Under the visionary leadership of Founder and Chairperson, Mrs. Nita M. Ambani, Reliance Foundation has played a pivotal role in enriching lives and uplifting communities this past year. At the Annual General Meeting of Reliance Industries Limited, the achievements of the past year and the promising pathways ahead came into focus.

Recalling the significant milestones including an overall reach of nearly 70 million Indians across the country by Reliance Foundation, Mrs. Ambani shared how the spirit of “WE CARE” guided the philanthropic initiatives.

In her address, she emphasised on the inseparable synergy between business and philanthropy. Both, she stressed, are driven by the same ethos of "WE CARE." She focused on Reliance Foundation’s involvement in fields ranging from Culture and Climate to Education, Sports, Women's Empowerment, Healthcare, Livelihoods, and Rural Transformation.

She also unveiled a strategic initiative of establishing the Reliance Foundation Skilling Centre within the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC). These digital hubs, she informed, would revolutionise the crafts sector, simultaneously nurturing livelihoods and safeguarding cultural heritage.

In honour of the 90th birth anniversary of Founder Chairman, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani, Reliance Foundation, had committed to provide 50,000 Reliance Foundation Undergraduate and Postgraduate Scholarships over the next decade. Over 5,100 scholarships have already been awarded, highlighting the commitment to nurturing young talent as catalysts for innovation and progress. She also passionately advocated for teacher empowerment, introducing a world-class teacher leadership institute to foster teacher innovation.

With India set to have the largest population of women in the next decade, Ms. Ambani emphasised the imperative of empowering women for India's development. Initiatives like the Women Lead India Fellowship, Her Circle, and the Well Women Centre were highlighted.

A partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed at supporting income-generating activities for one million women entrepreneurs, was also unveiled.

Mrs. Nita M. Ambani shared, "This initiative will engage farm and non-farm income generating activities, helping them achieve an annual income of at least one lakh per year." Mr. Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft and Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said, "Together over the next three years, we’ll support one million women to fulfill their potential through Self Help Groups (SHG)."

On the Education and Sports for All program me, that has reached 22 million youngsters till date, Mrs Ambani spoke about making India a multi-sporting nation. Acknowledging the achievements of Reliance Foundation athletes, who have secured 139 medals at international and national levels, she expressed her deep commitment to sports development in India.

With the upcoming International Olympic Committee Session being held in India after a gap of four decades, Mrs Nita Ambani highlighted the dawn of a new era for Indian sports, with young athletes ready to make their mark on the global stage.

The Annual General Meeting not only highlighted the significant milestones achieved by Reliance Foundation but also showcased the promise of a brighter, more empowered, and prosperous India for all. Mrs. Nita Ambani concluded by saying, "We will do all that we can to uplift lives, share smiles, empower dreams, and build bridges to a greener, kinder, and happier tomorrow.”

• Memorable moments for the special audience from 18 NGOs supported by Reliance Foundation’s Education and Sports for All programme
• Continuation of Reliance Foundation’s work with children through the years

It was a time of bonding and laughter for 3,400 underprivileged children and senior citizens from NGOs supported by Reliance Foundation who experienced special shows of the International Broadway musical ‘The Sound of Music’, dedicated for them by Mrs. Nita Ambani at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC).

At these two very special shows over the weekend, Reliance Foundation hosted 3,400 children and senior citizens from diverse locations across Mumbai, including specially-abled children. The initiative was supported by 18 NGOs supported by its Education and Sports for All (ESA) programme along with Reliance employee volunteers who were on hand to make sure that everyone had a comfortable and magical experience. Through its ESA programme, Reliance Foundation has supported children’s aspirations through various education and sports initiatives over the years. These special shows in collaboration with NGOs are yet another step towards Reliance Foundation’s ongoing efforts to inspire children.

"The overwhelming response to The Sound of Music reaffirms NMACC’s vision of showcasing the best of India and the world. Seeing families from across the country come together and enjoy this magical experience has been truly heart-warming. We are humbled to have dedicated the final two shows to 3,400 underprivileged children and senior citizens. There could not have been a more uplifting way to conclude the iconic musical’s momentous run than to have shared it with this special audience. In continuation of our Education and Sports for All programme, we are committed to making art accessible to all,” said Mrs. Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson, Reliance Foundation.

