The Muthoot Finance Scholarship programme has disbursed more than Rs 5.26 crore over nine editions, helping 512 students build careers in medicine, engineering and nursing, the company said.



The Muthoot M. George Higher Education Scholarship has supported 176 doctors, 184 engineers and 152 nurses since its launch. The programme has now entered its 10th edition, with applications open to eligible students from Kerala until October 17, 2026.



For the 2026-27 academic year, the scholarship programme will offer 120 scholarships. Of these, 30 scholarships are earmarked for students from Kerala pursuing MBBS, B.Tech and B.Sc. Nursing courses.



Under the latest Muthoot Finance Scholarship, selected MBBS students will receive Rs 2.40 lakh, while students pursuing B.Tech and B.Sc. Nursing will receive Rs 1.20 lakh each. The financial assistance covers the four-year course duration.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Eligibility for Muthoot Finance Scholarship</h3>



Applicants must have secured at least 90% or an equivalent grade in Class 12, with annual family income not exceeding Rs 2 lakh.



Candidates must also have qualified the relevant entrance examination and secured admission to a recognised educational institution.



Students applying from Kerala must select the region corresponding to their permanent place of residence rather than the location of the college where they have secured admission.



Applications can be submitted online through the company’s scholarship portal.



Alexander George Muthoot, managing director of Muthoot Finance, said education can transform individual lives as well as families and communities. He said the scholarship aims to support talented and deserving students seeking to build their futures through education.



The powerful impact of the Muthoot Finance Scholarship is reflected in the 512 professionals supported through the programme so far, according to the company.



Muthoot Finance Ltd is an Upper Layer non-banking financial company and gold-loan provider in India. The company said it serves more than 2 lakh retail customers daily through its gold-loan business and has more than 5,029 branches across 29 states and union territories.



The company reported loan assets of Rs 1,91,532 crore as of June 30, 2026.

Muthoot Finance scholarship delivers powerful career boost

&#8211; Mankind Pharma has extended Rs 1 crore in financial support to Captain Smit Macchhar and his family, recognising the courage, composure and sense of responsibility he showed during an unprecedented crisis, the company said.



The drugmaker said the gesture reflects its belief that acts of exceptional courage deserve more than words of appreciation. It chose to turn its gratitude into action, citing Macchhar&#8217;s commitment to the safety and well-being of those in his care.



&#8220;There are moments when words of appreciation simply do not feel enough,&#8221; said Rajeev Juneja, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Mankind Pharma.



Juneja said Macchhar put the safety of others before his own during the crisis, demonstrating leadership and service. He said the company believes meaningful recognition is best expressed when appreciation is accompanied by action.



&#8220;We salute his courage, his humanity and his unwavering commitment to those entrusted to his care,&#8221; Juneja said.



Mankind Pharma said the support is a gesture of gratitude for Macchhar&#8217;s courage and leadership, and in recognition of the responsibility he showed towards the lives entrusted to him.



Earlier this year, on the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, Juneja contributed Rs .17 crore, reaffirming his personal commitment to supporting those who serve the nation.

Mankind Pharma gives Rs 1 crore to Captain Smit Macchhar for courage in crisis

Waste management firm Renvion has begun an integrated municipal solid waste collection and transportation project across the entire South Zone of the <a href="https://mcdonline.nic.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)</a>.



Renvion South Delhi operations are being executed through its special purpose vehicle, South Delhi MSW Solutions Pvt Ltd. The project covers all 23 wards across nearly 190 sq km and is designed to handle about 1,400 tonnes of waste a day.



The fleet comprises 550 electric four-wheelers and 226 electric three-wheelers, which the company describes as Delhi&#8217;s first large-scale zero-emission primary and secondary collection fleet. It also includes multi-stream collection, a Command &amp; Control Centre with GPS and RFID monitoring, and 60 Fixed Compactor Transfer Stations that will form the backbone of the secondary network.



Operated on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model, the project is expected to create over 2,000 jobs.



The system will cover door-to-door collection from residential, commercial, institutional and bulk generators, along with street sweeping waste, desilted drain waste, horticulture waste and domestic hazardous waste, including sanitary waste.

Renvion powers South Delhi waste collection with 776 EVs

The<a href="https://earthshotprize.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Earthshot Prize</a> has named <a href="https://www.seruminstitute.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Serum Institute of India </a>as a principal sponsor of the Earthshot Prize Summit Mumbai 2026, the prize organisers said, in a partnership between two organisations that back innovation capable of improving lives at scale.



