PwC India on Monday announced the launch of a strategic collaboration with UNICEF and YuWaah to help bridge the digital gap and help upskill 300 million youths in India over the next 10 years and enable them to emerge as changemakers in society.

In a joint statement, the UNICEF and PwC (PriceWaterhouseCoopers) said the announcement is part of PwC's global collaboration with UNICEF in support of YuWaah (Generation Unlimited) which is a multi-sector partnership aimed at helping 1.8 billion young people transition from school to work by 2030.

At the global level, the collaboration is focused on upskilling millions of young people around the world, including those who lack opportunities to participate in the digital world, it said.

"The collaboration in India brings together PwC, UNICEF and YuWaah's complementary strengths and represents a significant milestone for PwC's global programme, New world. New skills, which is driven by the need for everyone to upskill so they can thrive in the digital world," the statement said.

Addressing the collaboration, Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India, said, "Our collaboration with PwC was informed by what we could see as a key need -- the need to listen to young people and ensure they have access to credible information on their choices to fulfil their aspirations. We believe the need is to co-create these solutions with young people. They not only understand the challenges but also have the creativity and resilience to bring innovative solutions to the fore. The potential of what young people can do, and what we can achieve with them is at the centre of this collaboration," she said.

Speaking of the collaboration, Neel Ratan, Regional Managing Partner, PwC India said while at one level, the pandemic has added momentum to India's digital story, it has also revealed the glaring digital disconnect that India has to navigate at the grassroots for a major share of its population -- its young people.

"Digital enablement of the young people needs a whole-of-society approach with government, enterprises and citizens coming together with collective wisdom around a shared vision. It requires concerted efforts from each of the stakeholder cohorts, to achieve this common objective of making digital accessible, affordable and inclusive for its young people," he said.