Bhendvi is a multi-language, tribal village on the border of Maharashtra and sits close to the border of Telegana, where people speak one or two of five different languages. As a result, school numbers are low, with many children finding the language of instruction, Marathi, difficult.

When an NGO talks about its various programmes and models of intervention, they often paint the bigger picture of the tangible results, the work as it exists today, and the impacts being made on lives. Rarely do we get the back story – the story of the evolution of the programme and how it came to be in the first place …

SKF India and Ambuja Foundation announced the set-up of a dedicated YES skill training centre in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad Gujarat. The initiative is an expansion of SKF’s YES (Youth Empowerment at SKF) program, which focuses on training, skill development and employability of youth across Gandhinagar (Ahmedabad, Gujarat), Sankrail (Kolkata West Bengal) and Pali (Jodhpur Rajasthan).

Indian farmers face significant challenges in agriculture - fragmentation of land ownership, increased cost of cultivation, deteriorating soil health, uncertain market spaces. In addition to this, climate change is a major threat. It seems there is no end to the hurdles that the humble Indian farmer must jump over.

When it comes to key stakeholders in agriculture and rural development in India, there is no bigger player than NABARD who, with a 7, 50,000 crore balance sheet, are a primary investor in the revitalisation of rural India. It makes sense then, for Ambuja Foundation to work closely with them – after all, both organisations are working towards the same vision – rural prosperity!

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.

With an objective to support India’s young generation in obtaining job-relevant skills and livelihoods, Ambuja Foundation has imparted skill training to over 88,000 youth with a placement rate of 76% from rural and semi urban areas across 10 States of India, via its SEDI (Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Institutes).

Vinitha Venkatraman is a social entrepreneur and Co-Founder of VIVA Development Strategies who has a long standing relationship with Ambuja Foundation. She joins us at Thrive, as a guest writer – sharing her insights and an outside perspective of some of the key facets of our work at Ambuja Foundation.

When it comes to community development, our aim is to reach out to the bottom of the pyramid – and often the first port of call in reaching them is via local community leaders. But this strategy alone is fraught with challenges, as local influences and other biases mean that often the truly poor, are overlooked.

Ambuja Foundation is fortunate to have a visionary Chairman at the helm of its Board of Directors, whose success in business is widely lauded – having built one of India’s iconic companies. However, as a humble and quiet gentleman who doesn’t like to stand on his own soapbox, it is often difficult to get inside the mind of Narotam Sekhsaria to understand what makes him tick. In an intimate interview with Thrive, Mr Sekhsaria shares his bold dreams and desires for the future of Ambuja Foundation.

Celebrated yearly, Ambuja Foundation took part in World Environment Day by organising events with varied stakeholders to create awareness about the environment, conservation and health. This year, Ambuja Foundation contributed to the global theme #OnlyOneEarth with locations organising a variety of activities.

Ambuja Foundation organized a virtual event on 'Water Stewardship & Sustainable Environment' on 8th June 2022, coinciding with World Environment Day. Keynote Speakers and panellists included experts from the water and sustainability industry who shared their experiences and best practices on rainwater management with a special focus on water in rural areas.