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  • Ambuja Cements Drives Women Empowerment, Hands E-Autos to 10 SHG Women in Gujarat

    Ambuja Cements Drives Women Empowerment, Hands E-Autos to 10 SHG Women in Gujarat

    Ambuja Cements, the ninth-largest building materials solutions provider globally and part of the Adani Portfolio, has handed over electric auto-rickshaws to 10 women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the Kodinar region of Gujarat, opening a new chapter in rural women empowerment and self-employment on International Women’s Day.

    The handover ceremony was held at Ambujanagar, marking the culmination of a structured skilling and financing initiative designed to equip women with both the capability and capital to operate independent transport businesses.

    Women associated with Sorath Mahila Vikas Sahakari Mandali and local SHGs underwent two months of specialised e-auto driving training at the Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Institute (SEDI), Ambujanagar. The programme focused on building safe driving skills and operational confidence among participants.

    Following training, participants purchased the e-autos with extended loan support from Sorath Mahila Vikas Sahakari Mandali, ensuring financial access remained no barrier to ownership.

    The trained women will operate e-autos in and around Kodinar, providing passenger transport services and ferrying school-going children — addressing a critical rural mobility gap while generating sustainable household income.

    Ambuja Cements officials, present at the handover, encouraged the women to embrace their self-employment journey, reaffirming the company’s commitment to income-generating opportunities for women in underserved rural communities.

    The initiative reflects Ambuja Cements’ wider strategy of linking skill development with livelihood creation, particularly for women in regions surrounding its plant operations. The company’s SEDI centres across India have trained thousands of rural youth and women in vocational skills since inception.

    The e-auto programme aligns with India’s broader push for electric mobility adoption in rural areas and dovetails with national priorities around women-led development and the SHG movement under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.

  • Reckitt Transforms India’s Sanitation Economy, Trains 1.25 Lakh Workers as Entrepreneurs

    Reckitt Transforms India’s Sanitation Economy, Trains 1.25 Lakh Workers as Entrepreneurs

    Reckitt, the British consumer goods company, is pressing forward with a nationwide campaign to build a formal sanitation economy in India by converting informal waste handlers into skilled micro-entrepreneurs, overhauling school sanitation infrastructure, and commissioning the country’s first scientific study of life expectancy among sanitation workers — a group whose average lifespan trails the national mean by nearly 30 years.

    WORKFORCE TRANSFORMATION

    The company’s Harpic World Toilet College (HWTC), operated in partnership with the World Toilet Organisation and Jagran Pehel, has trained more than 1.25 lakh sanitation workers since its launch, with women accounting for over 45 percent of all trainees. Graduates are equipped to operate mechanised cleaning units, manage school sanitation services, maintain urban drains, and run facility-care operations as independent contractors.

    An independent social return on investment assessment found that every rupee invested in the programme generates Rs 23.20 in social value — driven by gains in worker dignity, safer conditions, and improved financial and health resilience for workers and their families.

    “India has made extraordinary progress in building toilets, but true sanitation progress must also mean longer and safer lives for the people who maintain them.” said Gaurav Jain, Executive Vice President, South Asia, Reckitt

    POWER OF 8: SCHOOL SANITATION REFORM

    Reckitt’s Harpic Safe Sanitation Programme deploys what it calls the “Power of 8” model — an eight-element operational framework designed to guarantee hygiene quality and financial accountability across school sanitation systems.

    The framework bundles assured funding, scheduled cleaning cycles, trained HWTC manpower, professional equipment, supervisory oversight, consumable supplies, drain maintenance and de-clogging, and live digital tracking into a single auditable service package.

    The model is intended to turn sanitation delivery into an enterprise-driven ecosystem, giving HWTC graduates a structured route to operate as service providers and contractors at scale. Behavioural change components — muppet-led sessions, storybooks, pop-up installations, and wall art co-created with Sesame Workshop India — are embedded in the curriculum to establish hygiene habits among schoolchildren.

    LIFE-EXPECTANCY EVIDENCE GAP

    Despite the scale of India’s sanitation workforce, no nationally representative, occupation-linked mortality dataset exists for the sector. Reckitt says the absence of such data leaves policymakers without the evidence needed to design effective mechanisation mandates, personal protective equipment requirements, or compensation frameworks.

