100 First Generation Learners. 100 Storytellers in the Making.

Talent is everywhere. Access is not.

Nearly half of Mumbai's population lives in informal settlements, where young people have almost no access to creative education or a path into media careers. Government schools and low-income colleges rarely teach media literacy or digital skills, despite the media and entertainment sector having a market size of almost 3 trillion. Film and media higher education costs more than most first-generation learners' families annual incomes.

The result: The people who tell India's stories rarely look like the people they are telling stories about.

Meet Basti Media School

India's first free, 18-month diploma in film, media and communications. It is built for youth aged 16-22 from low-income households: children of migrant workers and daily wage earners, first-generation learners, school and college dropouts, and young people from SC, OBC and other marginalised communities. At least 50% of our participants are young women.

Our inaugural cohort will bring together 100 young adults, selected from over 1,000 applicants.

What Nazaria offers each student:

• 2,000+ hours of learning (20-25 hours a week) across 18 months;
• Year 1, Foundational Training: filmmaking (camera, sound, editing, screenwriting, production), communications, digital media, graphic design, brand storytelling, and an industry internship;
• Year 2, Professional Practice: youth choose an Industry Track or a Communications Track, with in-house and out-of-house apprenticeships, live projects, mentorship, a capstone project, a graduate showcase and placement support;
• Throughout: English and communication, financial literacy, social justice and civic education, and industry masterclasses;
• Industry certifications with YouTube AI Skill House and Eros AI Vidya, and accreditation through our emerging partners Whistling Woods International and St. Xavier's College.

Comparable programmes carry a market value of ₹3-4 lakh. For our students, it is free.

The impact we are aiming for

Every Nazaria graduate walks away with:

• Technical mastery in their chosen media discipline;
• A professional portfolio: 1 internship, 1 apprenticeship and 5 film and media projects;
• Responsible citizenship that shows up in the stories they make;
• Economic mobility, on the path to earning twice their current family income.

For our first graduating class, we are aiming for:

• 85% of enrolled youth graduating, with an average cumulative earning of ₹50,000 per youth between months 9 and 18.
• 100% of graduates demonstrating industry-ready proficiency in film, media and communications.
• 100% showing measurable growth in confidence, creative agency, leadership and civic awareness.
• 85% moving into freelance work or higher education within six months, with employed graduates earning ₹20,000 a month within a year.

And the change doesn't stop with our students. Our youth build brand identity and media kits for nonprofits as apprentices, strengthening the wider social sector as they learn.

What your support means

How you can help beyond giving

Share this page. Introduce us to someone who might sponsor a youth. If you work in media, mentor a youth for an hour a month, host a visit to your studio, or hire from the grassroots.

Help open the door. Unlock grassroots talent.

#HelpOpentheDoor #UnlockGrassrootsTalent #CommunityMediaDay