<a href="https://azimpremjifoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Azim Premji Foundation</a> has launched the <a href="https://azimpremjifoundation.org/who-we-are/how-we-are-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Social Startups Programme</a>, an initiative that empowers experienced development professionals to set up new community-rooted organisations by offering financial assistance, guidance and learning opportunities.



Many professionals have years of experience working with communities and understand their challenges, but lack the funds and guidance to start organisations of their own. The Social Startups Programme aims to bridge that gap.



“We need more organisations working at the grassroots, especially in underserved areas,” said Rajib Ghosh, Head &#8211; Philanthropy at the Foundation. “Many experienced professionals understand the challenges communities face and want to contribute more. This programme aims to help them take that step and build organisations of their own.”



Ghosh said the initiative is distinct from the Foundation’s regular grants programme, which supports existing, registered organisations, both mature and early-stage.



The first cohort will include about 100 participants across four geographies: Odisha, North-East India, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bengaluru Urban.



Supported areas of work include rural livelihoods, health, youth, mental health, disability, children’s welfare and the well-being of Adivasi communities. They also include work in urban informal settlements, such as creches and community sanitation, and welfare rights.



Eligibility



Applicants must be below 40 years of age, hold a graduate degree and have at least three years of ground-level experience in the development sector. They should intend to set up and lead a new civil society organisation, and be willing to relocate and make a long-term commitment to their chosen geography. Those who have already registered an organisation are not eligible.



Programme structure



The Social Startups Programme has two phases. In the first, an eight-month seeding phase, participants will receive financial support to work with communities, understand local needs and develop their organisations. They will also receive guidance on registration, governance and statutory compliance.



By the end of this phase, participants are expected to have registered their organisations. They can then submit a grant proposal for evaluation, and those who meet the programme’s criteria may receive a two-year seed grant to establish and strengthen their work.



Applications and timeline



Applications are open from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2026. Selection involves eligibility screening, document review, a statement of purpose, an online interview and an in-person panel discussion.



The seeding phase will begin on April 1, 2027. Participants will be assessed in November-December 2027 for progression to the grant phase.

Azim Premji Foundation’s Social Startups Programme to empower aspiring NGO leaders

The<a href="https://www.malabargoldanddiamonds.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Malabar Group</a> conducted a massive cleaning drive at Versova Beach in Mumbai as part of nationwide events marking its 34th Foundation Day.



The Malabar Group cleaning drive was held in association with corporations and municipalities. Management teams, showroom heads and staff of Malabar Gold &amp; Diamonds joined sanitation workers to lead the effort.



More than 9,000 Malabar Group employees across the country took part in the drive, which was organised to promote the Group’s<a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/education/malabar-gold-diamonds-scholarship-empowers-104-girl-students-goa/1903" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives.</a>



“The company remains committed to strengthening <a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/news/malabar-gold-csr-2026-27-rs-200-crore-girls-scholarships/1444" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESG </a>principles by integrating environmental responsibility, social commitment, transparency and ethical governance into its business practices,” said M P Ahammad, Chairman of the Malabar Group.



“The Group aims to plant approximately 1 lakh trees across India over the next year as part of its environmental sustainability initiatives,” he said.



Beyond business, the Group runs several social programmes aimed at supporting communities. These include Hunger Free World, Micro Learning Centres for underprivileged children, scholarships for girls, and Grandma Homes for elderly mothers.

Malabar Group cleaning drive held at Versova Beach

More than a third of people who received a disaster warning were unable to act before the disaster struck, according to a global poll released on Monday by <a href="https://www.lrfoundation.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lloyd’s Register Foundation</a>, a safety charity.



The gap between receiving a disaster warning and being able to respond is widest in low-income countries, where people are also most likely to be affected by disasters, the foundation said.



One in five adults, an estimated 1.1 billion people, has been affected by a disaster in the past five years. Almost 220 million of them received no warning at all, the report found.



The<a href="https://wrp.lrfoundation.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> World Risk Poll</a> report, “From alert to agency: What turns warnings into action?”, draws on more than 143,000 interviews conducted by <a href="https://www.gallup.com/analytics/318875/global-research.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gallup</a> across 140 countries and territories in 2025.



Fewer than half of warned adults in low- and lower-middle-income countries could act, compared with 71% in high-income countries, the report said.



Adults in low-income countries are almost twice as likely to be hit by a disaster as those in high-income countries, at 31% versus 16%, but less likely to be warned, at 64% versus 84%.



