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  • Aragen Life Sciences donates a fully equipped ambulance to Telangana govt

    Aragen Life Sciences donates a fully equipped ambulance to Telangana govt

    Aragen Life Sciences, formerly known as GVK Bio, has donated a fully-equipped ambulance to the Government of Telangana (GoT) as part of its CSR activities. A flag-off event of the vehicle was held in the presence of Minister for Health

    Aragen Life Sciences, formerly known as GVK Bio, has donated a fully-equipped ambulance to the Government of Telangana (GoT) as part of its CSR activities.

    A flag-off event of the vehicle was held in the presence of Minister for Health, Medical and Family Welfare and Finance T Harish Rao on Saturday, according to a company statement.

    Aragen Corporate Services Vice President Ramesh Gambhir was also present at the event.

    The ambulance is equipped with an advanced life support system and other equipment including a multi-channel monitor, defibrillator, ventilator, oxygen cylinder, humidifier amongst others to support in case of an emergency, the statement added.

    Aragen’s CSR activities are focused on three main areas – education, environment, and healthcare.

    Aragen Life Sciences Pvt Ltd (Aragen) is a global leader in providing discovery, development, and manufacturing solutions for life sciences firms. Established in 2001, Aragen now serves over 450 customers worldwide across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas.

  • Companies spent 60% of ₹70,764cr CSR expenditure in last four years via implementing agencies: Govt

    Companies spent 60% of ₹70,764cr CSR expenditure in last four years via implementing agencies: Govt

    The companies have spent a cumulative amount of ₹70,764.70 crore during 2017-18 to 2020-21, of which about 60 percent of the CSR expenditure has been spent through engaging implementing agencies, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

    The companies have spent a cumulative amount of ₹70,764.70 crore during 2017-18 to 2020-21, of which about 60 percent of the CSR expenditure has been spent through engaging implementing agencies, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

    Government provides the broad framework of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 (‘Act’), Schedule VII of the Act and Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014.

    In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh said, “In the CSR legal framework, the word ‘Non-governmental Organisations (NGO)’ has nowhere been defined.”

    Section 135 of the Act read with Rule 4 of the Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014 prescribes that the Board of the company is empowered to undertake CSR activities either by itself or through engaging an Implementing Agency as mentioned in the said rule, he said.

    The minister was responding to a query raised by DMK leader P Wilson on local funds not available for NGOs as most of the CSR goes to central government oriented projects.

    The MP also asked the government for steps to fund NGOs through CSR as there has been a 90 per cent drop in donations from abroad for NGOs from 2017-21.

    To which, the Minister said, “In the CSR legal framework, the word ‘Non-governmental Organisations (NGO)’ has nowhere been defined.”

    Section 135 of the Act read with Rule 4 of the Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014 prescribes that the Board of the company is empowered to undertake CSR activities either by itself or through engaging an Implementing Agency as mentioned in the said rule, the minister added.

    On the basis of filings made by the companies in the MCA21 registry, the Minister said “companies have spent a cumulative amount of ₹70,764.70 Crores during the FY 2017-18 to 2020-21 of which approximately 60% of the CSR expenditure has been spent through engaging implementing agencies.”

    Under the Act, CSR is a Board driven process and the Board of the company is empowered to plan, decide, execute and monitor CSR activities of the company based on the recommendation of its CSR Committee,he said.

    “The Government does not issue any specific direction to the companies to spend in any particular geographical area or activity,” he added.

    The Government provides the broad framework of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 (‘Act’), Schedule VII of the Act and Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014.

    The CSR framework is disclosure based and companies are required to file details of CSR activities annually in the MCA21 registry, as part of their Profit & Loss Account and the same is required to be audited by the statutory auditors of the company.

    Further, the Board of the company is also required to disclose the CSR Policy implemented by the company in its Board report. Thus, the corporate governance framework along with the existing legal provisions such as mandatory disclosures, accountability of the CSR Committee and the Board, provisions for statutory audit of accounts of the company etc. provide adequate safeguards in this regard.

    Regarding CSR data for the financial year 2020-21, the Minister said it is informed that the companies are required to hold Annual General Meeting (AGM) within six months from the end of financial year.

    Thereafter, financial statements and board reports containing disclosure about CSR, are to be filed in MCA21 within 30 days of the AGM. In view of the disruption caused by COVID-19 pandemic, Registrars of Companies had accorded extension of time till 30th November, 2021 for conduct of AGMs by companies.

