MetLife Foundation and OneStage have launched ‘Plastic-Free Gurugram,’ a sustainability programme aiming to reach over 100,000 residents by cutting single-use plastic use and improving waste management.
Unveiled during PNB MetLife’s 25th anniversary, it engages RWAs, institutions, and malls.
A baseline survey of 228 respondents found 84.4% segregate waste at home, but 77.8% still use disposables at gatherings.
Two weeks after devastating Nepal-Tibet floods swept through the border region near Gyirong Port, 77 participants of Isha Foundation’s Kailash Manasarovar Sojourn and three volunteers remain unaccounted for, the organization said in an update on Saturday.
“77 participants of the Kailash Manasarovar Sojourn and 3 volunteers remain unaccounted for. This number is unchanged since our last update. The authorities have indicated that identification work at the site is ongoing and, given the conditions, may take considerable time,” it said in a statement.
Isha Foundation said it remains in contact with Chinese, Indian and Nepali authorities, as well as embassies representing 19 countries, to track information on those affected by the Nepal-Tibet floods. Identification details and photographs have been shared with search-and-rescue teams where appropriate, the group said.
Access to the site remains restricted on both sides of the border. Chinese authorities have barred private individuals and organizations from the Gyirong Port area for forensic and rescue operations, while Nepali authorities have similarly restricted access on their side. Isha volunteers stationed in Gyirong Town were required to leave after Chinese authorities limited the area to official personnel only.
In Nepal, around 25 local volunteers have been coordinating with hospitals, mortuaries, police and government offices, sharing documentation with Nepal Police, Nepal Tourist Police and the Nepali Army to widen search efforts, according to the statement.
International media were granted access to the site on day 12 of the response, though the organization said subsequent coverage had not produced new factual developments.
Isha Foundation said it is also assisting families with practical matters, including coordinating with a Nepal tour operator and DHL to ship belongings left behind by participants in Kathmandu. The group operates a hotline and email address across eight countries and said it aims to respond to inquiries within 24 hours.
The organization reiterated it will not release names, images or personal details of affected individuals to protect their privacy, and pledged to continue sharing verified updates as new information emerges from the Nepal-Tibet floods response.
Contact: yatra.kailash@ishausa.org
Fleetguard Filters Pvt Ltd (FFPL), a manufacturer of filtration solutions for on- and off-highway applications, said its annual blood donation camps across Pune concluded this week with a cumulative collection of 773 units of blood.
The blood donation camps were held across four locations — Loni, Wadki, Nandur and Baner — as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, with the final camp at Baner concluding on September 9.
Loni recorded 270 donations, followed by Nandur with 332 and Wadki with 126, bringing participation across the three manufacturing sites to 728 units. The corporate office in Baner added a further 45 donations, taking the overall total for this year’s blood donation camps to 773.
The company said the camps, held annually across its Pune offices and manufacturing plants, form part of its broader focus on healthcare and preventive healthcare under its CSR initiatives.
Niranjan Kisloskar, Managing Director, Fleetguard Filters Pvt Ltd., said the company’s responsibility toward surrounding communities extended beyond its business operations. He said the blood donation camps gave employees a simple but meaningful way to contribute to a cause that could directly support lives in need, adding that participation levels reflected employees’ commitment to social impact.
Fleetguard said its CSR initiatives are aimed at creating long-term social value through programmes spanning healthcare, education, environment, rural development and community welfare, with healthcare and preventive healthcare — including blood donation and health camps — remaining a core focus area.
Fleetguard Filters Private Limited, established in 1987, is a filtration solutions provider partnered with Atmus Filtration Technologies, formerly Cummins Filtration U.S.A. The company holds NABL accreditation and serves on- and off-highway applications across multiple industries.
Renvion Solutions Private Limited said on Thursday it had begun operations on an integrated South Delhi waste collection and transportation project, deploying the city’s first large-scale zero-emission collection fleet under a public-private concession with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The project, run through special-purpose vehicle South Delhi MSW Solutions Private Limited, was awarded via a three-stage Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) tender. It covers 23 wards across roughly 190 square kilometres and is designed to process about 1,400 tonnes of waste daily.
