In an age where young Indians chase global corporate jobs and polished office titles, a surprising career pivot is quietly playing out on India’s retail shopfloors — even foreign-qualified graduates are choosing frontline retail training to get job-ready.

It’s not because they ran out of options. It’s because many are figuring out something early: degrees open doors, but don’t always prepare you for the moment when a customer is standing in front of you — impatient, uncertain, comparing brands, and expecting answers in seconds.

This shift is becoming visible in Samsung’s DOST Sales Programme, which has steadily grown into a structured route for young professionals to learn the business from the ground up. The 2026 cohort reflects that change clearly — with participants coming from diverse academic backgrounds, including graduates with international education, choosing hands-on retail experience as a foundation for long-term careers.

So, what exactly is DOST? Put simply, it is a structured retail skilling programme that trains youth for organised sales roles through a mix of classroom learning and on-ground store exposure. Participants learn customer handling, product understanding, communication, and the basics of retail operations — skills that often decide whether a fresher stays stuck at entry-level or grows.

India’s retail market today is no longer about simply “selling”. It’s about solving. Customers arrive with online reviews, price comparisons, and strong opinions. And the shopfloor executive isn’t just a salesperson anymore — they are a guide, problem-solver, and trust-builder in a fast-moving consumer environment.

Quazi Faizan Afroz Akhlaque Uz Zama (27), is an MBA graduate from Amravati University

For Quazi Faizan Afroz Akhlaque Uz Zama (27), an MBA graduate from Amravati University currently training in Amravati, the programme has been less about theory and more about learning real-time decision-making.

“Through training and hands-on exposure, I learned how to communicate with customers, manage situations, and make informed decisions in real time,” he said. “Understanding customer behaviour and product differentiation has helped me approach conversations with clarity and confidence.”

Rashneet Kaur Chhabra (26) — a graduate of University College London

But the headline moments in this year’s cohort come from those with global exposure. Take Rashneet Kaur Chhabra (26) — a graduate of University College London (UCL) with a master’s degree in architecture focused on Bio-Integrated Design — now training in Pune.

It’s not a conventional move. But she says it’s a necessary one.

“The diversity of the programme — across age, background, and experience — helped me understand business from a very human perspective,” she said. “In India, retail is deeply rooted in relationships and cultural understanding. Building trust and personal connection with customers is central, and that’s a lesson I will carry into global markets.”

Her experience captures what many young professionals are discovering: real confidence is built on the shopfloor — not in a classroom. It comes from conversations you can’t script, objections you can’t predict, and pressure situations you can’t pause.

The international footprint of the cohort also includes participants like Tushar, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of Technology, Sydney, underlining a growing view among youth — that frontline experience can be a serious career accelerator, not a temporary stop.

Beyond individual journeys, programmes like DOST Sales reflect a broader shift in what employability now means in India. While companies across sectors often speak about “future-ready talent”, the challenge is real: many graduates are qualified but not fully prepared for high-pressure customer environments, performance-driven roles, and rapid on-the-spot problem-solving.

That’s where structured retail skilling programmes can have a larger social impact — turning education into experience, and experience into opportunity. For many young Indians, especially first-generation professionals, the shopfloor is not just a workplace — it is where confidence is built, careers take shape, and ambition becomes practical.

“With its industry-first, five-month training framework, Samsung DOST is addressing a critical need for job-ready talent in the retail ecosystem. The sharp rise in enrolments this year, including candidates with global education exposure, reflects the growing relevance of the programme. At a time when digital transformation is reshaping retail, DOST is helping build a skilled workforce equipped for the future,” said Shubham Mukherjee, Head, CSR & Corporate Communications, Samsung Southwest Asia.

As India’s organised retail economy expands, the demand for professionals who can combine product knowledge with customer trust-building is only rising. And for an increasing number of globally educated young Indians, starting at the ground level is no longer seen as “small”.

It’s seen as smart. Because in today’s economy, the fastest way to learn isn’t always through a job title.

Sometimes, it begins by proving yourself — one customer at a time.

Beyond technology and products, Samsung’s citizenship programmes continued to focus on people, empowering young innovators, equipping India’s youth with future-ready skills, strengthening institutions, and fostering a culture of giving back. Across classrooms, communities, campuses, and innovation hubs, Samsung’s initiatives reached thousands of lives this year, reinforcing a long-standing belief: technology creates its greatest value when it enables people to grow, dream, and lead change.  Over the last 30 years Samsung India’s Citizenship progammes have benefited lives of 1.5 mn people.