‘The Sound of Music’ made its debut in May this year at The Grand Theatre with a historic eight- week run – its longest ever in Asia and for the first time in the country.

Enthralled by the stellar performances that bring to life the drama unfolding in the Von Trapp family, the excited children and senior citizens cheered along to timeless songs like ‘My Favourite Things’ and ‘Do-Re-Mi’ – matching the beat with the live orchestra. Following the musical, they were overjoyed when they got to meet the actors who play the Von Trapp family.

The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre is committed to community nurturing programmes including school and college outreaches and competitions, art literacy programmes for adults, and much more. Since opening a few months ago, NMACC has provided free access for children, students, senior citizens, and the differently abled, to enjoy shows such as The Sound of Music, Sangam/Confluence and the India in Fashion exhibition.

Since 2010, Reliance Foundation’s Education and Sports for All (ESA) programme has provided sustained initiatives towards the holistic and inclusive development of children, to build their aspirations and enable them to achieve their potential. As part of the ESA programme, each year, Reliance Foundation also hosts thousands of underprivileged children for various events and experiences of joy and celebration, including watching an IPL match, experiencing the Dhirubhai Ambani Square fountain show and spend a day at Jio Wonderland. Through focus on arts, culture and heritage, Reliance Foundation is committed to inspiring the younger generation of Indian artists to preserve and develop India’s cultural heritage for the future.

TEN ORGANIZATIONS FUNDED FOR WOMEN’S TECHNOLOGY EMPOWERMENT

• Joint initiative launched by Reliance Foundation and USAID to help identify innovative solutions to close the gender digital divide
• Grantees will work across 17 states, reaching 3 lakh (300,000) women and girls
• Reliance Foundation is providing Rs 8.5 crore (over $1.1 million USD) in grants for the WomenConnect Challenge India initiative

Ten organizations across India have been selected as grantees through the WomenConnect Challenge India, launched by Reliance Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Through this initiative, over Rs 11 crores (over $1.5 million USD) has been invested to help close the gender digital divide and of this, Reliance Foundation has supported Rs 8.5 crore (over $1.1 million USD) in grants for projects for creating innovative solutions to address the issue. Over 3 lakh (300,000) women and girls across 17 states will benefit from initiatives to close the gender digital divide and increase women’s economic empowerment through technology.

Speaking on the announcement, Smt. Nita M Ambani, Founder-Chairperson, Reliance Foundation, said, “It has been our mission to enable and empower women in every walk of life. When we launched Jio, we envisioned a digital revolution that will be an equal opportunity revolution. Through Jio, we have been providing affordable connectivity across the length and breadth of our country. Reliance Foundation has also been working in partnership with USAID towards bridging the gender digital divide in India. Technology is a powerful means to address and eliminate inequality. I congratulate and welcome on board the ten winners of our WomenConnect Challenge India on this journey of transformation.”

The ten grantees are Anudip Foundation, Barefoot College International, Centre for Youth and Social Development, Friends of Women’s World Banking, Naandi Foundation, Professional Assistance for Development Action, Society for Development Alternatives, Solidaridad Regional Expertise Centre, TNS India Foundation and ZMQ Development. The solutions address women farmers, entrepreneurs, members of Self-Help Groups to address social and cultural barriers to bridge the gender digital divide.

The WomenConnect Challenge India was launched in August 2020. From a pool of over 180 applications, 10 organisations were selected with grants between INR 75 lakhs to 1 crore each ($100,000 - $135,000), for over a period of 12 to 15 months. In January 2021, USAID and Reliance Foundation jointly hosted a Solvers Symposium bringing together semi-finalists and external experts for capacity building while brainstorming on the gender digital divide in India.

Mobile internet awareness has been increasing each year among women. While in 2017 only 19% of women in India were aware of mobile internet; in 2020 this increased to 53%. In terms of ownership, 67% of women own a mobile phone compared to 79% men. Through the years, initiatives by Reliance Foundation have aimed to bridge the digital divide. Through Reliance Jio, over 1.3 billion Indians saw a pan-India digital revolution that transformed lives. Today, Jio is the largest digital services company in India, and the second largest in the world, with 120 million women Jio users, and the number is growing rapidly to bridge the digital divide.