    The Ministry vide General Circular No. 22/2021 dated 29.12.2021 has relaxed the levy of additional fees till 15.02.2022 for filing of financial statement in respect of the financial year 2020-21, the minister added.

  • Alstom partners with UWB for rural development

    Alstom partners with UWB for rural development

    Alstom has partnered with United Way Bengaluru (UWB), an NGO, to kickstart ‘Rural Rising‘– an integrated rural development program as part of its CSR initiative. The project is run at Selakarachal Gram Panchayat, Sultanpet Block in Coimbatore. It aims at improving the overall condition

    Alstom has partnered with United Way Bengaluru (UWB), an NGO, to kickstart ‘Rural Rising‘– an integrated rural development program as part of its CSR initiative. The project is run at Selakarachal Gram Panchayat, Sultanpet Block in Coimbatore. It aims at improving the overall condition of the gram panchayat in the areas of environment, sanitation and education.

    At the inaugural and Bhoomi Puja, Alstom handed over a tractor to the Gram Panchayat to strengthen the Solid Waste Management (SWM) system. The gram panchayat has been implementing a proper solid waste management system.

    This tractor support will help put in place a systematic door to the door collection process and timely transport of the garbage, ensuring better hygiene and sanitation in the area. Kandasamy V.P. MLA, Sulur Constituency graced the inaugural event; Navamani, Block Development Officer; Maragathavadivu Karupsamy – President, Gram Panchayat and representatives from Alstom and United Way Bengaluru.

    In addition to the Solid Waste Management initiative, community toilet construction and usage awareness activities have commenced helping the gram panchayat to improve the sanitation condition of the village and encourage toilet usage among the community members.

    S Selvakumar, Site MD, Alstom, has said, “This project is a stellar example of Alstom’s commitment to promoting and funding initiatives that improve the living conditions and economic possibilities of communities. We are looking forward to providing holistic development to the people of Selakkarichal Gram Panchayat through this initiative. We have engaged a team of active and passionate employee volunteers who are keen to implement these interventions over the next three years”.

    “Our commitment to helping rural societies develop their education, health and environment situation is echoing with our CSR partner Alstom and the Selakarachal Gram Panchayat. This initiative is a perfect private-public-partnership model of collaboration. This project has been implemented with a vision to empower the community members and ensure long-term sustainability,” said Rajesh Krishnan, Executive Director, United Way Bengaluru.

    Alstom and United Way Bengaluru are also strengthening the Anganwadi Centres by building a new one and upgrading two more Anganwadi Centres with new services, facilities and infrastructure to make the centres happier, safer and conducive for children.

    United Way Bengaluru’s early childhood education program, called the Born Learning Campaign, will be running in these Centres to ensure the enhancement of the developmental domains of children and capacity building of Anganwadi workers and parents. Apart from this, the project will also undertake livelihood initiatives, especially for women and youth. Overall, the Rural Rising initiative in Selakkarichal Gram Panchayat will benefit a population of approximately 6000 over the next three years.

  • Cosmo blankets provide warmth to the needy

    Cosmo blankets provide warmth to the needy

    As North India reels under biting cold, Cosmo Foundation, the philanthropic wing of Cosmo Films Ltd., has come to rescue the needy by distributing free blankets and woollens in association with South Delhi Police. To help the underprivileged living under the harsh winter conditions

    As North India reels under biting cold, Cosmo Foundation, the philanthropic wing of Cosmo Films Ltd., has come to rescue the needy by distributing free blankets and woollens in association with South Delhi Police.

    To help the underprivileged living under the harsh winter conditions, 1,000 blankets and 200 woollens were distributed in the slums of the Sangam Vihar area, with Benita Mary Jaiker, DCP South Delhi, taking the lead.

    Ram Sundar, ACP Sangam Vihar; Vijay Pal Khatri, SHO; Surendra Kumar Rana, SHO, and Rajnish Choudhary, SHO, all chipped in their bit.

    Talking about this drive, Yamini Jaipuria, Managing Trustee, Cosmo Foundation, said, “We hope that our continuous efforts to help others motivate others too to come forward and give the underprivileged a hope and respite from their lives and motivate them to look forward to a better tomorrow.”

    “We are happy to be a part of this initiative, and this is a commendable initiative by the Cosmo Foundation. We can make this world a better place for the underprivileged with such initiatives and work together. Looking forward to being a part of such initiatives in the near future”, said Ms Benita Mary Jaiker, DCP South Delhi.

