Livelihoods and Community Engagement

In recent years, the Indian government has implemented various programs aimed at empowering women by providing sustainable livelihood opportunities. These initiatives focus on enhancing skills, promoting entrepreneurship, and ensuring financial inclusion, thereby enabling women to contribute significantly to the nation’s economy. National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) Launched in 2011, the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), also known as Aajeevika, aims to reduce poverty by enabling poor households to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities. The mission focuses on organizing rural women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and federating them at various levels to ensure their financial and social inclusion. As of 2017, NRLM had mobilized over 45 million women through SHGs, covering more than 40% of rural India. Kudumbashree

7th February 2025: Roots Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to creating sustainable solutions for rural development, has joined hands with Coal India Ltd. (CIL), under the Ministry of Coal, to launch CIL’s Harit Samriddhi project as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility CSR) initiative to enhance farmers’ income and promote inclusive growth in the agrarian economy of Chatra district, Jharkhand. The project is initially being implemented in the Tandwa and Samaria blocks of the district. This initiative aims to provide farmers with essential training and support, improving agricultural practices and enabling better livelihoods. The project will benefit 2,000 farmers who will be trained at two dedicated centers located in Khadiya and Serendagh Hall. Over 1,000 farmers have already undergone training

30th January 2025: Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB), today announced the inauguration of multiple community-focused initiatives as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program at Karur and Pudukottai, Tamil Nadu. The event was inaugurated by Smt. S. Jothimani, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Karur Lok Sabha constituency, Tamil Nadu, Smt. M. Aruna IAS, District Collector and District Magistrate, Pudukkottai, and Shr. S. Parthiban, Viralimalai Block Commissioner & Development Officer at Chitthambur Hamlet, Alangudi Village Panchayat, Tamil Nadu The newly installed Water ATM at Chitthambur Hamlet, Alangudi, Pudukkottai will provide villagers with access to safe drinking water, improving their overall quality of life. Additionally, an Anganwadi that has been renovated by HCCB at Anganwadi Center, Kottaikaranpatti hamlet, Viralimalai Block, Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu,

Under the National Clean Ganga Mission, the Uttar Pradesh government has implemented special cleanliness management measures for Rs. 152.37 crore for Mahakumbh 2025. These initiatives combine modern technology with traditional practices to ensure a clean and sustainable environment for the sacred event. Maintaining the purity of the Ganga, effective waste management, and creating plastic-free zones are top priorities for the organization of Mahakumbh 2025. The event is being presented as a benchmark for environmental responsibility, with a strong emphasis on maintaining cleanliness throughout the fair area. Over 28,000 toilets, including 12,000 Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) toilets equipped with septic tanks and 16,100 prefabricated steel toilets with soak pits have been installed across the fairgrounds. These toilets aim to promote an

In a major effort towards strengthening the Indian sports ecosystem to host the 2036 Olympic Games, Honorable Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya urged corporates to adopt one sport during the first-ever corporate round-table conference on Thursday. Dr. Mandaviya emphasized a vision to position India among the top five global sports performers by 2047, as the nation marks 100 years of independence. Aiming to bridge the gap between aspirations and execution, he stressed the critical role of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in building sustainable sports infrastructure and talent development programs. He also proposed that PSUs from the Centre support state-level requirements to achieve sporting excellence. “Each corporate entity should focus on a single sport to ensure dedicated

Climate change, one of the most pressing challenges of our time, has sparked a global call to action. In India, this call resonates deeply as businesses take proactive steps to mitigate their environmental footprint. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a powerful mechanism driving sustainable development in the country. Indian companies are leading the charge by adopting renewable energy, reducing waste, and integrating sustainability into their core operations, proving that economic growth and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand. The Role of CSR in Addressing Climate Change India’s CSR mandate under the Companies Act, 2013, requires qualifying businesses to allocate 2% of their profits towards social and environmental causes. While early CSR initiatives were predominantly philanthropic, the focus

26 November 2024: Worldline India has announced its continued support for the Jal Sanjeevani initiative under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, which has significantly promoted water conservation and improved livelihoods in rural Maharashtra. As part of its commitment to sustainable development, Worldline India’s CSR arm enabled the desilting and rejuvenating of 26 water bodies, contributing to a storage capacity of 29.5 crore liters (295 million liters) of water. This initiative has played a pivotal role in enhancing groundwater levels, benefiting over 2,000 farmers and providing a direct positive impact to 285 farmers through using enriched silt for farming. The project, spearheaded by the Indivish Welfare Foundation, began in April 2023 and spanned multiple regions across Maharashtra, including Murbad, Marathwada,

23rd October 2024: In a significant step towards creating sustainable livelihoods, Futures First Info Services Pvt Ltd, as part of their CSR Initiatives, has collaborated with the Roots Foundation, and has inaugurated a skilling training center in Udyog Vihar, Gurugram. The center is set to deliver an ambitious skill development initiative focusing on sewing machine operations (SMO), tailoring, and pattern-making. The program aims to empower youth and women by enhancing their economic opportunities and fostering financial independence within the community. The launch event was graced by key people from both organizations. Ms. Cheryl Gureja, Director, and Ms. Apurva Sharma, VP- HR & Operations, from Futures First Info Services Pvt Ltd, along with Mr. Ritwik Bahuguna and Ms. Ridhima Bahuguna, Co-Founders

7th October 2024:  Diageo India recently celebrated the graduation of the Third batch of students from Assam, trained in hospitality through its ‘Learning for Life’ program, in collaboration with Orion Educational Society (OES). The convocation ceremony was graced by the presence of Shri Rupak Sarma, MLA (Nagaon Sadar), Shri Simanta Bora, Vice Chairman, Nagaon Municipal Board, Dr. Sarat Borkotoki, Former Principal, Nowgong College Autonomous, Mr. Tarun Yadav, Cluster Head, Assam and Mr. Surajit Dutta, Public Policy Lead, Northeast from Diageo. The program comprises of over 300 hours of skills-based training provided by academia and industry professionals for employment in hospitality, tourism, and allied industries. The comprehensive curriculum offers students training in Front Office Administration and Food and Beverage services along

October 3, 2024: The Flipkart Foundation, the charitable arm of the Flipkart Group, has collaborated with Swades Foundation, a leading grassroots organization in rural development, to launch a transformative initiative aimed at uplifting the rural youth in Raigad district of Maharashtra. The project, named ‘Rural Prosperity: Empowering Rural Youth through Targeted Skill Development for Sustainable Incomes,’ is set to enhance livelihoods by skilling 200 youth with the goal of increasing household incomes by approx. INR 80,000 annually. The program will focus on providing vocational training to youth between the age of 18 and 35, with an extended age limit of up to 10 years for select community-based self-employment courses like masonry and painting. This initiative seeks to elevate individual incomes