The South Delhi waste collection network will consolidate door-to-door collection from households, businesses and institutions with street sweeping, drain silt, horticulture and domestic hazardous waste, including sanitary waste, company officials said.
Renvion said the initiative marks a transformative shift for the capital’s sanitation infrastructure, introducing an all-electric, BS-VI-compliant primary and secondary collection fleet aimed at cutting emissions and noise in dense residential areas. The company added the project would create more than 2,000 jobs in the zone.
Operations will be backed by a Command & Control Centre using GPS tracking, RFID-tagged vehicles and containers, and weighbridge systems with geofencing and infrared monitoring. Sixty Fixed Compactor Transfer Stations will anchor secondary waste transport.
Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi, speaking at the launch event, said 176 new vehicles were being inducted and that five wards — Green Park, Greater Kailash, Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj and Chittaranjan Park — had been prioritized for improved sanitation services. He said source segregation remained essential to the project’s success.
Ishaan Alla, Chief Executive Officer of Renvion Solutions Private Limited, said the project reflected a shift toward integrated, technology-enabled environmental infrastructure and demonstrated the company’s commitment to building systems that recover value for growing cities.
Renvion operates in seven countries, processing more than 6 million tonnes of waste annually across over 30 facilities and generating more than 750 million units of green electricity each year through its Waste-to-Energy operations, the company said.
Aries Agro Limited, a specialty plant nutrition company, said on Sunday it is expanding its Aries Agro CSR initiatives in 2026 through two technology-driven programmes designed to empower underserved communities in education and healthcare.
The company said the initiatives would directly reach more than 2,000 rural students, 55 visually impaired individuals and 90 upper-limb amputees across India, combining digital infrastructure, assistive devices and rehabilitation support.
Rural Education Push
Under the first programme, Aries Agro is setting up computer labs with laptops across eight rural schools in Rajasthan where digital access previously did not exist. Working with IndiVillage Foundation, the company said the initiative will empower 600 girls aged 6 to 16 with training in coding, artificial intelligence, software design and game development, while 1,500 additional students will receive foundational digital literacy training.
Company officials said the goal is to close the rural digital and gender divide and build workforce-ready skills among young girls in technology fields.
Assistive Technology for Disabled
The second programme, according to the company, will empower 55 visually impaired college students and professionals in Lucknow and Ahmedabad with AI-powered smart glasses that convert printed text to audio in 20 languages and support object, currency and sign recognition.
Separately, Aries Agro is distributing electronically functional prosthetic hands, capable of lifting up to 10 kg, to 90 farmers and daily wage workers in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra who lost limbs in workplace accidents. The programme includes physiotherapy and counselling to help beneficiaries adapt long-term.
Key partners include Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University in Lucknow, Torchit Foundation and Inali Foundation, the company said.
Aries Agro said its broader CSR strategy aims to build lasting capability and infrastructure rather than provide one-time assistance, reinforcing its Aries Agro CSR initiatives as a long-term model for inclusive development.
State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has signed a Letter of Association with Bisleri International to boost plastic waste management across its branches and offices nationwide.
Under the agreement, Bisleri will conduct training and awareness sessions for SBI employees and housekeeping staff, and will collect used plastic waste from SBI premises for recycling, the companies said in a joint statement.
The tie-up falls under Bisleri’s “Bottles for Change” programme, through which the packaged water maker works with institutions, housing societies, corporates and communities to encourage responsible plastic waste management.
The companies said the partnership is intended to support India’s shift toward a circular economy and aid the country’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
Ravi Ranjan, SBI’s Managing Director for Risk, Compliance and Stressed Assets Resolution, said the collaboration was a step toward embedding sustainable practices into the bank’s workplace culture.
