Light Atelier promotes interactive learning centred on the science of light and shadows and opened with Reliance Foundation ESA day for 100 children from under-resourced communities.

Mumbai, July 18, 2025: Reliance Foundation and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), in collaboration with Dadu, Children's Museum of Qatar, are excited to launch Museum in Residence: Light Atelier in Mumbai, running from July 19 to August 10, 2025. The interactive exhibition invites children aged 4 to 12 years old to discover the magic of light, shadow, and colour through playful, hands-on exploration.

On July 18, to mark the opening, 100 children from disadvantaged backgrounds were invited to enjoy a fun-filled experience at the Light Atelier exhibition, supported by Reliance Foundation's Education and Sports for All (ESA) initiative. Guided by Reliance's 'We Care' philosophy, ESA aims to inspire and empower children to dream big and achieve their potential, enabling educational opportunities and sports for children from all backgrounds. At the Light Atelier, the children explored the wonders of light and shadows through playful activities that aim to stimulate hands-on sensory discovery.

“At NMACC, we are deeply committed to education and expanding access to the arts—especially for young audiences,” said Ms Isha Ambani. “We're excited to partner with Dadu, Children's Museum of Qatar to bring their innovative Light Atelier programme to India for the very first time, as part of our beloved annual Bachpan children's festival. We opened this experience with a day dedicated to children from under-resourced communities through the Reliance Foundation ESA programme. This collaboration reflects our shared dedication and commitment to nurturing learning by designing meaningful experiences that inspire young children's creativity and imagination through play."Blending elements of art, science, and design, the exhibition celebrates creativity, exploration, and the natural wonder that illuminates every child's imagination. Light Atelier is part of Dadu's Museum in Residence initiative, which, focusing on learning-through-play as the pedagogical approach, transforms conventional spaces into immersive, playful learning environments for children. Held in an intentionally crafted space on the same floor as the Infinity Room by Yayoi Kusama, Light Atelier encourages children to imagine, experiment and create as they engage with light sources, reflections, colours, and shadows at seven different open-ended stations. Using simple materials and limitless possibilities, the exhibition inspires children to see the world through a fresh lens. The programme does not require much teacher/parent intervention, instead allowing for free play, risk-taking, active learning and trial and error that is essential to childhood development.

Blending elements of art, science, and design, the exhibition celebrates creativity, exploration, and the natural wonder that illuminates every child's imagination. Light Atelier is part of Dadu's Museum in Residence initiative, which, focusing on learning-through-play as the pedagogical approach, transforms conventional spaces into immersive, playful learning environments for children. Held in an intentionally crafted space on the same floor as the Infinity Room by Yayoi Kusama, Light Atelier encourages children to imagine, experiment and create as they engage with light sources, reflections, colours, and shadows at seven different open-ended stations. Using simple materials and limitless possibilities, the exhibition inspires children to see the world through a fresh lens. The programme does not require much teacher/parent intervention, instead allowing for free play, risk-taking, active learning and trial and error that is essential to childhood development.

This is the first time this initiative has been implemented in India, and the programme coincides with NMACC's annual Bachpan festival. This festival celebrates the joys of childhood with activations across dance, music, theatre, storytelling, visual art, games, interactive workshops, live science, and more. This year's edition is the most colourful and creative yet, from parent-child sessions to guided introductions to Kathak, Carnatic music, radio jockeying, and Gond and Lippan art. Light Atelier will enhance the already beloved Bachpan festival and is an extension of NMACC's dedication to education and to bringing the best of arts and culture to India, as well as Reliance Foundation's mission to create a strong foundation for lifelong learning and childhood development.

The exhibition aims to reach a broad audience through ticketed entries and school outreach programmes, hosting and providing packages for local schools to bring their children to experience the exhibition.

* To positively impact students across 700 education institutions

* The first in a series of joint regional events aimed at strengthening India's skilling ecosystem

Bhopal, April 17, 2025: Reliance Foundation and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) launched Future Ready Skills Initiative to empower 5 lakh students across 700 educational institutions, including colleges, polytechnics, and ITIs in Madhya Pradesh. The initiative was launched at the MP Future Ready Skills conclave organised today at Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya.

Aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 and the Skill India Mission, the Future Ready Skills Initiative offers 100 courses in emerging fields like EdTech, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence to prepare India's youth for jobs of tomorrow. At the end of the course trainings, students will undergo AI-proctored online assessments to evaluate their proficiency in the courses, ensuring fair and secure evaluations.

In February 2024, Reliance Foundation and NSDC announced their partnership, followed by the launch of the Reliance Foundation Skilling Academy in September 2024.

The MP Future Ready Skills conclave is the first in a series of regional events by the two organisations. Policymakers, industry leaders, and academia discussed integration of skilling with mainstream education while students shared impact of their skilling journeys.