Solve for Tomorrow: Empowering Young Minds to Solve Real Problems

In 2025, Solve for Tomorrow once again emerged as a platform where young Indians turned curiosity into solutions. Students from across the country identified challenges rooted in their communities—ranging from sustainability and education to healthcare and inclusion—and worked to develop technology-led answers.

The programme went beyond ideation, offering mentorship, design-thinking frameworks, and exposure to innovation ecosystems. For many participants, Solve for Tomorrow became their first real encounter with problem-solving at scale—building confidence, collaboration, and a sense of purpose.

The Top Four winning teams in 2025 — Percevia (Bengaluru), NextPlay.AI (Aurangabad), Paraspeak (Gurugram), and Prithvi Rakshak (Palamu) — received INR 1 crore in incubation grants and will continue to develop their prototypes into scalable real-world solutions with mentorship support at IIT Delhi’s FITT Labs.

The jury panel brought together Samsung leadership and experts from across academia, government, and industry to evaluate the finalists’ solutions across four thematic tracks — AI for a Safer, Smarter, and Inclusive Bharat; Future of Health, Hygiene, and Well-being in India; Environmental Sustainability via Technology; and Social Change through Sport and Tech.

This year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow witnessed thousands of participants from across India presenting bold, human-centered ideas that blended innovation with purpose. For the first time, finalists also gained hands-on access to FITT’s advanced R&D infrastructure, refining their concepts before the Grand Finale.

Samsung Innovation Campus: Building Future-Ready Skills for a Digital India

As industries rapidly adopt emerging technologies, Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) played a vital role in preparing India’s youth for the future of work in 2025. The programme offered structured learning in areas such as AI, IoT, coding, and big data—combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on application.

Aligned with the Government of India’s Skill India and Digital India missions, Samsung Innovation Campus equips youth with essential skills in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and Coding & Programming. Samsung Innovation Campus, the company’s flagship CSR programme now spans 10 states, aiming to upskill 20,000 students nationwide in 2025 — a six-fold expansion over last year.

Nationally, the initiative has achieved 44% women participation, reflecting Samsung’s focus on inclusive and equitable skilling. In Uttar Pradesh, 5000 students would be provided training this year, which is about 25% of the national target — positioning the state as a frontrunner in driving digital empowerment and job-ready talent.

Through Samsung Innovation Campus, Samsung continued to support India’s ambition of becoming a global digital talent hub.

Samsung DOST: Enabling Access to All

In 2025, Samsung India announced a major scale-up of its flagship Samsung Digital & Offline Skills Training (DOST) Sales Programme, under which 9,400 young people from underserved communities will be trained for frontline retail roles. The initiative reinforces Samsung’s commitment to building a skilled, future-ready workforce and advancing India’s vision of inclusive economic growth.

Since its launch in 2021, the DOST Sales Programme has created a strong talent pipeline for India’s fast-expanding organised retail sector. With DOST Sales 4.0, which commenced this year, Samsung is doubling down on its skilling mission in partnership with the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) and the Telecom Sector Skills Council (TSSC).

DOST Sales 4.0 is yet another step in Samsung’s commitment to driving inclusive, sustainable growth by bridging skill gaps and helping India’s youth participate confidently in the country’s digital and economic transformation.

Nanum: Volunteering that Reflects Samsung’s People-First Culture

At the heart of Samsung’s citizenship efforts lies Nanum, its global volunteering platform. In 2025, Samsung employees across India actively contributed their time and skills to support education, community development, and social causes.

From mentoring students to participating in community initiatives, Nanum embodied Samsung’s belief that citizenship is a shared responsibility.

Through the Nanum Kiosk initiative, Samsung employees are not just donating money—they’re nurturing futures. Each child sent back to school is a story of possibility, made real by shared compassion and purpose.

This day was a reminder that when people come together to care, incredible change can happen. And for these children, the journey is just the beginning.

A Year Defined by Purposeful Progress

Together, Solve for Tomorrow, Samsung Innovation Campus, Samsung DOST, and Nanum shaped a year of meaningful impact for Samsung India in 2025. Each programme addressed a different facet of progress—innovation, skilling, access, and community, yet all were united by a common purpose.

As Samsung looks ahead, its citizenship programmes will continue to evolve with India’s needs, ensuring that technology remains a force for empowerment, opportunity, and inclusive growth. Because when innovation is guided by purpose, its impact lasts far beyond a single year.

Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, announced a major scale-up of its flagship Samsung Digital & Offline Skills Training (DOST) Sales Programme, under which 9,400 young people from underserved communities will be trained for frontline retail roles. The initiative reinforces Samsung’s commitment to building a skilled, future-ready workforce and advancing India’s vision of inclusive economic growth.