“We believe that when employees are empowered to make responsible choices, that awareness extends well beyond our offices and into the communities that we serve and are a part of,” Ranjan said, adding that such partnerships support India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
Bisleri International Chief Executive Angelo George said the partnership combines SBI’s institutional reach with Bisleri’s experience in plastic waste management.
“By engaging employees across SBI offices, we aim to build responsible practices at the workplace that can extend into homes and communities,” George said, describing the initiative as a potential model for corporate participation in the circular economy.
SBI said the collaboration reinforces its broader commitment to environmental stewardship as it works toward a Scope 1, 2 and 3 net-zero target by 2055, the year the bank marks its centenary.
AWL Agri Business Ltd, formerly Adani Wilmar Limited, has adopted and revamped a public park opposite ICB Flora Apartment in Gota, Ahmedabad, under a five-year maintenance agreement with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
As part of the initiative, the company transforms 1,100 kg of recycled plastic from Fortune packaging into 43 benches installed across the park, in a move it says reflects its focus on circularity and responsible resource utilisation.
Senior leaders from AWL Agri Business, along with AMC officials and local corporators, conducted a “Green Walk” through the park, planting trees and distributing saplings to visitors to encourage community participation in sustainability efforts.
“We, at AWL Agri Business, believe that sustainability is not limited to our operations and products. It is also about creating meaningful impact in the communities where we operate,” said Shrikant Kanhere, Managing Director and CEO, AWL Agri Business Ltd.
“The benches, made using recycled Fortune packaging material, further reflect our commitment to circularity and responsible resource utilisation.”
Spread across 19,000 square metres, the park has been developed as a recreational space featuring green landscaping, a children’s play area, a jogging track, gazebos and drinking water facilities, while contributing to local biodiversity.
The company said the initiative demonstrates how recycled plastic and packaging waste can be given a second life within everyday community infrastructure, forming part of its broader corporate social responsibility strategy in urban environments.
AWL Agri Business, whose flagship brand is Fortune, operates more than 80 manufacturing facilities across 11 states, including India’s largest single-location refinery in Mundra with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per day. The company serves more than 135 million households through a network of over 10,000 distributors and 2.6 million retail outlets.
A group of philanthropic organisations led by the Piramal Foundation and the Gates Foundation on Wednesday launched the Sangam Collaborative, an initiative aimed at improving health, education and nutrition outcomes across five states where an estimated 70 million people live in multidimensional poverty.
The Sangam Collaborative brings together the Piramal Foundation, Gates Foundation, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation, Dhanam Foundation, Surgo Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and will work with government agencies to strengthen public service delivery in Jharkhand, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar.
The initiative was unveiled at the AVPN Global Conference 2026 in New Delhi, a joint statement said.
The Collaborative said it would focus on improving institutional capacity, leadership, talent, processes and data systems in health and education delivery, working alongside local and international technical experts.
It also said the model draws on Bihar’s experience, where a long-running partnership between the state government, the Gates Foundation, the Piramal Foundation and other partners has helped strengthen public health institutions and data systems.
“Lasting change comes when we strengthen the public systems that touch people’s everyday lives,” Piramal said, adding that the Sangam Collaborative aimed to contribute to “a stronger, more inclusive and more prosperous Viksit Bharat.”
Suzman said India had made remarkable progress in reducing multidimensional poverty over the past decade, citing government-led programmes and the application of technology at scale. He said the Gates Foundation remained committed to its partnership with India through initiatives such as the new Collaborative.
Chandra said poverty at the scale seen in the target states could not be addressed through isolated acts of philanthropy, and called for combining government scale, philanthropic risk capital and the last-mile reach of civil society groups.
Ram Shriram, President of the Dhanam Foundation, said the initiative reflected the need for collective action and long-term commitment to tackle multidimensional poverty.
Kate Hampton, CEO of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, said investment in stronger systems and leadership could accelerate pathways out of poverty at scale and offer lessons for communities beyond India.
The organisations did not disclose the size of funding commitments to the Sangam Collaborative.
