Ajija Bibi (35) was just 12 years old when she rolled her first bidi (cigarette). She grew up, and today lives in Murshidabad, West Bengal, which has emerged as a prominent centre for the bidi industry in India. Women in every household spend their days rolling bidis and have become so proficient at the task, that they can roll up to 3000 bidis a day!

To those who once knew it, Mohi Kalan is almost unrecognisable! Once a ‘dumping ground’ for household rubbish, today village streets are squeaky clean and ponds are a thriving oasis for birds and other local animals – a transformation that has earned them not one, but 3 awards for being the ‘Cleanest Village’.

Whilst the fourth WHO global tobacco trends report highlighted a reduction in global tobacco users, low and middle-income countries remain at the forefront of the problem. Home to around 80% of the 1.3 billion tobacco users worldwide, countries like India are massive markets and opportunities for tobacco companies to recruit new tobacco users.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women globally - also topping the list of cancers among women in India. However in rural India, women barely know about breast cancer, fear examination and have to defend a host of social and cultural taboos - leading to delayed detection, and a higher risk of mortality.

This year marks a decade since Ambuja Foundation and Apollo Tyres Foundation partnered together to initiate health interventions for truckers in India. Ms. Rinika Grover, Head - Sustainability & CSR at Apollo Tyres Ltd, speaks at length about the power of ‘going together’ when it comes to CSR.

Ambuja Foundation has won the CII Western Region ‘Innovation in Healthcare and Hospital Technology’ Award 2023 in the Primary Care Initiative category at a glittering ceremony filled with health professionals.

We have a new community clinic in Chandpur, Ropar, Punjab, taking our total to 13 community clinics completely setup and facilitated by Ambuja Foundation across Chandrapur, Bhatapara and Ropar.

The women in Mehma Sawai were having a lot of issues with their health, but with the Primary Health Centre located 4 km away and without transport, they sat back and ignored it.

Rural India accounts for nearly 69% of the total population, yet only has 26% of total hospital beds and 33% of total healthcare professionals. A popular way in the past to address this vast need, whilst ensuring last mile reach, was the Mobile Medical Van (MVM) model – with both the government, and private NGOs like ACF, running MVM programs to tackle pressing rural health needs.

In continuation of interventions on Non-Communicable Diseases in rural areas, Ambuja Foundation is moving forward towards creating a ‘Tobacco Free Workplace’. This initiative is being rolled out in partnership with Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation under its LifeFirst program – an evidence based tobacco-dependence treatment program - and will reach 1500+ Ambuja Foundation staff across locations and project sites.

Every year around the world, humans take action to save the environment with various proactive celebrations on 5th June. This year, Ambuja Foundation was no different, with the team planning various activities for stakeholders to raise awareness of the issue of the depleting environment and the effect it will have on us.

The young farmers of Una block in Gujarat, are on a mission. They have united in their effort to turn their farming enterprises around, creating new opportunities for their members and enhancing profits along the way, by forming the Dhanvantri Farmer Producer Company.