Nestlé India launches ‘Kaabil’ internship programme for transgender community
New Delhi, July 30 (TNT): Nestlé India has launched ‘Kaabil’, a culinary internship programme for the transgender community, aimed at enhancing employability and creating livelihood opportunities in the food and hospitality sector.
The initiative, implemented through Nestlé Professional and supported by BEACON, the company’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, focuses on equipping participants with industry-relevant culinary skills through structured training and mentorship, the company said in a release here on Thursday.
The 15-day programme will provide training in kitchen fundamentals, regional and international cuisines, recipe development, live cooking, professional readiness and career guidance.
The programme will be conducted in partnership with the Sahodari Foundation and TWEET Foundation at regional training centres in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Participants will receive hands-on training from Nestlé chefs and industry exposure in collaboration with the Indian School of Hospitality.
Nestlé Professional Director, South Asia, Saurabh Makhija, said the initiative aims to equip participants with practical skills and industry exposure to improve career prospects in the hospitality sector.
Director-Human Resources, Nestlé South Asia, Nitu Bhushan, said the programme seeks to address the limited livelihood opportunities available to the transgender community by providing industry-relevant skills and creating a more inclusive work environment.
Nestlé India said Kaabil was launched as a pilot initiative in 2025 in partnership with the Sahodari Foundation, under which two transgender women entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu received culinary training and mentorship to strengthen their catering businesses.
Building on the pilot’s success, the company has expanded the programme in 2026 to reach more members of the transgender community through skill development and employment-focused training.
TNT KS