The Earthshot Prize Summit Mumbai will bring together environmental innovators, investors, philanthropists and business leaders to speed up solutions to pressing environmental challenges. The Summit is a key part of the programme and is intended to help leaders from different sectors build collaborations and mobilise support.



&#8220;India has an extraordinary track record of turning ambitious ideas into solutions that improve lives at scale,&#8221; said Jason Knauf, CEO of The Earthshot Prize.



 He said the prize was coming to Mumbai for the first time and that Serum Institute&#8217;s experience in taking breakthrough solutions from innovation to impact reflects the ambition at the heart of the prize.



Knauf added that the aim is to help environmental innovators connect with the people, collaborations and support that can help their solutions &#8220;go further, faster.&#8221;



Adar C. Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, said some of the world&#8217;s greatest challenges can only be addressed when bold ideas are backed by the resources and partnerships needed to make them accessible at scale.



&#8220;We are proud to support The Earthshot Prize Summit in Mumbai and the innovators working to build a healthier and more sustainable future,&#8221; Poonawalla said, adding that India has always been a country of ingenuity and enterprise.



The sponsorship builds on Serum Institute&#8217;s wider support for scientific discovery and education.



The Mumbai programme will end with The Earthshot Prize Awards Night, where five Winners will each receive £1 million ($1.3 million) to accelerate their environmental solutions. The event will gather global leaders, entrepreneurs, environmental champions and cultural voices to celebrate the 15 Finalists and their work to protect and restore the planet.

Serum Institute boosts Earthshot Prize Summit Mumbai 2026 as principal sponsor

<a href="https://www.industowers.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indus Towers Limited</a> said its Indus Towers CSR programmes, Saksham and Pragati, positively impacted 33.88 million lives in FY26, taking the company&#8217;s cumulative reach to 90 million people across India.



The company said the programmes aim to create &#8220;capability equality,&#8221; ensuring every individual, irrespective of geography, gender or socio-economic background, has access to the opportunities, skills and resources needed to take part in India&#8217;s growth.



Indus Towers CSR empowers communities with digital skills, education, healthcare access, livelihood opportunities and sustainable infrastructure. The company said it works with local stakeholders, government institutions, implementation partners and beneficiary groups to identify needs, create solutions and build long-term community ownership.



&#8220;India&#8217;s development journey will be truly transformative only when growth becomes inclusive and participatory,&#8221; said Prachur Sah, Managing Director and CEO of Indus Towers Limited.



&#8220;At Indus Towers, we believe that sustainable progress begins with capability equality, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity, resources and support needed to realise their potential. Through our CSR programmes, we are focused on empowering communities with knowledge, skills and opportunities that help them participate meaningfully in India&#8217;s economic and social progress. By working closely with communities, implementation partners and government institutions, we aim to create lasting impact that strengthens resilience, fosters inclusion and contributes to nation-building. As we look ahead, we remain committed to expanding our reach and deepening our contribution towards a more inclusive, empowered and future-ready India,&#8221; Sah said.



The programmes are aligned with national priorities and flagship government initiatives, including Digital India, Skill India Mission, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, National Education Policy 2020, PM eVIDYA and the Aspirational Districts Programme. They also contribute to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.



The company has built a diverse portfolio of interventions to address development challenges in underserved regions. It has set a long-term ambition of positively impacting 150 million lives by 2030 through scalable, high-impact interventions with measurable and sustainable outcomes.



Drawing on its nationwide presence, technology-led approach and understanding of local realities, Indus Towers said it will continue to contribute to India&#8217;s priorities on digital inclusion, human capital development, environmental sustainability, women&#8217;s empowerment and equitable economic growth.

Indus Towers CSR empowers 33.88 million lives in FY26

<a href="https://www.hclfoundation.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HCLFoundation</a>, which drives the corporate social responsibility agenda of <a href="https://www.hcltech.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HCLTech </a>in India, said on Monday it had completed a massive coastal cleanup campaign across 50 coastal areas in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.



The coastal cleanup was launched on August 11 to mark the 50th anniversary of the HCL Group. HCLFoundation ran it with the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, People&#8217;s Action for Development, Development Research Communication and Services Centre, SPANDAN, ReefWatch Marine Conservation, Plan@Earth, Animal Warriors Conservation Society and Plan Foundation.