Sportz Village Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Sportz Village, India’s leading sports education organisation, on Thursday convened the #SportForChange Roundtable in Bengaluru under the theme “Truly Grassroots Global – Building a Global Coalition for India’s #SportForChange Movement.”
The roundtable was organised with ISCA (International Sport and Culture Association) as knowledge partner and The International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev) as global communications partner. It brought together global and Indian voices to discuss how grassroots sport can tackle youth physical inactivity and drive development outcomes for children.
Among those present were Mogens Kirkeby, President, ISCA, and Parminder Gill, Co-founder & Head of Foundation, Sportz Village, along with dignitaries and representatives from India’s corporate, state and development sectors.
The discussions at the #SportForChange roundtable centred on finding actionable ways for state bodies, CSR leaders, foundations and sports organisations to come together and build sustainable, accessible sports ecosystems at the grassroots level.
While participants acknowledged that medal-focused programmes remain important, they noted that grassroots sport’s real impact lies in scale — through improved health, education and inclusion outcomes for children. The conversation gained urgency in the context of a global physical inactivity crisis among young people, with India’s youthful population seen as a major opportunity to demonstrate impact at scale.
A major highlight of the event was the launch of the ‘Girls in Sport’ campaign, a joint initiative between Sportz Village Foundation and ISCA aimed at advancing gender equity and widening opportunities for girls to take part in sport across the country. The campaign aims to engage over one million girls in sport over the next five years.
The roundtable also saw an exchange of global knowledge and best practices in grassroots and community sport, with a focus on adapting international models to India’s local context.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Parminder Gill, Co-founder & Head of Foundation, Sportz Village, said, “Medals are an important measure of sporting excellence, but the foundation for those achievements is built much earlier, at the grassroots level. By giving children access to quality physical education, exposure to different sports and the right opportunities to develop their potential, we can create a stronger pipeline of athletes while also ensuring that sport contributes to their overall development. With India’s young population, expanding these opportunities, particularly for girls, can help build a more inclusive and sustainable sporting ecosystem.”
Mogens Kirkeby, President, ISCA, said, “Physical inactivity among young people is a global challenge, and movement through sport is one of the most accessible solutions we have. India, with its young population, is positioned to demonstrate what that looks like at scale. Bringing global experience into this conversation lets us exchange what’s working across countries and adapt it to India’s context — that kind of collaboration is how grassroots sport moves from isolated efforts to real, lasting impact.”
As India strengthens its presence in the global Sport for Change movement, initiatives like the #SportForChange roundtable and the Girls in Sport campaign underline a shared commitment to using sport as a tool for lasting change in the lives of children.
Jindal Stainless Foundation (JSF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Jindal Stainless, said on Monday it has launched a landmark initiative called “Parivartan,” an integrated village development programme targeting Ladwa village near the company’s Hisar manufacturing facility in Haryana.
The programme is expected to benefit approximately 7,500 to 8,000 residents, the foundation said, through a participatory model covering healthcare, education, women’s empowerment, agriculture, livelihood promotion, sanitation, environmental sustainability, community participation and institutional strengthening.
JSF Chairperson Deepika Jindal said the Parivartan initiative reflects the company’s belief that businesses and communities should grow together. “Through ‘Parivartan,’ we aim to create a sustainable and inclusive development model for Ladwa Village by addressing critical areas such as healthcare, education, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability,” Jindal said, adding the foundation intends to build partnerships that deliver lasting social impact.
Rather than standalone interventions, the foundation said Parivartan will pursue a comprehensive village development model built around community ownership and local capacity-building, in partnership with the Gram Panchayat, government departments, community-based organisations and NGOs.
The programme will begin with a baseline survey and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) to assess Ladwa’s socio-economic profile and identify priorities, JSF said. Findings will feed into a Village Development Plan prepared jointly with local stakeholders.
JSF said it will hold regular Gram Sabha meetings and consultations with youth, women, farmers, teachers, frontline workers and local leaders throughout the programme to maintain transparency and accountability. The foundation described Parivartan as a long-term model for inclusive growth and community empowerment.