Impact Stories

As India advances toward inclusive growth and environmental resilience, the demand for a skilled workforce in the water sector has taken centre stage. VA Tech WABAG Limited, a global pure-play water technology multinational, has embedded this priority into its Corporate Social Responsibility framework through structured, impactful and scalable youth skilling initiatives. WABAG’s CSR philosophy is grounded in outcome-driven, nation-building programmes rather than expenditure-led compliance. Since 2001, and in alignment with the CSR legislation introduced in 2014, the company has focused on initiatives that strengthen communities and support India’s long-term development agenda. Central to this approach is WABAG’s flagship Skill Development Programme, delivered under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS). In FY 2024–25, WABAG

India stands at a demographic crossroads. With nearly 65% of its population under the age of 35 and 26% in the 10–24 age group, the country has the world’s largest youth population (1). This demographic dividend offers an unprecedented opportunity—but only if people are  quipped with employable skills. Today, only about 4.7% of India’s workforce has received formal vocational training, compared to 24% in China and 52% in the US (2). The challenge is even greater for women and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), who face systemic barriers to education and employment—female labour force participation, though improving, still stands at around 41.7% (3). Bridging these gaps is critical to prevent the dividend from turning into a liability and to meet the

“Aarogyave Bh   agya” or “Health is our Destiny” summed up Koneru Gowda’s perspective on healthcare. As President of the Soliga Abhivriddhi Sangha, his succinct words captured the idea that health is fundamental to life and opportunity. The Foundation team met Gowda in the Biligirirangana Hills (BR Hills) while evaluating the outcomes of its primary healthcare program in remote hamlets of Chamrajnagar District, Karnataka. To strengthen primary healthcare in tribal areas, the Foundation has partnered with grassroots organizations which have long worked with indigenous tribes in Chamrajnagar. Field visits revealed significant barriers: remote villages in these dense forests had little access to basic healthcare, with tribal communities needing to travel 20–30 kilometers to the nearest health center.  In response, the

For decades, diarrhoea has quietly claimed the lives of thousands of children in India each year. It is a disease that thrives in silence, often dismissed as routine, yet devastating in its impact. Now, Population Services International India (PSI India) is fighting back with a bold initiative “Diarrhoea Se Darr Nahi” (DSDN) that blends government resolve, private sector support, and community engagement. DSDN, supported by Kenvue, is reaching half a million children across 16 districts in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The initiative works hand-in-hand with the National Health Mission (NHM), Integrated Child Development Services, and the Education Department, ensuring diarrhoeal management is not an isolated effort but part of a larger public health fabric. The programme integrates diarrhoeal management into

India’s greatest strength has always been its people. From remote villages to crowded townships, classrooms across the country are filled with young minds that question, imagine, and dream with remarkable intensity. Spend time among these students and a striking truth becomes evident: ability is widespread, but opportunity is not. This imbalance lies at the heart of India’s education paradox. Education is constitutionally recognised as a fundamental right, yet its true power extends far beyond policy. It is a force capable of altering life trajectories, uplifting families, and breaking cycles of generational disadvantage. When education works, as it should, it becomes society’s most reliable equaliser. In practice, however, the pathway remains uneven. Education in India resembles a ladder that promises upward

Srinivasan Services Trust (SST) works across six development verticals to enable holistic village development, reaching communities through a wide-ranging health, education, livelihood and infrastructure footprint. In FY 25 alone, SST-operated medical centres conducted over 75,000 consultations, while more than 2,300 medical camps reached 1,000 villages and enabled 1.15 lakh consultations. Through interventions such as mobile medical vans in remote regions and school-based hygiene programmes covering 51 schools and over 9,000 students, SST’s Health vertical addresses preventive and primary healthcare at scale. Within this broader health mandate, sanitation is treated as a critical public health priority – forming the foundation for disease prevention, dignity and long-term wellbeing. Vilankuppam village in Veerappanur panchayat, Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, was identified as one such

Madhya Pradesh: In Gram Kareli of Jabalpur district, a NABARD-supported livelihood initiative is creating new pathways of economic independence for tribal women through the establishment of a Millets Processing Unit. Implemented by Lok Kalyan Bhumika Samiti (LKBS), the programme has enabled 90 tribal women to transition from traditional household roles to skilled micro-entrepreneurs by strengthening their capabilities across processing, value addition, and market engagement of millets. The Livelihood Enterprise Development Programme was implemented in a phased and systematic manner, wherein 90 women beneficiaries were trained in three batches of 30 participants each, with every batch undergoing an intensive 20-day training programme. To ensure practical learning and long-term sustainability, LKBS established a fully functional demonstration unit in the village with NABARD’s

Bina is in one of the backward areas of Bundelkhand region. The children/youth are unaware of the different avenues which can blossom their lives. They are reluctant to move out of their areas. They are having the potential and energy, but not channelizing the same in a positive direction. BPCL Bina Refinery (BR) observed that there exists talent in the villages which when given opportunity and nurtured will encourage talent in sports. BR recognized that rural sports can be a definitive field of excellence for many young and talented individuals. With the right exposure and training, it can become the key change agent and a means of inclusive development.    BR included Rural Sports as a major thrust area and

Jindal Steel Ltd., through its CSR arm Jindal Foundation, is rewriting the story of rural and tribal youth in India, harnessing the power of sports as a catalyst for social empowerment and transformation. Over 30,000 young athletes have benefited from its initiatives, securing more than 720 medals at national and international levels—proof that when opportunity meets talent, extraordinary outcomes emerge. By aligning with India’s “Khelo India” mission, the Foundation has created a sustainable model that combines training, mentorship, and world-class infrastructure, ensuring underprivileged athletes receive the support they need to thrive.  From developing playgrounds and sports complexes to establishing stadiums and a dedicated sports hostel, Jindal Foundation provides not just coaching but holistic care, including nutrition and sports equipment, to

From mere government initiatives to corporate social responsibility projects, Goa has now emerged as a vibrant hub in the promotion of sports, nurturing talent, and strengthening infrastructure. Such efforts by the state bring out the role that can be played by public-private partnerships in transforming grassroots sports into vehicles for empowerment and community development. The sporting culture of Goa is entrenched in football, which is often referred to as the state’s second religion. The Government of Goa has responded to this by continually investing in infrastructure and youth development. The state is home to the Goa Professional League, one of the oldest football leagues in India, and has been one of the main venues for the Indian Super League, which