On International Coastal Cleanup Day, the Foundation also held awareness events, including street plays, sand sculptures and marine debris exhibitions. Employees, local communities and environmental partners took part in Kundapura (Karnataka), Kochi (Kerala), Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu), Ongole (Andhra Pradesh), South and North 24 Paraganas (West Bengal) and Puri (Odisha).



The coastal cleanup mobilized more than 7,000 volunteers and community members, who collected and responsibly removed over 54,000 kg of marine debris from coastal ecosystems.



&#8220;Healthy oceans and clean coastlines are critical to ecological balance, livelihoods and community well-being. Lasting environmental change requires sustained participation from all stakeholders to help foster a culture of stewardship and responsibility towards our coastal ecosystems,&#8221; said Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, Director, HCLFoundation, while taking part in a beach clean-up drive in Puri, Odisha.



Under its coastal and marine conservation mission, HCLFoundation and its partners have so far removed more than 829,610 kg of ghost nets and marine debris.

HCLFoundation completes coastal cleanup in 50 areas, removes over 54,000 kg of marine debris

<a href="https://www.metlife.com/about-us/corporate-responsibility/metlife-foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MetLife Foundation</a> and <a href="https://www.onestage.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OneStage </a>have launched &#8216;Plastic-Free Gurugram,&#8217; a sustainability programme aiming to reach over 100,000 residents by cutting single-use plastic use and improving waste management. 



Unveiled during <a href="https://www.pnbmetlife.com/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.pnbmetlife.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PNB MetLife&#8217;s</a> 25th anniversary, it engages RWAs, institutions, and malls. 



A baseline survey of 228 respondents found 84.4% segregate waste at home, but 77.8% still use disposables at gatherings.

MetLife, OneStage launch plastic-free Gurugram initiative

<a href="https://www.pepsico.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PepsiCo </a>said on Thursday its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) sustainability programme is driving measurable growth across its global operations, with India emerging as a key market for the initiative&#8217;s expansion.



In its 2025 ESG Performance Update, the company said it has extended regenerative, restorative and protective farming practices to 4.7 million acres across more than 60 countries, achieved 100% water replenishment at company-owned facilities in high-water-risk areas, and cut virgin plastic use in primary packaging by 6%.



&#8220;We&#8217;re excited by the momentum we&#8217;re building as pep+ continues to transform our business end to end,&#8221; said Jim Andrew, PepsiCo&#8217;s chief sustainability officer. He said the company is &#8220;evolving our product portfolio to offer more choices&#8221; while strengthening the business for the long term.



In India, PepsiCo Positive is being implemented through the company&#8217;s Partnership for Progress philosophy, which engages roughly 36,000 farmers across 14 states. The company sources 100% of its chip-grade potatoes locally in the country.



&#8220;In India, our growth is deeply connected to the strength and resilience of the ecosystem around us,&#8221; said Yashika Singh, chief corporate affairs officer and sustainability head for PepsiCo India &amp; South Asia, adding that the approach turns interdependence into shared growth across farmers, communities and consumers.



The company has partnered with start-ups to bring digital tools to its farmer network. Its Mitti Didi initiative offers soil-health diagnostics to thousands of farmers, while the Lay&#8217;s Smart Farms programme, developed with Cropin, spans more than 18,000 mapped acres and reaches over 7,000 farmers. Micro-irrigation has reached full adoption across key potato-sourcing regions, including more than 2,300 acres in Uttar Pradesh.



On water, PepsiCo said its Pune manufacturing facility has cut water use by more than 90%, part of a broader effort that has replenished 23 billion litres of water globally since 2010 and reached about 97 million people with safe water access.



The company is also advancing circularity in India, complying with local Extended Producer Responsibility rules and redesigning packaging with mono-material and polyolefin-based structures, alongside a shift to 100% rPET bottles for select beverage products. Biomass now makes up 97% of PepsiCo India&#8217;s fuel mix.



On transport, the Kosi–Pataudi EV Green Corridor, run with Kalyani Powertrain Limited and Vayudoot Road Carriers, operates thirteen 32-foot electric trucks covering roughly 6 lakh electric kilometres annually. PepsiCo India has retrofitted more than 800 vehicles for last-mile delivery.



The company said more than half of its beverage portfolio by volume in India is now low- or zero-sugar, alongside new offerings such as Red Rock Deli baked variants with 40% less fat and millet-based Kurkure Jowar Puffs.

