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!

The lanes and backyards of Lakhamapur Village, Chandrapur, are, literally, teeming with goats. Families here are busy expanding their herds and growing their small, but thriving, backyard businesses – the incessant song of bleating goats rings through the air at every turn...

When Ambuja Foundation, Ashok Leyland and Hinduja Foundation joined forces to improve the water situation in 5 villages of Alwar, Eastern Rajasthan, the men of the village denied that water was a problem. Tubewells used for irrigating crops had a 300-400 metre water accessibility and so they felt water was not a high priority.

In 2023-24, the women of Maa Santoshi Swayam Sahayta Mahila Self Help Group ventured into the farm machinery business - capitalising on the high demand for cotton shredding machines among farmers, to shred left over crop residue like stalks, once cotton has been picked.

Touseef Ahmad is no ordinary trainer at Ambuja Foundation’s SEDI. An ambitious risk taker, he has helped facilitate the international placement of almost 30 students in jobs in Gulf countries, in the highly sought after trade of Refrigeration & Air Conditioning (RAC).

A grassroots movement is underway in Punjab! Women from the districts of Bathinda, Kotbhai and Rajpura are honing their skills, reviving traditional handicrafts and becoming breadwinners in their families – all via the Virasat- E-Malwa collective. And one of the driving forces behind it, is Karamjeet Kaur.

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’.

Rajeev Gautam is a stalwart of India’s education system, having served as a teacher and principal for over 35 years. As the Principal of the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS) in Darlaghat, he is passionate about education, and a testament to this is the fact that his own son has just been accepted at IIM Ahmedabad.

Ambuja Foundation, in partnership with Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), have announced the Integrated Water Resource Development Project, an initiative aimed at combating water scarcity and soil salinization in the Gir forest and the coastal zones of Una and Gir Gadhada in Gujarat. This strategic collaboration will implement sustainable solutions that will positively impact the livelihoods of communities in the region.

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

All 37 Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Institutes (SEDI) at Ambuja Foundation that provide skill training and entrepreneurship opportunities to rural youth made efforts to celebrate the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, which is celebrated on 15th July every year, recognizing the important role that skilled youth play in promoting peace and development. SEDI students took part in morning parades in the community, rallies, tool-kit distribution, experience sharing, career counseling, expert guidance, health check-up camps, blood donation drives, traditional crafts, poster-making competitions, and face painting.

Calling for investment in, and creating awareness around, climate resilience in the Vidarbha area, Ambuja Foundation hosted a thought-provoking event in Nagpur yesterday. A number of stakeholders like NGOs, corporates, government, development practitioners, academia and civil society organisations from the region came together to have an open dialogue on this critical subject during the event.