The WomenConnect Challenge is a global call for solutions to improve women’s participation in everyday life by meaningfully changing the ways women access and use technology. USAID has partnered with Reliance Foundation to support new approaches that close the gender digital divide in India and new grantees will focus on proven strategies from previous WomenConnect rounds to increase women’s economic empowerment.

About Reliance Foundation:

Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited, aims to play a catalytic role in addressing the nation’s development challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions. Led by Founder and Chairperson Smt. Nita Ambani, Reliance Foundation (RF) is relentlessly working towards facilitating transformative changes to ensure overall well-being and higher quality of life for all. Among India’s largest social initiatives, RF is focused on addressing the nation’s development challenges in Rural Transformation, Education, Health, Sports for Development, Disaster Response, Urban Renewal and Arts, Culture and Heritage. RF has touched the lives of more than 51 million people across India, in more than 44,700 villages and several urban locations.

Learn more: www.reliancefoundation.org

About USAID:

USAID is the world's premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID works to help lift lives, build communities, advance democracy, and champions the cause of women empowerment across the globe. USAID's work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity; demonstrates American generosity; and helps countries progress along their development journey.

To date, USAID has 16 WomenConnect Challenge grantees in three different rounds working to address barriers limiting women’s access to technology and connecting nearly 6 million women in 16 countries. WomenConnect Round One, in 2018, awarded nine grants and WomenConnect Round Two, awarded three in 2019. Earlier this year, four winners were announced for WomenConnect Round Three.

Mrs Nita M Ambani, IOC member and Founder Chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, thanked honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, for inaugurating the opening ceremony of the 141st IOC session in Mumbai on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, Mrs Ambani said, "Respected Prime Minister, we are filled with immense joy and gratitude that you have joined us today. You are the leader of the world's largest democracy, the Architect of New India. Your support to sport has made this session in India a reality."

Mrs Ambani welcomed Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee as well as the delegates from the IOC, saying, "It is an absolute honour for us to host this historic IOC Session in India after 40 years, and in Mumbai for the first time ever! Aamchi Mumbai ─ our Mumbai ─ welcomes all of you."

Mrs. Ambani spoke about how this session was a great confluence between India and the world, saying, "In this meeting of the IOC, I see the confluence of two wonderful forces. One is the Olympic Movement, which unites humanity and transcends all national, racial, religious, and linguistic barriers. The other is India, the world’s largest democracy as the host of this meeting."

"The mantra and motto of our 5,000-year-old civilisation is ‘वसुधैव कुटुंबकम’, which our Prime Minister declared as the theme – at India’s Presidency of the G20 Summit last month. It means: “The Entire World Is One Family.”

"Today, more than ever, our world needs to reunite in fraternity and solidarity."

Mrs Ambani also congratulated India's athletes for their record medal haul at the recently concluded Asian Games 2023. "Our young girls and boys are exhibiting incredible talent in diverse sporting arenas around the world. Most recently, they have made us all proud at the Asian Games in China. Many of them come from very humble backgrounds. Some of them are in our midst today. Let’s give them a huge round of applause."

Mrs Ambani concluded her speech by saying that India is a torchbearer for the Olympic movement, encouraging everyone to commit to it.

"When our Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi declares the hundred and forty-first IOC Session open, India will once again open its arms to the world, not just as a host but as a torchbearer for the Olympic Movement," Mrs Ambani said.

The 141st session of the IOC will be held in Mumbai from 15th to 17th October.

Reliance Industries announces Rs 500 crore contribution to #PMCARES Fund In addition to its multi-pronged on-the-ground fight against Covid-19 #RIL #CoronaHaaregaIndiaJeetega pic.twitter.com/06Rsm4XLaX

— Reliance Foundation (@ril_foundation) March 30, 2020

• Over 200 practitioners gather at the two-day ‘Building Flourishing Futures’ conference in Mumbai, share experiences and suggest actions for better early childhood outcomes

A landmark gathering of public and private practitioners spanning the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) spectrum, convened to share insights and experience play-based learning at Reliance Foundation’s Building Flourishing Futures conference.

Held at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) in Mumbai, the conference brought together diverse practitioners from the ECCE system, academics and experts from India and internationally.