    The company is funding what it describes as India’s first comprehensive life-expectancy assessment for sanitation workers, aiming to quantify survival risks from toxic gas exposure, infections, musculoskeletal injury, and socio-economic disadvantage. It says the findings are intended to feed directly into national sanitation economy planning.

    Reckitt has also sought to raise public recognition of sanitation workers. To mark the 25th anniversary of World Toilet Day, the company facilitated the release of commemorative postage stamps honouring the workforce.

    EXPANSION TARGETS

    Reckitt says it plans to extend the Power of 8 framework across additional Indian states, deepen enterprise development through HWTC, and ultimately reach 70 percent of India’s sanitation worker cohort. It describes the combined push — entrepreneurship training, systemic school reform, national recognition and life-expectancy research — as a unified strategy to create a sanitation economy “where every worker can live a longer, healthier and dignified life.”

    India’s Swachh Bharat Mission has overseen the construction of more than 100 million toilets since 2014, a transformation widely credited with expanding sanitation access. However, critics and public-health researchers have long argued that the programme’s focus on infrastructure has not been matched by investment in the workforce that maintains it.

  • AI-Driven CSR: India’s tech leap for social good as Impact Summit begins

    AI-Driven CSR: India’s tech leap for social good as Impact Summit begins

    By Eldee

    As the India AI Impact Summit 2026 kicks off in the capital from February 16, AI-Driven CSR is emerging as a game-changing force in India’s social development landscape. Artificial intelligence is powering a profound revolution, turning corporate giving into smarter, more scalable and high-impact interventions that deliver real, measurable change.

    In FY 2023-24, CSR spending reached new heights with a record Rs 34,000 crore poured into over 59,000 projects — a strong 12 percent surge year-on-year, per Ministry of Corporate Affairs data. Education commands 38 percent of spending, followed by healthcare, environment and livelihoods.

    Many leading firms decisively exceed the 2 percent mandate, channeling resources through foundations for strategic, transformative alignment with national priorities.

    Reforms have added serious muscle: mandatory third-party impact assessments, the transparent National CSR Data Portal, and the Social Stock Exchange unlocking fresh NGO funding channels. The era of checkbox compliance is giving way to outcome-focused, high-impact philanthropy.

    • AI is the decisive accelerator here. Forward-looking Indian companies are harnessing it to amplify efficiency and reach:
    • Infosys Foundation deploys AI for personalised rural learning, predicting outcomes to target interventions with precision.
    • TCS powers remote healthcare chatbots and disaster analytics.
    • Hindustan Unilever uses image recognition to revolutionize waste segregation and recycling.
    • Reliance Foundation combines AI with blockchain for traceable e-waste management.
    • Intel India drives “AI for All” skilling to boost nationwide employability.

    These initiatives echo global trailblazers — Microsoft AI for Earth tackling climate challenges, Google crisis mapping, IBM sustainability models — but are uniquely anchored in India’s mandatory CSR framework and BRSR reporting.

    Pioneering NGOs like Marpu Foundation showcase the transformative potential: AI-driven real-time dashboards for fund tracking, beneficiary verification, automated need-matching and volunteer coordination. Predictive models forecast dropouts and pollution trends, enabling proactive, high-impact spending. The outcome is amplified accountability, minimized leakages and human effort supercharged — never replaced.

    Challenges persist: funds still concentrate in industrial zones, AI adoption remains uneven among tech-savvy giants, and data privacy, bias and digital divides demand urgent safeguards.

    The India AI Impact Summit 2026 arrives at the perfect moment to pioneer solutions. With global visionaries and policymakers converging under the banner of People, Planet and Progress, the summit must champion inclusive AI-Driven CSR policies: incentives for mandatory spending integration, robust public-private-NGO partnerships for localised models, expanded ethical skilling at scale, and firm benchmarks for responsible deployment.

    India’s IndiaAI Mission already provides a solid foundation — indigenous models, compute infrastructure, capacity building. By positioning AI as essential infrastructure for CSR, not an optional luxury, India can lead the world in proving technology can accelerate equitable progress and fast-track the Sustainable Development Goals.