In Central and Western Africa, fewer than half of affected adults (47%) received any advance warning.



More than three-quarters (77%) of disaster-affected adults who got no warning own a mobile phone, equivalent to more than 170 million adults worldwide. The foundation called this a significant opportunity to expand warning coverage.



Using several channels, such as text messages, social media and television, made a disaster warning more effective. One channel prompted 37% of people to act, two channels 51% and three channels 64%, with smaller gains beyond three.



Having a household disaster plan and a sense of personal agency was linked to a jump in action from 27% to 83%.



“Four in five people affected by a disaster now receive warnings before it strikes. That’s real progress. But a warning is only as good as what people are able to do with it,” said Nancy Hey, director of evidence and insight at the foundation’s Global Safety Evidence Centre.



The findings come as countries work toward a United Nations goal of protecting everyone through early warning systems by the end of 2027.



Cosmas Zavazava, director of the International Telecommunication Union’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, urged governments to speed up adoption of cell broadcast, which sends location-specific alerts to phones within seconds without an app or registration.



Loretta Hieber Girardet of the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction said households could not build resilience alone and called for predictable, long-term financing for early warning efforts.



A companion report, “A resilient life,” found societal resilience reached a record 66 out of 100 on the poll’s Resilience Index, up from 63 in 2021, driven by trust in national institutions. Individual resilience fell to its lowest recorded level, 42, from 46, led by declining personal agency in India, Pakistan and Indonesia.



High-income countries scored lowest of any income group on societal resilience. The United States ranked second of 139 on individual and household resilience, but 130th on societal resilience.



Nearly three in 10 people (29%) feel their government does not care about them at all, rising to 44% in low-income and 45% in high-income countries.

Alarming gap: Over a third of people cannot act on a disaster warning, global poll finds

<a href="https://www.sael.co/investors/offer-documents/drhp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SAEL Industries Ltd</a>, a vertically integrated renewable energy company, has begun paddy straw procurement of about 2 million tonnes (20 lakh tonnes) in phases, as the harvesting season gets under way in North India.



The annual feedstock drive will supply the company’s 11 agri waste-to-energy (AgWTE) plants, which have a combined capacity of 164.9 MW. 



SAEL said the effort aims to strengthen the local rural supply chain and turn <a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/sustainable-world/vedanta-power-scales-up-biomass-co-firing-punjab/1758" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crop residue</a> into renewable energy, supporting both the energy transition and pollution control.



The move comes as India shifts its response to crop-residue burning from monitoring incidents to building viable alternatives. In 2026, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) directed Punjab, Haryana and the NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh to implement action plans aimed at eliminating paddy-stubble burning entirely. 



The plans combine field-level monitoring and access to residue-management machinery with a greater emphasis on ex-situ use of residue, including biomass power, pellets, briquettes and other industrial applications.



Government data show farm-fire incidents have begun to decline. The next challenge is to sustain that progress across districts by giving farmers timely, practical ways to manage residue in the short gap before the next crop is sown.



A study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) found that about 90% of surveyed farmers personally disapproved of stubble burning. The practice persists less because of a lack of awareness than because of constraints on machinery, labour, cost, information and timing, the study indicated. With only 15-18 days between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing, dependable collection and assured offtake are critical to making non-burning options workable.



SAEL said its model links farmers with local aggregators and collection teams that gather and transport paddy straw to its energy facilities. The company said this gives farmers a route to manage residue after harvest, eases the logistical burden of clearing fields within the available window, and creates an additional income opportunity. It also aims to support rural employment.



“India is beginning to move beyond a view of considering paddy straw and other crop residues as a seasonal waste-management issue,” said Laxit Awla, CEO and Executive Director of SAEL Industries Limited.



“We are committed to continuing to support the farmer communities to adopt better ways of stubble management and extract the real economic value from it. Our AgWTE plants across Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana are contributing to develop an impact on the economy, generating benefits through creating revenue streams from waste and reduction of fuel costs. Additionally, these projects stimulate local economic growth by creating employment opportunities in waste collection, processing and plant operation.”

SAEL begins paddy straw procurement with 2 million tonne for biomass plants

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited (Crompton) has been honoured with the Mahatma Award 2026 in the Community Initiatives category for its social impact work through the Crompton CSR Foundation (CCF), the company said.



The Mahatma Award 2026, an initiative of the Mahatma Foundation hosted by Liveweek Group, recognised CCF’s work in strengthening water security and rural livelihoods through Project Jal Jeevan, and in expanding women’s access to technical careers through Project Saksham.



