Amid the ongoing protest against the Agnipath scheme, several corporate leaders have thrown their weight behind the scheme offering jobs to those who exit the armed forces after their tenure. In an interview with the NDTV, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, founder and chairperson of Biocon, while expressing her support towards the controversial scheme, said it would be beneficial for the youth.

“We find ex-servicemen to be very very good in various job profiles such as administration, engineering and project management,” Shaw said in the interview. Several other heads of corporate entities joined Shaw in offering support to the scheme despite the severe backlash and protests across the country. Business tycoon Anand Mahindra said he would support the scheme by offering jobs to Agniveers post their retirement.

“Saddened by the violence around the #Agneepath program. When the scheme was mooted last year I stated & I repeat, the discipline & skills Agniveers gain will make them eminently employable. The Mahindra Group welcomes the opportunity to recruit such trained, capable young people,” Mahindra said in a tweet.

This tweet was quoted by Harsh Goenka, chairperson of the RPG group, also “welcomed the opportunity to employ Agniveers.” He also expressed hope that more corporate entities would offer jobs to Agniveers.

The Agnipath scheme, announced on June 14, provides for the recruitment of those in the age bracket of 17-and-half to 21 years in the armed forces for only four years, with a provision to retain 25% of them for 15 more years. Those recruited through the scheme would be known as Agniveers. The government projected the scheme as a major step in overhauling the decades-old selection process to enhance the youthful profile of the services.

However, people across the country have been protesting against the contentious scheme. As protests against the scheme intensified, the government relaxed the upper age limit to 23 years in a move to pacify job aspirants who could not attend recruitment rallies for the last two years. The recruitment had been stalled for over two years due to COVID-19.