  • LG CSR bid to benefit children of veterans

    LG CSR bid to benefit children of veterans

    Under its KarSalaam initiative, LG Electronics has pledged to contribute Rs. 1 Crore to Republic Day’s Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF). Launched in 2017, the ‘Kar Salaam’ initiative has been dedicated to the veterans of the Indian Armed Forces by saluting their spirit of service to the nation

    Under its KarSalaam initiative, LG Electronics has pledged to contribute Rs. 1 Crore to Republic Day’s Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF). Launched in 2017, the ‘Kar Salaam’ initiative has been dedicated to the veterans of the Indian Armed Forces by saluting their spirit of service to the nation. The contributions made in 2021 were utilized in funding the education of children.

    LG Electronics has been investing in several CSR initiatives to help the community in every possible aspect. Ahead of India’s 73rd Republic Day, LG Electronics has pledged to support the chivalry and sacrifice of India’s brave soldiers for their unmatched contribution to the nation. The contribution made by LG Electronics will help the dependents of heroic martyrs, veterans and their families.

    Commenting on the occasion, Young Lak Kim- MD LG Electronics India, said, “LG Electronics has been operating in India for the past 25 years, and we have always been committed to the welfare of society. Our Kar Salaam initiative underscores this philosophy and is grateful to the brave hearts who have selflessly contributed to the nation. We thank the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) for helping us implement this initiative and hope we would be able to bring some positivity and joy to the families of thousands of ex-servicemen of the Defence Forces.”

    Air Commodore B Ahluwalia, VSM, Secretary KSB, said, “We would like to thank LG Electronics for their continued support and for inspiring others to come forward and contribute to the welfare of those who had dedicated their lives for the nation. The Kar Salaam initiative has, over the years, created a lot of awareness and helped generate funds. We are confident, this year, more people come forward and contribute to the cause that helps us improve the lives of war widows, children of martyr’s, war disabled soldiers & Ex-servicemen.”

    To further support the cause, LG will be conducting a public awareness drive to request and urge people to come forward, show support for the cause and contribute to the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. LG Electronics will also run a TV, radio, and digital campaign between January 20 and January 31, 2022, to further amplify communication across the masses for the initiative. The awareness campaign will also run at 7,000 retail stores across the country.

  • Lodha developer commits to lower carbon emission

    Lodha developer commits to lower carbon emission

    Real estate developer, Lodha, has committed to setting carbon emissions targets in line with climate science with the Science-Based Targets initiative. This aligns with Lodha’s earlier pledge on World Environment Day to go carbon neutral by 2035. Lodha has received an exceptional score in S&P Global

    Real estate developer, Lodha, has committed to setting carbon emissions targets in line with climate science with the Science-Based Targets initiative. This aligns with Lodha’s earlier pledge on World Environment Day to go carbon neutral by 2035.

    Lodha has received an exceptional score in S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment that demonstrates its focus on sustainability and its net-zero goals.

    Commenting on the announcement, Raunika Malhotra, President – Marketing and Corporate Communications, Lodha said, “As a leading real estate company, we recognize the crucial role that businesses play in minimizing the risk that climate change poses to our planet. Combating climate change has become imperative, and corporates like us have a major responsibility in promoting the transition to a low carbon economy”.

    She added, “With a commitment to provide a better Earth to our future generations, we established a North star goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2035 and now taking a step ahead with setting science-based targets for reducing significant emissions. We expect that India’s stated goals and Maharashtra’s focus on Urban Renewal communicated at COP26 will enable us to implement the targets faster through the facilitation of technological options and favourable regulations.”

    Science-based targets give a clear roadmap for companies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, thereby helping avert climate catastrophe and safeguarding businesses from climate risks. Lodha will align its roadmap with global best practices and emerging opportunities during the target-setting exercise. The company’s carbon neutrality road-mapping formulated earlier this year covers a broad scope encompassing energy efficiency, energy procurement, embodied carbon, waste, water, and transportation. Successful pilot projects will provide opportunities to scale up feasible solutions and achieve significant emission reductions for the overall buildings’ portfolio, including construction development.

    The goal of halving the Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050 is critical for all stakeholders – governments, corporations, and the public. With climate change emerging as a primary concern, leading corporations need to declare their carbon neutrality roadmaps and plan of action for a zero-carbon future. This will bring the necessary awareness in the industry and the workforce – thereby causing a chain reaction and fostering innovation in the space, accelerating the solutions to decrease emissions.