The award recognises CCF’s approach of addressing community needs through sustained interventions, local partnerships and measurable outcomes. Its initiatives span water conservation, skills development, education and community care.



PROJECT JAL JEEVAN



Project Jal Jeevan addresses water insecurity in Ahilyanagar in Maharashtra and in Sirohi and Pali in Rajasthan, where declining groundwater levels and variable rainfall affect agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.



The programme combines water harvesting, rejuvenation of water structures, groundwater recharge, participatory water budgeting and improved agricultural practices. Water Security Committees, women farmers and self-help groups (SHGs) contribute to local planning and water management.



During FY 2024–26, the project rejuvenated 378 water structures, creating storage potential of 27,315 lakh litres. It added 2,253 acres to cultivation and reached 1.67 lakh farmers, including more than 50,000 women. It engaged 1,468 SHGs and reported a 16% increase in household incomes in intervention areas.



An independent third-party impact assessment found that water in wells and borewells became accessible at depths 20–60 feet shallower, while crop yields increased by 100%. It reported that 84% of farmers diversified into higher-value crops, and that the share of households earning Rs.1.5–2 lakh annually rose from 13% to 25%. Seasonal migration stopped for 70% of the households covered by the assessment.



PROJECT SAKSHAM



Project Saksham focuses on expanding women’s participation in traditionally male-dominated electrical and technical occupations. Implemented with Tata STRIVE, it combines technical training, workplace exposure, certification and placement support.



During FY 2024–26, the project supported 102 women through Assistant Electrician training, and 92 secured employment, a placement rate of about 90%. Based on first-year salaries, the placements represent annualised income opportunities of Rs.1.01 crore. The project also supported 75 women employed in manufacturing facilities in Goa and Baddi to strengthen their technical and supervisory capabilities.



“At Crompton, we believe that meaningful social impact comes from addressing community needs through sustained interventions and practical solutions,” said Anita Pansare, Head – Innovation and ESG &amp; Chief Technology Officer at Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited.



“Our focus remains on working closely with communities and implementation partners to build local capabilities, create sustainable livelihood opportunities and contribute to long-term development,” she said.



Through Jal Jeevan and Saksham, CCF addresses distinct but interconnected development priorities, linking environmental sustainability with rural livelihoods and women’s economic participation, the company said. The Mahatma Award 2026 recognises these sustained, partnership-led efforts.

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals honoured with Mahatma Award 2026 for community impact

Low digital literacy, limited awareness of government services, lack of essential documents, poor connectivity, language gaps and weak last-mile delivery remain the biggest barriers to digital inclusion among tribal and marginalized communities in Uttar Pradesh, stakeholders said at a state-level consultation held in Lucknow.



Organised by <a href="https://nasscomfoundation.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nasscom Foundation </a>and ISRA with support from Cisco’s India Cash Grant Program, the consultation, titled “Access to Empowerment: Strengthening Digital Inclusion and E-Governance for Tribal and Marginalized Communities,” was held under the Access to Empowerment – E-Governance initiative. It seeks to improve access to digital public services and social security schemes for underserved groups across the state.



Participants examined the state’s e-governance ecosystem and discussed how Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), rural populations, women and youth can be better connected to entitlements meant for them. They stressed the need for stronger collaboration among government, civil society and local communities.



<a href="https://www.cisco.com/c/en_in/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cisco</a>, a key partner in the initiative, reiterated its support. “Cisco is committed to amplifying the impact of government-led digital empowerment initiatives,” said Harish Krishnan, Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer, Cisco South and Southeast Asia. He added that the partnership aims to extend essential services to citizens across India’s aspirational blocks.



Jyoti Sharma, CEO of Nasscom Foundation, said distance, limited connectivity, language, documentation and unfamiliarity with digital systems make it difficult for PVTGs to access services and entitlements. With Cisco’s CSR support and in partnership with ISRA, the foundation is working in aspirational blocks to build digital awareness and literacy. Roundtables like the Lucknow event, she said, help ensure the programme responds to ground realities.



Virjesh Upadhyay, Chairperson, DTNBWED, Ministry of Labour and Employment, called for schemes to be designed with PVTGs at the centre and for their ground-level impact to be assessed. “If schemes do not reach the beneficiaries, then there is no use for such schemes,” he said.