The two-day conference explored innovative practices and approaches for developing playful parents, teachers, and communities. Contributing towards the goal of universalization of ECCE as articulated in India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, speakers and participants had a range of learning and educational experiences, with 10 masterclasses, 15 interactive learning stations, and 30 speaker sessions.

Showing deep involvement in the subject at the conference, Ms Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Industries Limited and Vice Chairperson, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, was in rapt attention through the sessions, keenly engaging with experts and attending demonstrations with practitioners at various learning stations.

Key speakers included well-known practitioners Shri Sampath Kumar, IAS., Principal Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, Ms Anne Van Dam from The Learning Square, Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy from Ummeed Child Development Center, Ms Sunisha Ahuja from UNICEF and Dr Rita Patnaik, Joint Director, NIPCCD, Ministry of Women & Child Development

Experts such as from Dr Mahesh Balsekar, Consultant Paediatrician, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre; Mr Abhimanyu Basu, Dean and CEO, DAIS; Dr Nilay Ranjan, Head - Education, Reliance Foundation also added their insights to the proceedings.

Through the two days, participants who included Anganwadi workers, teachers, principals, policy makers and representatives from philanthropies explored a burst of ideas, engaged in animated play-based learning demonstrations, discussed nuances of policies and practice, caregiving and strategies for cross-learning, towards holistic early childhood care, education and development.

Reflecting Reliance Foundation Founder and Chairperson Mrs Nita Ambani’s philosophy of ‘Happy School, Happy Learners’ educators at the Reliance Foundation schools and the Dhirubhai Ambani International School create stimulating learning environments, from the best of Indian and international early childhood learning practices. With this experience, Reliance Foundation’s vision is to help transform the Early Childhood Care and Education landscape across India, especially through building capacity of Anganwadi workers to deliver play-based learning for children from low income and marginalised communities.

Continued collaboration and innovation can build significant momentum. The ‘Building Flourishing Futures’ conference with a unique convening of diverse opinions, thoughts and good practices, aims to build a dynamic platform where practitioners learn from one another; build collaborations to develop actionable strategies within the ecosystem, leading a transformative journey, so that every child in India has the opportunity to reach their full potential, towards a flourishing future.

• Merit-based Postgraduate Scholarship grants up to Rs. 6 lakhs for 100 first year students of nine future-ready fields
• The Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship includes a strong development programme in addition to the grant, including sector expert interactions, industry exposure and volunteering opportunities
• Applications invited from across India. Last date to apply is 17 December 2023

Reliance Foundation is inviting applications for its prestigious postgraduate scholarships that aim to nurture world-class talent. Applications are open to first-year postgraduate students in nine fields of study that aim to reimagine and build India’s growth. Applications are open until 17 December 2023.

Resonating with the rapid advancements on technology fronts including digital, renewable and new energy, and biotechnology, the Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship aims to nurture future leaders of tomorrow who have the potential to develop new solutions and innovations in these fields for the benefit of all.

“India’s youth are well-poised to shape the nation’s progress in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship will identify and empower the country’s brightest young minds who can think big, think green, think digital for the benefit of society. We aim to create a cohort of excellence every year to power India’s new era of growth,” said Mr. Jagannatha Kumar, CEO, Reliance Foundation.

Since 2020, the merit-based scholarship for excellence in postgraduate studies, has supported 178 students. Reliance Foundation Postgraduate scholars from past cohorts have embarked on professional journeys in roles that leverage technologies to drive transformation and impact for a better tomorrow. For the graduated scholars, the scholarship proved to be a platform that enriched their educational and learning experience, led them to industry-leading mentors, acquire skills and place themselves on successful career paths.

The top 100 students selected for the scholarship will be awarded a grant of up to Rs. 6 lakh for the entire duration of study along with a holistic development programme that includes expert interactions, industry exposure and volunteering opportunities. Scholars will be selected following a rigorous process that includes application evaluation, aptitude test and interviews with leading experts.

The Reliance Foundation postgraduate scholarships will identify students who can demonstrate qualities of excellence, leadership potential, integrity, community commitment, growth mindset and courage. Those first-year postgraduate students pursuing full-time courses in India in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics & Computing, Electrical and/or Electronics Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Renewable & New Energy, Material Science & Engineering and Life Sciences are invited to apply.