  • HCL Foundation jointly with UP govt launches training center for farmers

    HCL Foundation jointly with UP govt launches training center for farmers

    HCL Foundation on Tuesday said in a joint initiative with the Uttar Pradesh government it has launched a “Center for Agriculture and Technology Transfer (CATT)” for training and income augmentation of farmers in Hardoi district. This initiative is part of HCL Samuday

    HCL Foundation on Tuesday said in a joint initiative with the Uttar Pradesh government it has launched a “Center for Agriculture and Technology Transfer (CATT)” for training and income augmentation of farmers in Hardoi district.

    This initiative is part of HCL Samuday – an ambitious program of HCL Foundation working towards creating a scalable and replicable development model for rural India.

    The CATT will provide training to farmers on modern farming techniques and technologies, to help improve crop yield, eventually supporting their income augmentation, HCL Foundation said in a statement.

    The Center was inaugurated by Manoj Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Rural Development, Uttar Pradesh, and Nand Kishore, Deputy Director Agriculture, Hardoi, UP, along with Alok Varma, Project Director, HCL Foundation.

    The CATT, spread across five acres of land, has been established on the basis an MoU signed by HCL Foundation and the Hardoi District Agriculture Department, Uttar Pradesh in 2020.

    HCL Foundation will manage the CATT till 2023, and thereafter, it will be operated by the Agriculture Department of the Uttar Pradesh government.

    Currently, nearly 6,000 farmers from 11 blocks of Hardoi district have been selected for the various training sessions. The program will be expanded further to include all farmers of the district.

    The Center will offer:

    • A fully functional soil-testing laboratory cum crop protection advisory center with the capacity to test more than 30,000 samples per year.
    • Effective management and utilization of farm machinery at a nominal price
    • Classroom training modules about modern crop practices, pesticides and insect management, and usage of new farm machinery for land development
    • Other services including farmers’ training center, customized farm machinery bank, solar-based drip irrigation system, low tunnel polyhouse, and green shade net, herbal garden, and integrated nutrient and pest management

    Speaking on the occasion, Manoj Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Rural Development, UP said the practice of traditional cropping has a long history in the region. But HCL Foundation has played a role in providing the latest agricultural technologies to farmers in the project area. The newly established CATT can help improve the lives of farmers.

    “I do hope that many farmers are able to utilize its services to the fullest. I would like to thank the HCL Foundation and Deputy Director of Agriculture for transforming an under-utilized land as a training and knowledge dissemination center,” he added.

    HCL Foundation Project Director Alok Varma said, “The way farming is done directly impacts the nutrition of the food we consume. Therefore, it is essential that farmers receive education around modern farm technologies and innovative techniques.”

    HCL Samuday has been working since 2015 towards implementing various innovative programs in this direction. Some of these include sensitizing farmers about scientific farming practices, modern farming equipment and institutionalization of farmer clubs to make agriculture less burdensome and more market-linked.

    “As a result of our efforts, marginal farmers (from the group that we have worked with) have been able to enhance their farm income by up to 25 percent,” he said and added that the CATT is another step in our overall efforts to transform the agriculture sector in this region.

    The HCL Samuday team will scale up the Center as the focal point of training a group of selected farmers, who will become the anchor for further proliferation of agricultural practices in their respective villages and Gram Panchayats.

    HCL Samuday has been supporting farmers with sustainable, innovative, and cost-effective farming techniques. So far, over 66,000 farmers have benefited from HCL Samuday’s efforts in improving agricultural practices.

    In 2017, Samuday helped set-up Hardoi Kisan Producer Company Limited (HKPCL), a farmer producer organization which has 2,350 shareholders and a turnover of over ₹7.6 crores for 2020-21 financial year. All farming related activities like input distribution, farm mechanization, food processing etc., are being done by the farmers (members of HKPCL) with support of HCL Samuday.

    To help marginal farmers further enhance their income, HCL Samuday has helped set-up 3400 nutrition gardens within the farmers’ homes. These have helped more than 18,000 villagers help realize savings given that they are now able to use fresh and nutritious produce from their own backyards.

    So far, HCL Samuday has positively impacted over 9 lakh individuals in more than 165,000 households from 284 Gram Panchayats in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh, it added.

