Jagruti J. Kulkarni

I did my Bachelors and Master's in computer science from Savitribai Phule Pune University. I always dreamed of building a good career and supporting my family. My dad is a retired bank officer, so it was getting tough at home to meet the ends. Getting a stable job was very important for me.

After college, I tried getting placed in a small startup. But due to a medical emergency, I had to step back. That's when my placement head told me about Cyber Vaahini program. I didn't know much about cybersecurity back then, but I thought—why not give it a try?

And I'm so glad I did.

The program had two amazing trainers—one taught us technical cyber concepts, and the other helped us with soft skills and confidence. The soft skills trainer was gem of a person. He taught us how to present ourselves and speak with confidence. I started believing in myself a little more every day after learning from him.

The cyber security trainer taught us everything from scratch. He made even the complex topics easy to understand. He also shared stories from his own experience working with CID and other officers.

The course was for three months. We also had access to recorded lectures on the portal—very helpful for revision.

One thing I loved was bonding with girls from different colleges—we became good friends in no time.

I didn't wait for a placement. I found a job myself, and today, I'm proud to be working at Innover.

Cyber Vaahini changed how I saw myself. It gave me not just skills—but confidence, clarity, and courage.

Thank you to DSCI, Kyndryl Foundation, and MOUKTIK for all the support.