PepsiCo Positive drives sustainable growth across India

Hitachi Vantara, the data infrastructure and hybrid cloud unit of <a href="https://www.hitachivantara.com/sustainability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hitachi Ltd.</a> (TSE: 6501), said on Thursday it has set a validated net-zero target to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions across its global value chain by fiscal year 2040.



The company said its near- and long-term emissions targets have been independently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a body that sets standards for corporate climate goals, giving customers and partners assurance the plan aligns with current climate science.



The announcement comes as data centers face mounting scrutiny over energy use tied to the AI boom. <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48646" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Congressional Research Service report</a> cited by the company found cooling systems account for 38% to 40% of data center electricity consumption, underscoring the stakes for infrastructure providers.



&#8220;Customers increasingly expect their technology suppliers to demonstrate that their climate commitments are credible and backed by action,&#8221; said Simon Ninan, senior vice president of business strategy at Hitachi Vantara. He said the validated net-zero target &#8220;holds us accountable to measurable progress.&#8221;



Under the near-term plan, Hitachi Vantara aims to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions 98% by FY2030 from an FY2024 baseline, and reduce Scope 3 emissions 51% per usable petabyte of storage sold by FY2036. The long-term goal calls for a 97% cut in Scope 3 emissions per petabyte sold by FY2040.



The company said it reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions 43% in FY2025, helped by sourcing half its energy from renewables. It has also expanded sustainability features across its VSP One storage platform and is aligning products with Hitachi&#8217;s Eco-Design Management Guidelines.



Hitachi Vantara pointed to customer results from its VSP 360 Clear Sight monitoring tool: Turkey&#8217;s DestekBank cut data center energy use 25% and total cost of ownership 20%; India&#8217;s Malayala Manorama reduced power and cooling costs 70% and rack space 66%; Turkey&#8217;s Garanti BBVA estimated its Hitachi Vantara systems use about 30% less energy than rival systems; and Brazil&#8217;s Aquiris used the platform to support wastewater treatment operations processing more than 110 million cubic meters annually.



&#8220;Sustainability is most effective when it is embedded into decision-making across the organization,&#8221; said Courtney Hadden, sustainability director at Hitachi Vantara, adding that the SBTi validation gives the company &#8220;a clear, science-based framework&#8221; to track progress.

Hitachi Vantara commits to validated net-zero by 2040

The <a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gates Foundation </a>said on Tuesday it would spend at least USD 1 billion over the next two years to widen access to artificial intelligence, a bold bet that the technology can narrow rather than widen the gap between rich and poor countries.



The commitment was unveiled alongside the foundation&#8217;s <a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/report/2026-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10th annual Goalkeepers Report</a>, titled &#8220;Make This Matter: AI, Equity, and the Choice We Can&#8217;t Delay.&#8221; The report argues that the window to shape who benefits from AI, and how quickly, is closing fast.



Under the plan, 40% of the money will go to education, including AI tutoring designed to individualize student learning and teaching tools for classrooms in the United States and abroad. Another 40% is earmarked for health care, spanning diagnostics, clinical decision support for frontline health workers, maternal and newborn care tools, and drug and vaccine discovery.



A further 10% will support agriculture, including AI-generated advice tailored to smallholder farmers&#8217; soil, weather and crop conditions. The remaining 10% will fund digital infrastructure, such as building datasets in languages current models do not yet understand.



The Gates Foundation AI strategy rests on three priorities set out in the report: making tools work in every language people speak, designing them around the contexts where they will actually be used, and investing in the people and access needed for communities to shape the technology themselves.



More than 90% of the data used to train early large language models came from English-language sources, the report said, leaving many communities poorly represented in the systems built on that data. It also calls for countries and communities to decide how their own data is managed and protected.



Bill Gates, chair of the foundation, wrote that the organization was created in part to address a basic market failure, in which those with the greatest needs have the least power to steer innovation and investment. AI presents the same challenge, he wrote, only at far greater speed, because the most capable tools will be built first for those most able to pay.



&#8220;We can harness AI for good. But it won&#8217;t happen by accident,&#8221; Gates wrote, adding that success should be measured not only by what AI does for the most profitable users but by what it does for the people who stand to gain the most.



The foundation said its funding would scale up partners already working to close access gaps, with examples cited from clinics, classrooms and small farms. It also urged technology companies, governments and other philanthropies to commit resources, expertise and public advocacy, noting that affordable access will require action from industry as well as public investment.



The Seattle-based foundation is led by Chief Executive Mark Suzman under the direction of Gates and its governing board. Goalkeepers is its campaign to accelerate progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.