For more details please visit https://scholarships.reliancefoundation.org/PG_Scholarship.aspx. The last date for submitting applications is 17 December 2023.

New Delhi, December 19, 2023: Diverse stakeholders from across India’s millet landscape emphasized that challenges of food security, farm livelihoods and nutrition diversity can be resolved in a climate-resilient manner, by building on the momentum generated during the International Year of Millets (IYOM). They were sharing experiences at a multi-stakeholder conference ‘Shaping Perspectives on Practise and Policy for Millets in India’, organised by Reliance Foundation here today.

Policymakers, farmer representatives, development sector stakeholders, researchers and industry representatives echoed the need for greater collaboration, increased farmer-focused efforts, and deliberated successes and challenges from both practice and policy within India’s millet landscape.

Delivering the keynote address at the conference, Ms. Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, detailed Government of India’s efforts to take the millets agenda ahead. She said, “We have created six task forces, in Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of health, one in the nutrition sector to continue the journey of millets. Millets are a crop for the future.” She added “It is heartening to see Reliance Foundation working with farmers. A multistakeholder approach is very important if millets are to succeed. To help increase farmers’ incomes, there needs to be value addition through branding, export potential and more.”

Mr. Jagannatha Kumar, CEO, Reliance Foundation, said, “This decade has been historic for the global food systems dialogue, and transformational for millets. We are witnessing the discourse change to millets being sought after and India has led this change from the front.

The strong momentum generated so far should enable us to leapfrog into an era when millets are coming of age in providing food security and diversity amidst climate change. This will also help balance natural resources through climate resilient farming practices while securing better livelihoods for small and marginal farmers through a value chain approach. It is essential to build on this momentum, with shared development goals. At Reliance Foundation, we are deeply committed to diversifying food and farming systems with millets and we will continue build on discussions such as today’s along with other opportunities to share our learnings with stakeholders across the ecosystem.

A publication, ‘Fostering Resilience for Sustainability: Reliance Foundation's Millet Experiences’, that documents learnings from millet interventions in different states was released on the occasion. Fostering Resilience for Sustainability showcases end to end interventions that include making quality seed accessible to farmers, providing continued technical support, strengthening market linkages, empowering women’s agency and building awareness of millets.

Speakers at the discussions included Raman Wadhwa, Director, NRLM; Dr Neelam Patel, Senior Advisor, NITI Aayog; Priyanka Singh, Chief of Rural Transformation, Reliance Foundation; Prof. Ruth DeFries, Columbia University; Prasoon Bhardwaj, Head of Staples, Reliance Retail; K P Kavitha, CEO, Kazhani Farmers Producer Co, TN (FPO); R K Tiwari, Asst Director, Dept. of Women and Child Development, Madhya Pradesh; Savitaben Vasava, millets farmer from Narmada, Gujarat. Senior policymakers, researchers, practitioners and agriculture experts participated in the event.

Since 2010, Reliance Foundation has been focusing on sustainable agriculture and strengthening of food systems through a collaborative approach with various stakeholders. The work with millet small and marginal farmers is another step to build resilience in the face of changing climate while enhancing the nutritional status of communities.

Having observed 2018 as its ‘National Year of Millets’, India presented the proposal for the ‘International Year of Millets’ (IYOM) in the United Nations. At the 75th General Assembly session of the UN in March 2021, the year 2023 was declared IYOM to increase global awareness of the benefits of consuming and growing millets.

India is world’s largest millet producer and its average production of 16.93 million metric tons during 2019-22 was about 11% higher than the production during 2014-18. Though area under millet cultivation has reduced, productivity has markedly increased over the years.

Over 900 children from disadvantaged communities in Mumbai had a special treat at Jio Presents Hamleys Wonderland™ for a day of excitement, joy and inspiration through stories. Facilitating the children’s activities and volunteering at the venue, was Ms Isha Ambani who joined Reliance employee volunteers in cheering the children through the fun-filled events of the day that culminated with a storytelling session. The event with children marks over 75 days of Reliance Foundation’s ‘We Care, We Volunteer - Kahani Kala Khushi’, campaign where over 1,200 Reliance employees volunteered have engaged 16,000 underprivileged children from across 25 cities of India through storytelling and art.