Since its launch in 2021, the DOST Sales Programme has created a strong talent pipeline for India’s fast-expanding organised retail sector. With DOST Sales 4.0, which commenced this year, Samsung is doubling down on its skilling mission in partnership with the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI) and the Telecom Sector Skills Council (TSSC).

“Samsung is deeply committed to empowering India’s youth to participate meaningfully in the nation’s growth story. The DOST Sales Programme, an industry-first initiative, is a focused 5-month training programme designed to equip young people, especially those from underserved communities with the confidence, knowledge and practical skills needed to thrive in today’s dynamic retail environment. With training enrolment increasing three-fold this year, DOST is helping shape a stronger, employment-ready talent pool at a time when digital adoption is accelerating and retail continues to evolve,” said Shubham Mukherjee, Head, CSR & Corporate Communications at Samsung Southwest Asia.

Structured, Industry-Ready Training Pathway

Each trainee undergoes a 120-hour online classroom module, led by certified trainers from ESSCI and TSSC, along with 60-hour training by Samsung Retail Sales Team. The curriculum covers:

• Customer interaction and communication
• Sales fundamentals and retail processes
• Product knowledge and demonstration skills
• Store operations and service excellence

During the 5-month on-the-job training (OJT) at Samsung retail stores nationwide, they gain hands-on experience in customer engagement, store processes, product education, and sales conversion and receive a monthly remuneration from Samsung to support their learning and training experience.

After assessment, eligible candidates receive a government-recognized National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) aligned certification, enhancing their employability and opening pathways for long-term careers across India’s organised retail ecosystem.

Skilling the Next Generation of Retail Professionals

Through the DOST Sales Programme, Samsung provides young aspirants with the foundational skills required to build sustainable careers in consumer electronics retail. The structured curriculum prepares participants for roles as Sales Promoters—frontline experts who support customers with product information, demonstrations, and purchase decisions.

“ESSCI is proud to partner with Samsung for the DOST Sales Programme that strengthens India’s skilling ecosystem and empowers the youth. This collaboration creates real pathways to employment and fosters inclusive economic growth reinforcing our shared commitment to high-quality training, industry-aligned standards, and creating sustainable career pathways for India’s young workforce,” said Vinod Sharma, Chairman, ESSCI.

“At TSSC, our mission is to build a workforce capable of powering India’s fast-growing digital economy. Our partnership with Samsung under the DOST Sales Programme further augments our endeavour to deliver high-quality retail skilling and equip youth with industry-relevant competencies. The DOST programme ensures that skilling translates into meaningful employment opportunities, facilitates sustainable career pathways, and advances the inclusion of communities that have traditionally had limited access to structured skilling,” said Lieutenant General K H Gawas, CEO, TSSC.

Driving Impact at Scale: Skilling for Inclusive Growth

The DOST Sales Programme strengthens Samsung’s vision of Powering Digital India by supporting skill development at scale and ensuring young people from diverse social and regional backgrounds can access meaningful employment opportunities. By aligning with national skill development missions and collaborating closely with government-led Sector Skill Councils, Samsung continues to play a pivotal role in shaping India’s retail talent landscape.

DOST Sales 4.0 is yet another step in Samsung’s commitment to driving inclusive, sustainable growth by bridging skill gaps and helping India’s youth participate confidently in the country’s digital and economic transformation.

Here is all that you need to know about Samsung DOST:

When Mohd Firoz heard about Samsung DOST, it didn’t take him much time to decide and apply for the program. The 22-year-old from a village near Mughalsarai in Uttar Pradesh was in search for a job urgently after his father, who knit Banarasi sarees for a living, fell ill.

Samsung DOST (Digital & Offline Skills Training), with its online training and a promise of an on-the-job training (OJT) with stipend, is his ray of hope as he expects to get a full-time job after this in India’s fast growing retail sector.

Firoz is now doing 200 hours of online classroom sessions from his village but will soon move to Varanasi for his OJT.

“I have attended several courses but none led me to a job. With Samsung DOST, I can feel the online classes are already very relevant. The situation at home was talking me towards depression but this training has brought such a change in my life,” says Firoz.

He feels empowered with the new communication tools and sales techniques he’s being taught and is looking forward to his OJT to put it all into practice.

Samsung DOST is India’s biggest skills training program in the electronics sector, which aims to make 50,000 youth job-ready for the electronics retail sector over the next few years. For this Samsung has partnered with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to execute the program through its nationwide skills training centres.

Under the program, youth, who have completed minimum school education – 12th standard – will receive 200 hours of blended classroom and online training, followed by five months of on-the-job training (OJT) at Samsung retail stores, along with a monthly stipend at par with industry standards.

