In Abhla, Lakhipur, and other neighbouring villages in Farakka, an unfamiliar fruit brings hope and higher income. A strawberry called Winter Dawn.

It’s not very often you get to speak with the CEO at the helm of a global organization driving sustainability around cotton farming! In these trying times, where issues like climate change, and the ubiquitous rural poverty can feel so overwhelming and grim, a talk with Alan McClay, CEO of Better Cotton, based in Geneva, is like a breath of fresh air! His optimism, passion and insight give us all hope that if we continue to chip away, a better world awaits us all …

Whilst the maze of financial and regulatory compliances inflicted on NGOs in the last decade have ‘cleaned up the sector’ to a large extent, smaller NGOs, that often lack the internal resources and wherewithal to navigate the myriad regulations, are at risk of floundering under the weight of complicated reporting and paperwork. Compliances and tighter restrictions surrounding CSR funds and FCRA may well be the nail in the coffin for many small, regional NGOs, but seek to guide NGOs in being more impactful with their work. ACF’s Richa Honavar, Head of Accounts & Compliance, speaks at length on the subject …

“What it is that I like about collaborating with Ambuja Foundation? They are hungry for more! They are agile and flexible, and we both share our hunger to do things differently and aspire for more.”

Ambuja Foundation is all set to revive 26 water bodies in Nagaur and Pali areas of Rajasthan aiming to complete rejuvenation before the onset of the upcoming monsoon. This initiative will align with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Amrit Sarovar’ – developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country as part of celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

In the 75 years post India’s independence our country has made significant strides towards equitable growth and development, however, much is left to be done. Adding a new dimension, in today’s world global issues like climate change, the pandemic and the impending water crisis threaten life as we know it - there has never been a more pressing time to collaborate and work together to solve these complex problems.

Niyati Sareen is the Project Director (Water & Education) at Hinduja Foundation, which partners with Ambuja Foundation via its group companies, IndusInd Bank, and Ashok Leyland. and Hinduja Leyland Finance. She found her calling in life when she was asked to Head CSR & Sustainability at a large infrastructure development organization, and from there went on to join the Hinduja Foundation.

“Just 1 year back, Kukudsath was as ordinary as any other village. We had a lot of problems and were wondering where should we begin?

Through a recent study conducted on Solar Irrigation Pumps provided by Ambuja Foundation, Nabarun Sen Gupta, a rural development professional, shares insights and key features of the importance of such pumps inspite of the given challenges.

Ambuja Foundation has partnered with Godrej Agrovet Ltd to create income opportunities and support livelihoods via the ‘Grameen Vikas Project’ across 6 villages of Bundi, Rajasthan and 8 villages of Tilda, Raipur , Chhattisgarh - impacting a population of more than 28,000+ people. The project will provide necessary skills, expertise, infrastructure and training for the community to strengthen agro-based livelihoods, whilst leveraging government schemes, empowering women by strengthening SHGs and training youth in vocational skills.

With successful implementation of its Holistic Rural Development Program (HRDP) in rural Uttarakand, HDFC Bank Parivartan extended its partnership with Ambuja Foundation to the Patiala district of Punjab. The 4-year project will cover 15 villages of Rajpura and Sambhu blocks of Patiala district, with focused interventions on agro-based livelihood, women empowerment, health & sanitation and quality education.

Chinmay Jain is the Cluster Coordinator at Ambuja Foundation and has been instrumental in driving Ambuja Foundation’s partnership with Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) on the ground in Rajasthan. Built on a foundation of trust, the collaborative partnership is producing outstanding results in the area of skill development in remote pockets around Udaipur, and is now set to make waves in the area of Water Conservation, as the partnership expands. Chinmay shares the journey, key challenges and the bright future ahead