“The festive season is synonymous for all of us with spreading cheer among children. This year too, our colleagues from the Reliance family across India have been volunteering and sharing this joy with thousands of children by bringing to life the folktale culture of our beautiful country. We are encouraging children to express themselves creatively through stories and art. The excitement we saw among children across the country and here today was so infectious that it spurs us to continue this spirit of volunteering and inspire them to learn more, read more in an enjoyable atmosphere,” said Ms Isha Ambani.

Reliance Foundation has been dedicatedly spreading joy among children from disadvantaged communities around this time of the year for over a decade now. This year, ‘We Care, We Volunteer – Kahani Kala Khushi’ has been an intensive effort to combine storytelling, culture and art for the children that the Foundation supports through numerous organisations. It was held in 25 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

Volunteers engaged children by telling age appropriate stories that helped them imaginatively discover India and creatively express their ideas, through art, up on being motivated by these stories. The stories covered festivals, folk and tribal stories and the stories had origins in their states. As the campaign aims to sustain their interest in art, art kits and material along with story books were also provided to the children.

The storytelling continued for children at Jio Presents Hamleys Wonderland on Thursday, and all the children indulged in fun-filled extravaganza with attractions including Ferris Wonder Eye, arcade games, carousel, WonderTheatre and much more.

The ‘We Care, We Volunteer’ – Kahani Kala Khushi campaign is a continuation of Reliance Foundation’s sustained Education and Sports for All (ESA) programme. Through ESA, Reliance Foundation has supported children’s aspirations through various education and sports initiatives in collaboration with NGOs as part of continued efforts to inspire children.

On International Day of Education, leaders across private sector and civil society have come together to launch LiftEd (Learning and Innovation in FLN to Transform Education) an initiative that will impact the lives of 4 million children in India across 5 years. With all partners working together to achieve these results, the diverse coalition that powers LiftEd is strengthening India’s education ecosystem, unlocking young India’s potential, and improving life chances for millions.

The Government of India has identified foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) as an ‘urgent and necessary prerequisite to learning’ and in 2021, launched the landmark NIPUN Bharat Mission to equip every child aged 4-10 with FLN skills by 2026-27. Recognising that collaborative action from the private sector and civil society can act as an ‘impact multiplier’ to bolster the government’s commitment to furthering India’s education goals, LiftEd brings a vibrant and diverse mix of education experts together to improve FLN in India, raising up to USD 20 million (INR 166 crore).

LiftEd is anchored by founding partners such as Atlassian Foundation, Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, British Asian Trust, the Maitri Trust, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Reliance Foundation, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS Optimus Foundation, and USAID. The British Asian Trust is the programme leader and Central Square Foundation and Dalberg Advisors are design and technical partners.

Given that FLN is understood as the ability to read and understand basic text and solve basic mathematical problems by the end of grade three, it is the cornerstone on which a child’s learning journey is built. Over 5 years, LiftEd’s ambition is to strengthen these ‘building blocks’ of learning through a dual approach: on-ground and at-home interventions.

LiftEd’s on-ground education partners are working with state governments and school facilitators in five geographies (Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar) to train them and build their capacity to improve FLN levels for public school children across grades 1-3. To achieve results at scale, working with stakeholders who influence education is critical and helps the education partners – Kaivalya Education Foundation, Language and Learning Foundation, Peepul, and Pratham Education Foundation – take a ‘systems change’ approach. As such, training block and district officers, school principals, and teachers enables LiftEd to positively impact more lives across a sustained period of time, as each person trained can have a ripple effect reaching several batches of students.

In parallel, LiftEd has also launched an EdTech Accelerator to develop digital solutions to improve FLN for low-income students in India. Eight innovative partners – Amira Learning, Chimple, Ei Mindspark, Pratham Education Foundation, Rocket Learning, Sesame Workshop, ThinkZone, and Top Parent – have been chosen to be a part of the EdTech Accelerator following a rigorous selection process. They are working towards developing high-quality and contextually relevant solutions focused on the bottom of the pyramid, and are receiving dedicated support in the form of mentorship, capacity building workshops, and funding through the Accelerator.