Gargi Das, 20, from Guwahati’s Jatiakahilipara says the B.A. degree she was pursuing in Assam wasn’t enough for her to land a good job in the retail sector as it does not provide any training. Samsung DOST became her gateway to electronics retail, where she will be surrounded by smartphones that she loves.

The online classes, she says, are very interactive and expand our knowledge.

“Samsung DOST is the friend I needed the most in this stage of life as I am beginning my career. I has helped me calm my career related anxieties,” she says.

In Kerala, Muhammad Basith has never felt so positive about anything as he is about Samsung DOST.

“I am a graduate but due to the pandemic there were no jobs around for freshers. Everyone was looking for experience. Samsung DOST came in as a blessing.”

Basith’s father, who is a mechanic, lost his job during the pandemic, and Basith is hopeful the paid Samsung DOST OJT will help him contribute to his family quickly.

The training under Samsung DOST will help youth acquire new competencies and skills needed for jobs in India’s fast growing electronics retail environment.

The participants are being trained at various training centres accredited and approved by NSDC.

The training is in accordance to the National Skill Qualification Framework, which is aligned to industry needs, and includes skill sets such as customer engagement, managing sales counter, handling customer queries, product demonstration & selling skills and several other soft skills, including post-Covid etiquettes, preparing them for a career in electronics retail.

Mr Ken Kang, President and CEO, Samsung SWA and Mr. Ved Mani Tiwari, Chief Operating Officer (Officiating CEO), NSDC exchanging the MOU signed between Samsung and NSDC for the Samsung DOST CSR program

Samsung India today announced the launch of ‘Samsung DOST’ (Digital & Offline Skills Training), a CSR initiative that aims to make 50,000 youth job-ready for the electronics retail sector over the next few years. Samsung, India’s largest smartphone and consumer electronics brand, has partnered with India’s premier skill development organization, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), to execute the program through its nationwide skills training centres.

Samsung DOST will be the biggest skills training program in the electronics sector.

Samsung has been India’s committed partner for the last 25 years, leading the consumer electronics and smartphones space with strategic investments in manufacturing, R&D, retail and community development. Samsung has set up the world’s largest mobile factory in Noida and is a key player in the government’s large-scale electronics manufacturing push, which is expected to create significant number of job opportunities for youth in manufacturing as well as the retail sector.

(From L-R) Mr. Partha Ghosh, Head, Corporate Citizenship, Samsung India; Peter Rhee, Deputy MD, Samsung SWA; Mr. Ken Kang, President and CEO, Samsung SWA; Mr. Ved Mani Tiwari, Chief Operating Officer (Officiating CEO), NSDC; Mr. Prakash Sharma, Chief Financial Officer, NSDC at the MoU signing event

Considering the potential of employment generation post skill training, Samsung has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NSDC for the ‘Samsung DOST’ program under which youth will receive 200 hours of blended classroom and online training, followed by five months of on-the-job training (OJT) at Samsung retail stores, along with a monthly stipend at par with industry standards. This will help the youth acquire new competencies and skills needed for jobs in India’s fast growing electronics retail environment.

Mr. Ken Kang, President & CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia said: “Samsung has been India’s committed partner over the last 25 years, and has contributed to people and communities across India through its citizenship programs. The Samsung DOST program is aligned to the Government of India’s Skill India initiative and is an embodiment of our vision of #PoweringDigitalIndia that seeks to empower the next generation of young India. With this new program, we aim to close the skills and employability gap among youth in the country, helping them find jobs in the fast growing electronics retail sector.”

The participants will be trained at various training centres accredited and approved by NSDC. The training will be in accordance to the National Skill Qualification Framework, which is aligned to industry needs, and will include skillsets such as customer engagement, managing sales counter, handling customer queries, product demonstration & selling skills and several other soft skills, including post-Covid etiquettes, preparing them for a career in electronics retail. During the OJT, participants will be made familiar with the functioning of electronics retail stores through live demonstrations, role play techniques and hands-on training.

The participants for the program will be youth who have completed school education and will be mobilized through NSDC’s approved training partners at 120 centres across India. The assessments and certification of the participants will be done by the Telecom Sector Skill Council (TSSC) after the participants complete their OJT.

With ‘Samsung DOST’, Samsung is expanding its skilling programs in India, as part of its CSR initiatives.

Samsung has been running the Samsung Technical School program since 2013 in partnership with the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Departments of Technical Education in different states. Under this program, youth are provided vocational skills to repair the latest smartphones, televisions, refrigerators, washing machines and other electronics.