A key outcome of the consultation was the call for stronger interdepartmental convergence at block and village levels, with closer coordination among the Panchayat and Labour Departments, Gram Pradhans and grassroots workers. Participants recommended integrating awareness of labour rights, farmers’ welfare and social security schemes into existing community outreach programmes.



They also said efforts must go beyond basic documentation and card generation, and help beneficiaries use their existing documents to access eligible entitlements, including correcting records and updating information. Wider digital literacy initiatives, especially among tribal communities and residents of aspirational blocks, were also urged, along with closer cooperation among development organisations, government bodies and CSR partners.



Representatives of government departments, academic institutions and civil society organisations are expected to discuss sustained multi-stakeholder partnerships to address systemic barriers and widen access to social security schemes through digital platforms. The consultation will also explore citizen awareness, community mobilisation and capacity building.



The consultation is expected to conclude with recommendations for advancing inclusive digital transformation in Uttar Pradesh through collaboration, knowledge sharing and evidence-based policy. Its insights will be compiled into a proceedings report and shared with stakeholders to guide future action.

Bridging digital inclusion gaps for UP’s tribal communities

The Union Environment Ministry has called for moving coastal science out of reports and into real planning and investment decisions, as it convened a two-day national workshop on enhancing coastal resilience through adaptive strategies in the capital on Thursday.



The October 29-30 event is being held under the<a href="https://www.greenclimate.fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Green Climate Fund-backed project</a>, Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (GCF-ECRICC), which focuses on restoring mangroves, coastal watersheds, seagrass, salt marshes and corals while strengthening livelihoods in vulnerable areas.



Evidence to execution



Inaugurating the session, Environment Ministry Secretary Narendra Bhooshan said building coastal resilience while protecting livelihoods was imperative to achieving the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. He pointed to the ecological and protective value of mangroves, seagrasses, salt marshes and coral reefs.



India, he said, had significantly strengthened the scientific base for coastal planning through shoreline-change assessments, hazard-line mapping, coastal vulnerability assessments and ecosystem data. “The next task is to ensure this evidence moves into planning, infrastructure and investment decisions at state, district and local levels,” he said.



Bhooshan added that the National Coastal Mission would serve as the fulcrum for coastal resilience and adaptive interventions, building on outputs of the ECRICC project.



Models for scale-up



Senior Economic Advisor Rajasree Ray said the meet aimed to bring together national and state perspectives, science, implementation experience and financing approaches. She outlined progress in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, the three states where the project is being implemented, and the potential for replication.



A key highlight was the project’s Climate Champion model, in which women from largely coastal communities, called “ECRICC Didis”, translate technical climate knowledge for local residents. The model was showcased as a candidate for replication.



Joint Secretary Tanvi Garg underlined the role of the National Coastal Mission in strengthening adaptation in collaboration with coastal states and Union Territories.



Livelihoods, partnerships



UNDP India Resident Representative Angela Lusigi said restoring coastal ecosystems was central to livelihood interventions, helping women become self-reliant by growing their enterprises. Sushil Saigal, Interim Managing Director of The Nature Conservancy India, stressed knowledge exchange to mainstream proven practices and deliver scalable solutions.



The workshop has drawn nearly 150 participants, including senior officials from the Ministry and line ministries, UNDP and TNC representatives, coastal zone management authorities, state and UT forest departments, research institutions, NGOs, financial institutions and philanthropic bodies.



Road ahead



Recommendations from the workshop are expected to feed into broad guidelines for adaptive coastal resilience, drawing on existing national policy frameworks, state priorities and implementation experience. The Ministry said this aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of a Blue Revolution and ocean economy, symbolised by the blue chakra in the national flag.

Centre pushes to turn coastal data into district-level action; National Coastal Mission to anchor resilience efforts

Technology company <a href="https://www.hcltech.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HCLTech </a>has expanded its Climate Action Grant to 24 countries, widening the pool of non-profit organisations eligible for funding to combat climate change and restore ecosystems and biodiversity.



The company launched the grant in 2023 for the Americas, committing USD 5 million over five years to eligible non-profits in 10 countries. It has so far disbursed USD 3 million over three editions of the programme.



The expanded Climate Action Grant will now cover Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.



One winner will receive USD 500,000 and three runners-up will each receive USD 250,000, bringing the total for this round to USD 1.25 million. Winners will be announced on June 5, 2027, following a screening process.



“Great ideas can come from any community, and solutions developed in one place can create possibilities in another,” said Nidhi Pundhir, HCLTech’s global head of corporate social responsibility.