  • STFC ties up with Skill India to train 1000 drivers for transporting oxygen tankers

    STFC ties up with Skill India to train 1000 drivers for transporting oxygen tankers

    Commercial vehicle financer Shriram Transport Finance Company (STFC) on Tuesday said it has partnered with Skill India to train 1000 drivers to ensure seamless and accident free transportation of oxygen tankers. With an objective to streamline Liquid Medical Oxygen

    Commercial vehicle financer Shriram Transport Finance Company (STFC) on Tuesday said it has partnered with Skill India to train 1000 drivers to ensure seamless and accident free transportation of oxygen tankers.

    With an objective to streamline Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) Tankers supply chain amidst the pandemic, STFC has launched a CSR initiative — Shriram Seva Sankalp LMO Driver Training. The campaign aims to upskill 1000 experienced heavy and medium vehicles drivers to carefully handle and transport Cryogenic LMO Tankers.

    According to STFC, over 500 drivers have successfully completed their training in January 2022, the company aims to certify the remaining 500 drivers by March 2022.

    The shortlisting of experienced heavy motor vehicles (HMV) drivers to enroll for the capacity building training program was conducted at the approved training centers funded by STFC at multiple locations including Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

    The Holistic Cryogenic Medical Oxygen Tanker Driver Training Program will offer the trainees a deep-dive into the theory, hands-on practice on simulators, handling of hazardous cargo tanker and in-plant LMO loading and unloading along with all other safety precautions to be taken.

    This will help in creating a pool of skilled drivers to transport cryogenic medical oxygen tankers owing to its growing significance in medical management of COVID-19 across hospitals.

    Post the successful completion of the training program, the drivers will be awarded with a certification by the Logistics Skill Council.

    Speaking about the initiative, STFC Vice Chairman and Managing Director Umesh Revankar said: “The need for skilled drivers to operate oxygen tankers was felt in 2021 owing to the acute shortage of oxygen in the country.”

    As India braces towards meeting challenges of the third wave of the pandemic, Revankar said the company’s endeavor is to once again provide continuous support to the society.

    “Thus, we have stepped up to the opportunity and decided to work together with the government to avert a similar situation in the future,” he said.

    Since the start of the CSR training program, over 10,000 candidates have been trained to drive heavy and light motor vehicles with ease, he added.

    Skill India is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in 2015 with an aim to train Indians in different industry-related jobs. The Ministry is responsible for coordination of all Skill Development efforts across the country, removal of disconnect between demand and supply of skilled manpower, and building the vocational and technical training framework.

    STFC through its partner DB Skills is working in collaboration with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to upskill drivers.

    Recently, STFC Ltd had also organized a vaccination campaign for truck drivers titled ‘Highway Heroes’ in collaboration with TV9 Network and Apollo Hospitals.

    The month-long campaign initiated to vaccinate 6000 drivers was inaugurated in Chennai and executed in transportation hubs in five cities including Chennai, Hyderabad, Nalagarh, Kolkata and Dharuhera.

  • DBS Bank India extends support towards environmental sustainability initiatives

    DBS Bank India extends support towards environmental sustainability initiatives

    Amid climate change concerns, private lender DBS Bank India has tied up with two NGOs to pilot a food forest project and as well as extend support to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in Maharashtra. A pilot project to develop food forest in rural Maharashtra has been collaborated

    Amid climate change concerns, private lender DBS Bank India has tied up with two NGOs to pilot a food forest project and as well as extend support to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in Maharashtra.

    A pilot project to develop food forest in rural Maharashtra has been collaborated with Raah Foundation, while a grant is being extended to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to support its ongoing endeavour to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

    According to DBS Bank, the pilot food project aims to establish a prototype of long-term carbon sinks through a scientifically designed forestry consisting of several seasonal fruit and vegetable plants.

    This approach can provide various benefits and deliver long-term social, economic and environmental value, it said in a statement.

    Separately, the bank has extended a grant to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to support its ongoing endeavor to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

    WCS’ initiative aims to engage local communities and conduct awareness and rescue training programmes, reducing the risk of such conflicts and providing a safer habitat for leopards and other wild animals.

    Speaking about these partnerships, DBS Bank India Executive Director, Group Strategic Marketing and Communications, Shoma Narayanan said: “We understand our role as a financial institution in nurturing social, economic and environmental sustainability. These initiatives are crucial in the broader context of climate change and sustainable development.”

    “We are confident that our partnership with the Raah Foundation and Wildlife Conservation Society will result in long-term environmental and social impact,” she added.