Since LiftEd is designed to incorporate principles of outcomes-based financing – collaboration, scale, innovation, and a razor-sharp focus on measurable outcomes – it puts transformational impact for children at the heart of its focus.

Quotes from the coalition of global partners:

Jagannatha Kumar, CEO, Reliance Foundation, said, "Providing children a strong start to their learning journey ensures them a bright future where they can fully realise their potential. Reliance Foundation shares this vision with all the consortium partners who have come together to launch LiftEd to foster learning and innovation in foundational literacy and numeracy. Bringing together the consortium’s collective strength and experience and aligning with the Government of India's NIPUN Bharat, LiftEd could prove life-changing for millions of children across India."

Mark Reading, Head, Atlassian Foundation, said, “We’re inspired by LiftEd because it incorporates many of the elements we believe can have an incredibly positive impact on education outcomes: a focus on impact, rather than activity, active government involvement, and the scaling of proven approaches, delivered by a first-rate team. We look forward to LiftEd and its partner organisations delivering life-changing FLN outcomes for millions of children across India.”

Amit Shah, Investment Director, Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, said, “We’re hugely excited about the potential of LiftEd. By working to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills at a systems level, we believe it can have a transformative impact on the lives of millions of children in India over the next four years, while also helping to shape the future of education in the country. LiftEd is also a great example of the power of partnerships in creating and scaling effective solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. Bridges is delighted to be able to contribute what we’ve learned from over a decade of delivering outcomes-based projects, and we’re really grateful to our partners on the SDG Outcomes initiative for helping us to bring this pioneering collaboration to life.”

Bharath Visweswariah, Executive Director India, British Asian Trust, said, "LiftEd will strengthen foundational learning skills for millions of children, setting them up for success later in life. By steering this initiative from conception to implementation and convening a coalition of experienced global partners, the British Asian Trust has created an opportunity to strengthen foundational learning in a scalable and sustainable manner. Applying our learnings from previous successes in education in India, we recognised the value of aligning with the Government of India's goals, embedding a systems-change approach and unlocking the power of technology early on."

Luke Aspinall, CEO, the Maitri Trust, said, “LiftEd aligns closely with Maitri’s strategic goals to improve primary school systems and foundational literacy and numeracy attainment, offering significant opportunity to make meaningful improvements in learner outcomes on a large scale. The initiative’s focus on systemic shifts, tying changes within the education system back to their subsequent impact on the child, could prove game changing for future systemic capacity building programmes. With ambitious targets to positively impact 4 million children, we believe joining this collaborative initiative will accelerate progress far beyond what we could achieve in isolation.”

Prachi Jain-Windlass, Senior Director, India Programs, The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, said, “The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is proud to partner with LiftEd consortium, which is a bold ecosystem initiative to improve and mainstream foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes in government schools. This will be the first development impact bond where the nonprofit organisations involved are achieving outcomes by building capacities in the government school system rather than implementing interventions directly. The Dell Foundation has always been supportive of such innovative projects which help the system achieve outsized impact on the lives of children. We look forward to the success of all the partners embarking on this journey.”

Karuna Bhatia, Head of Sustainability, Standard Chartered Bank India & Global Business Services, said, “As a company whose Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ethos includes investment in development of the regions where we operate, being a part of LiftEd is a clear pathway towards our goals. Through this unique initiative, we will strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy, identified as the highest priority of the education system by the Government of India, for millions of children across India, generating far-reaching, long-lasting impact.”

Dhun Davar, Head of Social Finance UBS Optimus Foundation and Head of Social Impact & Philanthropy, India and Middle East, said: “In our experience, outcomes-based finance can be a powerful way to improve learning outcomes for millions of school children around the world, including India. Building on a strong track record of outcomes contracts in education in India, we are delighted to come together with our partners to launch LiftEd and strengthen basic numeracy and literacy skills using both classroom-based and home-schooling tools.”

Veena Reddy, Mission Director, USAID/India, said, “Around the world, USAID supports quality education and literacy programs, paving the way for a more equitable and prosperous global future. In India, USAID partners with the government, civil society, and private sector to promote innovative and scalable solutions that will have local reach and can have global impact. USAID is pleased to support LiftEd to invest in the future of India and the world.

