The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) has made its debut on the Social Stock Exchange (SSE) platform of the National Stock Exchange, with NABARD fully subscribing ₹4 crore to NSDC's maiden Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) issue, The Hindu BusinessLine reported, citing NABARD's statement.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary marked the debut at a bell-ringing ceremony at the NSE in Mumbai on October 22, according to a Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship statement reported by Digital India Times.

Source: Digital India Times / Ministry of Skill Development

600 youth, two countries — 300 for Japan, 300 for Germany

The programme, with an estimated outlay of ₹11.25 crore — yaani a little over eleven crore rupees — aims to create sustainable overseas employment for 600 rural youth from Other Backward Classes (OBC) households in Madhya Pradesh: 300 candidates for Japan and 300 for Germany, in sectors including caregiving, hospitality, construction and manufacturing.

NSDC International, a wholly owned subsidiary of NSDC, will deliver residential training covering Japanese or German language, technical skills, certification, cultural orientation and end-to-end placement support, including documentation and deployment assistance.

₹4 croreNABARD subscription to the ZCZP issue
₹11.25 croretotal programme outlay
600MP rural OBC youth to be trained
₹5.60 croreMP govt outcome-linked funding

The financing is blended: the Madhya Pradesh government is expected to provide ₹5.60 crore as outcome-linked funding once agreed employment outcomes are achieved, and the balance is proposed to come through beneficiary contributions. Unlike conventional skilling programmes, the model pays for verified overseas employment and sustained income gains, not just training completion.

ZCZP instruments carry no interest and no repayment of principal for subscribers — the money is raised purely for social returns. The Social Stock Exchange operates under SEBI's regulatory framework and lets eligible social-purpose organisations raise funds with transparent reporting of outcomes.