    Raah Foundation Founder Sarika Kulkarni said”With the support from DBS Bank, we are creating a food forest which will have 200 species of trees/shrubs/grasses/tubers/climbers for the tribals living in Jawhar, in the Palghar district of Maharashtra. We have ambitious plans to create 1,000 acres of food forests in the years to come. We are truly in gratitude to DBS Bank for their immense support.”

    Studies have revealed that climate change poses a severe threat to the food security of vulnerable communities. Multi-tiered food forests are a low-maintenance, sustainable, plant-based food production system that yields direct uses to humans.

    DBS Bank India’s contribution to Raah Foundation will be utilised towards the installation of a solar pump, drip irrigation, procurement of saplings, organic manure and geo-tagging the trees. Additionally, the funds will also help in conducting a baseline biodiversity assessment and hydrogeology assessment.

    Growing food forests will address a variety of issues in terms of reducing vulnerability to climate change impact while safeguarding essential ecosystem services such as air and water purification, pollination, providing nutrition, controlling soil erosion and carbon sequestration, the bank said.

    Wildlife Conservation Society-India Country Director Dr Vidya Athreya said,”The project to study the Mumbai leopards is extremely important to address the issue of human leopard conflict. The generous support of DBS Bank has been crucial in the success of our work.”

    DBS Bank has been committed to conducting business more sustainably and managing its environmental footprint. The bank has undertaken several initiatives to support and address crucial environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges through strategic partnerships.

    The bank firmly believes in the need to change the way we approach food production and consumption. With this as the mission, DBS Bank introduced a Towards Zero Food Waste (TZFW) initiative in 2020.

    DBS also advocates the scaling up of transition finance and supporting like-minded clients and their ecosystem of supply chain partners to adopt sustainable business practices.

  • Nand Ghar: transforming lives of women and children

    Nand Ghar: transforming lives of women and children

    Nand Ghar project has achieved the important milestone of completing 3000 Nand Ghars across 12 states in India providing nutrition and early education to children and skill development to women. Vedanta Chairman, Anil Agarwal’s dream – Project Nand Ghar is the flagship

    Nand Ghar project has achieved the important milestone of completing 3000 Nand Ghars across 12 states in India providing nutrition and early education to children and skill development to women.

    Vedanta Chairman, Anil Agarwal’s dream – Project Nand Ghar is the flagship CSR project under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Vedanta Group, one of the world’s leading metals and mining conglomerates.

    Set up in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, Nand Ghars are modernized “Anganwadis” working around nutrition, early childhood education, primary healthcare & skill development for women. Vedanta has committed to develop 4000 Nand Ghars across India. The project aims to transform the lives of 7 crore children and 2 crore women in the 13.7 lakh Anganwadis in India.

    With Nand Ghar, Vedanta is bridging the urban and rural divide by leveraging technology, upgrading to state-of-the-art infrastructure, capacity building of front-line functionaries, digital real time monitoring making significant improvements in the overall service delivery of anganwadi ecosystem.

    Agarwal himself says, “Nand Ghar is the closest to my heart. It gives me immense joy to see the project achieving the milestone of 3000 across 12 states in India and making a significant impact at the grassroots, strengthening the foundation of our nation that are rural women and children. With this important milestone, we are marching towards realizing Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of eradicating malnutrition, providing healthcare services, education and skill development for rural women, becoming an imperative project for social development.”

    In the last 20 months of the pandemic, Nand Ghars ensured the last mile delivery of services to beneficiaries, repurposing itself for creating greater impact. With regular activities making a paradigm shift, Nand Ghar molded its service delivery method accordingly. With education moving from classroom to home-based learning, Nand Ghar swiftly rolled out alternative learning methods through WhatsApp and IVRS for continuous education.

    Nand Ghar has ensured doorstep delivery of Dry and Take-home rations for its beneficiaries. Additionally, more than 3300 nutrition gardens were developed in Nand Ghar premises and community areas to ensure steady supply of nourishment to the community members.

    It has also generated local employment by training women to stitch masks and prepare items of local needs, significantly raising their household income by ₹4000.

    With the pandemic, healthcare became a key priority. To ensure wellness of the community members, Nand Ghar deployed an integrated healthcare model which comprised of Mobile Health Vans, Telemedicine facilities and paramedic on wheels for preventive and curative care providing the consultation of MBBS/Specialist doctors, dispensing medicines and conducting non-invasive tests, all free of cost.