    This summit is more than optics — it’s about defining commitments that convert bold promise into tangible change for millions. In this pivotal moment, India stands poised to demonstrate that innovation and inclusion are not trade-offs — they are powerful allies. The opportunity is immense. The time to seize it is now.

  • Re Sustainability, Janyu ink MoU for transformative robotics waste management

    Re Sustainability, Janyu ink MoU for transformative robotics waste management

    Re Sustainability Limited, a leading integrated waste management firm, and Janyu Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pioneer transformative robotics waste management solutions across India.

    The strategic partnership combines Re Sustainability’s three-decade expertise in handling hazardous, bio-medical, and industrial waste with Janyu Technologies’ advanced, remotely operated robotic systems.

    The collaboration targets high-risk areas such as sludge removal, confined-space cleaning, and hazardous waste handling, significantly reducing human exposure while boosting operational efficiency, consistency, and traceability.

    India’s waste management industry, valued at over USD 20 billion, is experiencing rapid growth amid stricter regulations, heightened compliance demands, and rising ESG priorities.

    This alliance accelerates the deployment of automation and deep-tech innovations to tackle complex challenges in regulated waste operations.

    Leveraging Re Sustainability’s extensive nationwide network, regulatory knowledge, and execution prowess alongside Janyu’s indigenous robotics tailored for hazardous environments, the partners aim to deliver scalable, safety-first models that align with India’s circular economy and sustainability goals.

    “Safety, compliance, and operational excellence are core to Re Sustainability,” said Masood Mallick, Managing Director & Group CEO.

    “This partnership with Janyu Technologies marks a transformative leap in integrating advanced robotics into high-risk waste management, minimizing human exposure and elevating efficiency, consistency, and traceability.”

    Abhimanyu Raja, Managing Director of Janyu Technologies, added: “India’s industrial progress must prioritize worker safety and dignity. Our human-enabling robotic systems for hazardous tasks like sludge handling and confined-space cleaning shift workers to safer, skilled roles while generating data for AI-driven analytics. Together with Re Sustainability, we are building safer, more competitive industrial infrastructure through Indian innovation.”

    The partnership establishes a foundation for next-generation, human-safe, technology-enabled waste and environmental infrastructure, promoting safer workplaces, robust compliance, and enduring environmental benefits.

  • Eco Survey 2025-26: Pollution trading schemes can be a game-changer even in developing countries, Surat pilot proves

    Eco Survey 2025-26: Pollution trading schemes can be a game-changer even in developing countries, Surat pilot proves

    Market-based tools like emissions trading — long hailed as successful in the US and Europe — can deliver big wins for cleaner air in developing nations too, the Economic Survey 2025-26 has asserted, citing a pioneering experiment in Gujarat’s Surat city.

    Traditionally, experts doubted whether pollution trading schemes could work in lower-capacity settings due to weak monitoring, limited enforcement, and low state credibility. Regulators often struggle to track emissions accurately or ensure polluters buy permits for every unit released.

    But the Survey points to strong counter-evidence from the world’s first particulate matter emissions trading market, launched in Surat — a major industrial hub — and evaluated in the seminal 2023 study by Greenstone et al.

    The scheme, run by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, covered 317 large industrial plants (mostly coal-burning units in textiles and other sectors). It replaced old command-and-control rules (tech mandates and concentration limits) with a cap-and-trade system, backed by mandatory Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) for real-time tracking of particulate emissions.

    Key findings from the randomised trial:

    The market worked smoothly — active trading took place, and plants achieved near-universal compliance (99% of emissions covered by permits vs just 66% under the old regime).

    Participating factories slashed particulate emissions by 20-30% compared to those under traditional regulation.

    For the same pollution level, abatement costs dropped by 11-14%, thanks to firms trading permits based on their differing marginal costs.

    The Survey calls this a breakthrough proof that, with credible real-time monitoring like CEMS in place, pollution trading schemes can achieve major emissions cuts at much lower compliance costs — even in challenging developing-country contexts.

    “This shows market-based environmental regulations are not just for rich nations. When supported by strong tech-enabled enforcement, they offer an effective and cost-efficient path to cleaner air,” the document notes.

