Ambuja Foundation has been recognised at the Parivartan Excellence Awards 2026 by HDFC Bank Parivartan, winning in the Rising Stars: Implementation at Scale category.
The recognition marks the growth of a partnership that began in October 2017 with a single Holistic Rural Development Programme spanning two locations – Haridwar in Uttarakhand and Sikar in Rajasthan. Today, the partnership extends across 12 states, with 44 sanctioned projects undertaken and 26 currently active as of September 2026.
Over the years, the collaboration has expanded beyond its initial rural development projects to encompass a broader range of interventions, including focused rural development and skill development. The award recognises the capacity to translate this growing partnership into programmes that respond to local needs and strengthen rural livelihoods at scale.
From one project to a nationwide partnership
When HDFC Bank Parivartan partnered with Ambuja Foundation in 2017, the aim was to address interconnected challenges facing rural communities through a holistic approach to development. The initial projects in Haridwar and Sikar focused on local priorities such as water resource management, agricultural livelihoods, education, health, sanitation, financial inclusion and skills.
The early experience laid the groundwork for expansion. As the partnership developed, Ambuja Foundation extended its work to additional locations and introduced new programmes, including focused rural development and skill development initiatives.
Today, the partnership operates across diverse rural contexts, from the agricultural heartlands of Punjab and Haryana to 12 other states. Each location brings its own challenges, whether related to water availability, agricultural productivity, access to skills or essential services.
Rather than addressing these challenges in isolation, the programmes bring together interventions that respond to the interconnected needs of rural communities.
Addressing the many dimensions of rural development
Across its projects, the partnership spans natural resource management, agriculture, women’s empowerment, education, health and sanitation, alongside skills training and livelihood enhancement.
In agriculture, this includes helping farmers improve cultivation practices, manage water more efficiently and adapt to changing climatic conditions. The partnership has supported 10,104 farmers with organic farming practices, 8,030 with climate-smart agriculture, and 7,000 with training in agricultural and irrigation practices.
Women’s economic participation is another important area of work, with over 5,000 women supported through women-led enterprise initiatives. These efforts seek to strengthen livelihood opportunities while building the skills, knowledge and community networks that help sustain them.
The partnership has also invested in young people’s futures through 12 active Parivartan Skill Academies, with 16,000 youth enrolled. These initiatives connect training with employment opportunities, helping young people develop skills relevant to the needs of the labour market.
Together, these interventions demonstrate how rural development can extend beyond individual activities to address the wider conditions that influence people’s ability to improve their livelihoods.
Taking proven approaches to more communities
Implementing programmes across multiple states requires more than expanding the number of locations. It calls for an understanding of local priorities, strong relationships with communities, effective coordination and the ability to adapt programme approaches to different contexts.
Ambuja Foundation’s implementation model combines technical expertise with local engagement, working with farmers, women’s groups, young people and community institutions to support participation and build the capacity needed to sustain progress.
The partnership’s projects reflect this approach. In Haryana, a phase of the Holistic Rural Development Programme in Charkhi Dadri brings together agriculture, women’s empowerment, health and sanitation, rural education and natural resource management across 15 villages. In West Bengal, a programme in Cooch Behar focuses on agricultural development and efficient water management, including water harvesting and irrigation infrastructure, stronger community institutions and women-led livelihoods.
These initiatives illustrate how programmes can be shaped around the needs of specific locations while contributing to broader rural development goals.
A recognition of partnership and implementation
The Rising Stars: Implementation at Scale award acknowledges the operational capacity required to deliver programmes across geographies and reach communities with diverse needs.
For Ambuja Foundation, the recognition is also a reflection of the trust built with HDFC Bank Parivartan since 2017, and of the collective effort of programme teams, local stakeholders and communities.
“We thank the HDFC Bank Parivartan team for their continued trust and partnership. This recognition reinforces the importance of strong implementation, long-term collaboration and working closely with communities to deliver meaningful results,” said Mr. Chandrakant Kumbhani, CEO, Ambuja Foundation.
As the partnership moves forward, Ambuja Foundation looks forward to building on this foundation, extending effective approaches to more rural communities and strengthening opportunities for sustainable livelihoods across India.
The shared ambition remains clear: to ensure that investment in rural development translates into practical, lasting improvements in the lives of the people and communities it reaches.
