpande, Founder and Chairman of FUEL (Friends Union for Energising Lives), has been conferred with the Dr BML Munjal Social Impact Award 2026 in the category “Outstanding Effort Towards Promoting Education”. The award was presented at a ceremony held at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
The third edition of the awards, hosted by Hero Future Energies in association with the Raman Kant Munjal Foundation, recognises individuals and organisations contributing towards social impact across sectors including education, women’s empowerment, sustainability, biodiversity, water conservation, and teaching excellence.
Instituted in memory of Dr Brijmohan Lal Munjal, Founder Chairman Emeritus of the Hero Group, the awards recognise grassroots-led initiatives working towards community development and social change.
Over the past 18 years, Dr Deshpande has worked in the areas of education, skilling, and employability for first-generation learners and underserved youth through FUEL. According to the organisation, it has reached over one million young people through training, scholarships, and career guidance initiatives across multiple states in India. FUEL is supported by eminent corporates like Capgemni, SBI Foundation, Castrol, bp , Syngenta , CGI, VFS Global, Dr Yusuf Hamied(Chairman Cipla), Fujitsu, HDFC Bank
FUEL states that it has trained more than 2.9 lakh students in vocational and future-ready skills and awarded over 2,900 scholarships to economically disadvantaged learners. The organisation has also collaborated with corporate and CSR partners, as well as institutions including the United Nations
Commenting on the recognition, Dr Ketan Deshpande said, “This recognition belongs to every young learner who chose to dream beyond circumstance and to every mentor, partner, and institution that supported the journey. The values associated with Dr BML Munjal’s legacy continue to inspire our work in education and skilling.”
Dr. Deshpande holds a PhD in Corporate Social Responsibility from Symbiosis International University and has been associated with initiatives in social entrepreneurship and education policy. He is also an Ashoka Fellow and has received recognitions, including the Champions of Change Award.
As part of its recent initiatives, FUEL has established the FUEL SkillTech & Entrepreneurship University in Maharashtra, which has been notified as a private skills university by the Government of Maharashtra. The university follows a cooperative learning model combining academic curriculum with industry exposure.
The institution has also introduced a partnership model that enables corporates and philanthropists to support constituent schools within the university focused on emerging disciplines and workforce development.