    The Surat pilot has already inspired expansions in Gujarat (including Ahmedabad) and discussions in other states, highlighting its potential as a scalable model for tackling industrial air pollution across India.

  • SOS India holds free eye check-up camp for 137 kids

    SOS India holds free eye check-up camp for 137 kids

    SOS Children’s Villages India, in collaboration with Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, conducted a one-day free eye check-up camp that screened 137 children and caregivers from its Family Like Care and Family Strengthening Programmes.

    In an era when myopia (near-sightedness) and hypermetropia (far-sightedness) are increasingly prevalent among children in India—with studies showing myopia rates rising with age and affecting learning—early detection is essential to prevent issues like reduced concentration and impaired academic performance.

    Vulnerable children often face limited access to basic healthcare, including eye screenings, making initiatives like this vital for their development.

    Sumanta Kar, CEO of SOS Children’s Villages India, emphasized the importance of the partnership: “Children today are more vulnerable to eye-related issues, and at their young age, they often struggle to articulate challenges they face. Our core commitment is the overall well-being of children and mothers in our care. This collaboration with Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital has enabled timely screening and preventive care, helping participants address vision concerns effectively.”

    The transformative camp focused on early diagnosis of conditions such as weak eyesight, colour blindness, and lazy eye (amblyopia). A team of qualified doctors and staff from Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital provided screenings, basic consultations, and preventive guidance to children and caregivers. For cases requiring further treatment, recommendations for additional diagnosis were offered.

    Dr Karthikeya, Senior Consultant – Vitreoretina, Uvea & ROP at Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital, highlighted the impact: “Many eye problems in children remain unnoticed without regular screening. Early identification prevents these issues from hindering studies and daily activities. Through outreach camps like these, we deliver quality eye care to underserved children who might otherwise miss timely help.”

    This collaboration underscores the shared goal of both organizations to advance children’s healthcare, providing empowering basic medical services to support the holistic growth of vulnerable youth.

  • Adani Foundation empowers Gangavaram youth through sports initiative

    Adani Foundation empowers Gangavaram youth through sports initiative

    The Adani Foundation is empowering youth in Gangavaram, Andhra Pradesh, by nurturing sporting talent via the Adani Coaching & Fitness Centre, a transformative initiative launched in 2022.

    The centre offers structured training in Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Shuttle Badminton, and fitness programmes, enabling aspiring athletes from fisher folk communities to pursue sports ambitions alongside education.

    Success stories highlight the programme’s impact. Sixteen-year-old Yeripalli Komali and Badi Divya, both from fisher folk families, have progressed from school-level to representing Andhra Pradesh in national Kabaddi tournaments. Similarly, 20-year-old Perla Divya has competed for Andhra University in the All-India Kabaddi tournament and now serves as a Physical Education teacher, earning ₹7,000 monthly.

    The Adani Foundation provides professional kits, mentorship, and competitive exposure. Leading the centre is 23-year-old Nolli Theja, a national-level Kabaddi player from Gangavaram who has participated in 14 national tournaments. Having overcome financial challenges himself, Theja now coaches and inspires the next generation.

    To date, the centre has trained over 72 players, including 30 girls, turning sports into a pathway for empowerment, confidence, and community pride in Gangavaram.

  • Mission Billion Summit to build 100 non-profit unicorns by 2030

    Mission Billion Summit to build 100 non-profit unicorns by 2030

    Change Engine on Wednesday announced the transformative Mission Billion Summit, scheduled for January 29, 2026, at the India International Centre in Delhi, with the ambitious goal of building 100 non-profit unicorns by 2030.

    India’s social sector is at an inflection point, with emerging founders tackling large-scale challenges. The Mission Billion Summit seeks to unite fragmented ecosystems, providing patient capital and partnerships to scale interventions beyond pilots.

    “We need a movement towards non-profit unicorns in India, similar to the startup boom a decade ago,” said Varun Aggarwal, co-founder of Change Engine. “The transformative Mission Billion Summit will convene stakeholders to address pressing developmental issues, centering founders on evidence-driven national impact.”