“By creating a broader platform for climate innovation, we want to support locally rooted ideas and help solutions with potential for wider impact reach further,” she said.



HCLTech has set a target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040. The company was named to TIME’s list of the World’s Most Sustainable Companies for a second consecutive year, and in fiscal 2026 it retained an EcoVadis Gold rating and an MSCI AA (Leader) ESG rating.



Its corporate social responsibility initiatives in India, delivered through HCLFoundation, have reached more than 8.8 million people, 54% of them women, the company said. The programmes have planted over 3.6 million saplings, greened 74,000 acres of land and harvested more than 155 billion litres of water.



Non-profits can apply for the Climate Action Grant through the company’s <a href="https://globalgrant.hcltech.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grant website.</a>

HCLTech expands Global Climate Action grant to 24 countries

More than 750 TELUS Digital India volunteers helped revitalize the 78-year-old, government-aided Shri Gandhi Inter College in Greater Noida as part of the company’s signature TELUS Days of Giving (TDOG) program, it said on Monday.



Volunteers painted murals in 25 classrooms and six hallways across six school buildings, whitewashed walls and refurbished 250 benches. The event also launched TELUS Wise, a volunteer-led program that teaches young people to stay safe and responsible online, and took place during the United Nations’ International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, observed throughout 2026.



Ahead of the volunteer day, skilled professionals completed repairs including washroom renovations and waterproofing of nine classroom ceilings. Five science laboratories and the library were also repainted.



<a href="https://www.telusdigital.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TELUS Digital India</a> also helped install a 10 KW off-grid solar system and donated 30 laptops for the computer laboratories, a water cooler and sports equipment for the school’s more than 1,000 students.



“A supportive learning environment plays an important role in shaping students’ educational experiences and aspirations,” said Rajiv M. Dhand, Senior Vice President, Global Customer Experience and Trust &amp; Safety Operations.



“We wanted to help create spaces that inspire curiosity and give students access to resources that support their learning,” Dhand said.



TELUS Digital India recently launched TELUS Wise in India to build awareness of online safety, security and responsible digital behavior, helping students recognize risks and develop safer habits.



“Safe classrooms matter, and so does a safe experience online. Bringing TELUS Wise to India lets our team members share what they know about digital safety directly with students,” said Kapil Uniyal, Vice President, APAC &amp; Australia, Digital Solutions, TELUS Digital.



TELUS Days of Giving brings TELUS Digital team members together to volunteer in the communities where they live and work, reflecting the company’s philosophy, “We give where we live.”



“At Shri Gandhi Inter College, the school is now better equipped to cultivate student success, and we hope it’s the start of a longer relationship with the school and its community,” said Iftikar Ahmed, Vice President of Operations, TELUS Digital India.

TELUS Days of Giving transforms Greater Noida school as 750 volunteers repaint classrooms, launch online safety program

<a href="https://www.malabargoldanddiamonds.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Malabar Gold &amp; Diamonds</a>, the flagship company of Malabar Group, has announced a scholarship worth Rs 9.36 lakh for 104 girl students in <a href="https://www.goa.gov.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goa</a> under the Malabar Charitable Trust Scholarship for Girl Students Programme.



The Malabar Gold &amp; Diamonds scholarship was announced earlier this month at an event in Madgaon, attended by Digambar Kamat, Goa&#8217;s Minister for Public Works Department (PWD), and senior representatives of Malabar Group. Damu Naik, Goa President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was also present.



The initiative aims to expand access to education and support deserving girl students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.



As part of its national corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, Malabar Charitable Trust has committed scholarships to support the higher education of 40,000 girl students across India in the 2026-27 financial year. Since its launch in 2007, the programme has supported more than 1.5 lakh girl students across 19 states, with cumulative contributions exceeding Rs 102 crore.



&#8220;At Malabar Group, we believe that education is a powerful enabler of social progress and an important step towards building a more inclusive society,&#8221; said M P Ahammad, Chairman of Malabar Group.



&#8220;We will continue to build on this initiative to create lasting opportunities and contribute to the country&#8217;s long-term social development.&#8221;



Under the programme, scholarships are awarded to girls studying in Classes 11 and 12 at government schools who passed Class 10 with at least 50% marks. The financial assistance covers tuition fees, books, stationery, examination fees and other essential educational expenses.



The trust said the programme seeks to reduce financial barriers, allowing young girls to pursue higher education, build confidence and work towards a better future.



The Goa initiative reinforces Malabar Group&#8217;s commitment to community development and to expanding access to education across the country.