Shaveta Sharma-Kukreja, CEO & MD, Central Square Foundation, said, "LiftEd resonates closely with CSF's core mission to improve FLN outcomes at scale in India, both in schools and at home. A key component of LiftEd is nurturing the development of high-quality EdTech solutions through the EdTech Accelerator. Among the numerous EdTech organisations in India, only a small proportion focus on foundational learning, and even fewer are built for low-income users. The LiftEd Accelerator adopts a unique approach to solving this by catalysing the supply of diverse, innovative EdTech solutions and by galvanising demand for at-home learning, hence meaningfully contributing to achieving NIPUN Bharat's learning goals."

Dayoung Lee, Partner, Dalberg, said, “While the pandemic exacerbated India’s learning crisis, there is now an extraordinary window of opportunity to accelerate outcomes on foundational learning through the government’s NIPUN Bharat Mission. LiftEd rides on this momentum to scale effective school-based solutions and innovative home-based EdTech solutions. Dalberg is excited to be a part of this ambitious initiative – unprecedented in raising the stakes for outcomes while working through government systems. I believe it is our best shot at achieving impact at scale.”

Partners at a glance

Founding partners
Atlassian Foundation, Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, British Asian Trust, the Maitri Trust, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Reliance Foundation, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS Optimus Foundation, and USAID.

Design and technical partners
British Asian Trust (Programme Leader), Central Square Foundation, Dalberg Advisors

Education partners
On-ground: Kaivalya Education Foundation, Language and Learning Foundation, Peepul, Pratham Education Foundation At-home: Amira Learning, Chimple, Ei Mindspark, Pratham Education Foundation, Rocket Learning, Sesame Workshop India, ThinkZone, and Top Parent

Evaluation partners
On-ground: ConveGenius Insights, Development Solutions
At-home: Educational Initiatives, Sambodhi, Prof Tarun Jain (IIM Ahmedabad), Principal Investigator on the EdTech Accelerator evaluation studies

• Over 58,000 applications from students in 5,500+ educational institutions
• Diverse cohort of scholars from all streams of study selected on merit-cum-means basis for one of India’s largest, inclusive and diverse higher education scholarships
• Selected first-year UG students will receive grants of up to Rs. 2 lakh over the course of their study, become part of a strong capacity-building programme and a vibrant alumni network

Five thousand students have been selected from a country-wide application pool for the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships 2023-24, results for which were announced today. The scholarship, one of India’s largest, inclusive and diverse scholarship initiatives for higher education, awards undergraduate students a grant of up to Rs. 2 lakh and an opportunity to be part of its vibrant and enabling alumni network.

Across 35 states and UTs of India, 58,000 students studying at more than 5,500 educational institutions had applied for the scholarships. The final 5000 have been selected through a systematic merit-cum-means process. In addition to their performance in the aptitude test and their Grade 12 marks, 75% of the selected students have an annual household income of less than 2.5 lakh rupees.

To know the outcome of their application, applicants can visit https://reliancefoundation.org/ugscholarships_2023-24_results.

The Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships aim to support students in any stream of study to lift themselves, their communities and contribute to India’s future socio-economic development. It selects students on merit-cum-means basis and enables them in continuing their undergraduate studies without financial burden.

As part of its overarching vision for education, excellence and innovation, Reliance Foundation is constantly intensifying efforts to ensure the selection of a strong, diverse, merit-cum-means cohort of undergraduate students, unlock the potential of youth and take the nation to greater heights. Till date, over 23,136 student scholarships have been awarded, out of which 48% are girls and 3,001 are students with disabilities.

This year’s cohort includes students from all subject streams including Commerce, Arts, Business/Management, Computer Applications, Science, Medicine, Law, Education, Hospitality, Architecture, Engineering/Technology and other undergraduate degrees.

Reliance has been awarding scholarships since 1996. Strengthening this commitment in December 2022, on the 90th birth anniversary of Reliance’s Founder-Chairman Shri. Dhirubhai Ambani, Mrs Nita Ambani, Reliance Foundation Founder & Chairperson, announced that Reliance Foundation will award 50,000 scholarships over the next 10 years. This announcement on the 5000 selected scholars for 2023-24 takes forward Reliance’s consistent commitment to education and nurturing students towards building India’s future.