    Shubham Bansal, another co-founder, described the event as a “startup school for non-profits,” offering toolkits on government partnerships, evidence-building and capital raising. “Our aim is to empower founders to build nationwide solutions,” he added.

    The one-day summit features two parallel tracks with over 25 speakers, more than 12 sessions and three workshop-style masterclasses.

    The “Building Nonprofit Unicorns” track covers evidence-building beyond randomized controlled trials, fundraising for innovation capital, government partnerships and community-led scaling.

    The “Tackling Wicked Problems” track examines effective approaches in welfare, social protection, education and governance.

    A highlight will be the launch of Change Engine’s inaugural “Ease of Doing Non-profits” report, based on surveys revealing barriers to scale, particularly the shortage of flexible, high-risk innovation capital.

    Participants include philanthropists such as Sanjeev Bikhchandani of Info Edge, Aakanksha Gulati of ACT Grants and Murugan Vasudevan of Veddis Foundation, alongside leaders from scaled organizations like Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, Central Square Foundation and Rocket Learning.

    Change Engine supports founders in creating non-profit unicorns impacting over one million lives through data leverage, government ties, tech expertise and seed capital.

    For details and registration, visit the Change Engine website or the summit page at missionbillion.changengine.in.

  • Hyundai plants landmark 1 million trees in IONIQ Forest

    Hyundai plants landmark 1 million trees in IONIQ Forest

    Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Hyundai Motor India Limited, has completed the landmark plantation of 1 million trees under its IONIQ Forest initiative near Talegaon in Pune district.

    The project covers 90.5 acres and incorporates 41 native species using the Miyawaki afforestation method, making it one of India’s most significant single-site, time-bound efforts.

    Work began with site clearance in May 2025, followed by initial planting on World Environment Day in June. The forest was officially inaugurated in September 2025 by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

    Each tree is geo-tagged with a QR code for transparency and real-time monitoring.

    “Hyundai Motor India Foundation’s IONIQ Forest project is more than an afforestation effort; it represents a vision to create a greener and more sustainable future,” said Puneet Anand, AVP and Vertical Head – Corporate Affairs at HMIL.

    “By combining environmental restoration with community empowerment, Hyundai is setting a benchmark for sustainable growth in India,” he said in a statement.

    The initiative has created livelihoods for over 150 members of local tribal communities. Over five years, the forest is expected to sequester 63,000 tons of CO2, boost biodiversity and enhance climate resilience.

    It will also serve as an educational hub for schools and communities to promote environmental awareness.

    The effort aligns with HMIF’s Rs 56 crore CSR commitment in Maharashtra, spanning environment, healthcare, road safety and community development.

  • India’s transformative fight against malnutrition via CSR

    India’s transformative fight against malnutrition via CSR

    Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday called for a transformative fight against malnutrition via CSr against malnutrition via CSR, stressing it as a collective national responsibility shared by government, corporates, communities and individuals.

    Addressing the National Conclave on the Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nutrition Security and Malnutrition Mitigation, organised by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Foundation for Nutrition, Goyal said eliminating malnutrition is vital for realising Viksit Bharat by 2047 and ensuring long-term social and economic prosperity.

    He viewed the mandatory 2 per cent CSR spending as a floor, not a ceiling, and framed malnutrition via CSR initiatives as strategic opportunities for businesses to create shared value.

    Goyal praised NDDB programmes like Giftmilk and Shishu Sanjeevani, which deliver fortified milk and supplements to children in schools, anganwadis, aspirational districts and tribal areas via cooperative networks.

    Highlighting inter-ministerial synergy under the Prime Minister’s whole-of-government approach, he noted collaboration among ministries of Commerce, Cooperation, Animal Husbandry, Panchayati Raj, and Women and Child Development.

    NDDB serves as a key facilitator linking industry CSR with grassroots delivery, promoting affordable access to milk and fish as protein-rich foods.

    Goyal emphasised early intervention during pregnancy and childhood to prevent stunting, while advocating saturation coverage to every household.

    He positioned nutrition investments as building India’s future workforce and markets, benefiting corporates through healthier consumers and employees.

    Calling for a people’s movement, Goyal encouraged exceeding CSR obligations and personal contributions to achieve a malnutrition-free India.