Delivering the keynote address at the conclave, Shri Raghuraj Rajendran, IAS, Secretary, Technical Education, Skill Development & Employment, Government of Madhya Pradesh, emphasised the critical role of aligning with the industry requirement in skill development and technical education for a rapidly evolving job market. “All stakeholders in the skilling process need to take up the responsibility for suitably facilitating an environment where skilling happens with quality, utility, efficiency, sustainability and also provides timely access to everyone,” he said.

Shri Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO of NSDC and MD of NSDC International, said, “The initiative will transform the future of over 5 lakh students by giving them practical skills in fields like AI, cybersecurity, and others. By aligning education with industry needs, we are preparing our youth to lead India's technological revolution. Through quality training, industry partnerships, and proper assessment, we are taking concrete steps towards Prime Minister Modi's vision of making India the skill capital of the world."

Smt. Nupur Bahl, Head, Skilling, Reliance Foundation, said, “At Reliance Foundation, we believe that future-ready skills are not just about adapting to change — they are about leading it. Through our partnership with NSDC and higher education institutions across the country, we are expanding access to high-quality skills trainings that empower young people. Together, we aim to build a workforce that is agile, resilient, and equipped to thrive in the jobs of tomorrow."

The Future Ready Skills Initiative aims to drive the establishment of placement cells, international certification alignments, industry partnerships, and online student outreach. For effective delivery of courses, a series of Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes will be conducted for lecturers and professors in identified higher education institutions. Students also earn credits from their institutions up on course completion. So far, the Future Ready Skills Initiative has reached more than 1 lakh youth in various other parts of the country.

At the conclave in Bhopal, experts discussed key issues such as aligning education with industry advancements, updating curricula to integrate emerging technologies, strengthening industry-academia collaboration, and emphasising soft skills.

Panellists included Shri Niraj Sahay, Director, External Relations, SSRGSP; Shri Alok Kumar, CEO, NSDC International; Smt. Nupur Bahl, Head, Skilling, Reliance Foundation; Dr. Sudhir S Bhadoria, Director, University Institute of Technology, RGPV; Shri Vijay Bajpai, CHRO, Symbiotic Pharmalab Pvt Ltd; and Prof. (Dr.) Lt Gen R K Anand, COO, KEDMAN.

Students shared their skilling journeys with the Future Ready Skills Initiative, highlighting the critical role the initiative plays in empowering youth with real-world, industry-relevant skills.

To access courses under the Future Ready Skills Initiative, visit Reliance Foundation Skilling Academy www.rfskillingacademy.com.

About NSDC

Giving boost to Indian Government Skill India Mission, NSDC, a nodal skill development agency, working under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, is a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) that aims to catalyze the creation of a large and quality vocational training ecosystem in India. Since inception, NSDC has trained over three crore people in different sectors through its collaboration with training partners pan India. NSDC has established 37 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and implements the Government's flagship skill development schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), among others. NSDC also funds enterprises, companies and organizations that provide skill training. The organization enables private-sector capacity building in skill development by offering concessional loans, other innovative financial products, and strategic partnerships. For more information, please visit https://nsdcindia.org.

Reliance Foundation supports up to 5,000 meritorious undergraduate students from underprivileged sections of society studying any stream of their choice through the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships, and 100 of India's brightest postgraduate students studying eligible subjects in new technologies through the Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarships.

As the Lead of the Scholarships Programme at Reliance Foundation, I have the privilege of being part of these pathbreaking initiatives, that have the potential to shape the futures of these meritorious scholars.

Beyond its generous financial support, these scholarships aim to nurture and empower meritorious students and work together to generate robust, vibrant and engaged alumni networks, enabling scholars to pursue higher education, emerge as young professionals, and drive India’s growth.

From sifting through applications to witnessing the transformative impact of education as each scholar progresses on their academic journey, the journey is both rewarding and inspiring.

Behind the scenes, the process of selecting scholarship recipients is thorough and meticulous and as you can imagine, an immense responsibility – as our aim is to ensure that the process is fair and extremely thorough.

First, however, is the base:

To ensure that students in their educational journey connect with the work we do, we build strong relationships with educational institutions. We also engage with non-profit organizations and individuals who share our vision of empowering youth to pursue their dreams and aspirations. Together, we amplify our effort to reach more individuals and communities in need – so they may benefit from this initiative for potential long-lasting positive impact on their life.

We review countless applications, each representing a unique story and journey. From academic transcripts to essays, recommendation letters to extracurricular activities, every aspect of an applicant's profile is carefully evaluated to ensure that the most deserving candidates are chosen. This is often a very tough call as there are many exceptional students who apply. While academic achievements are important, we also recognise the significance of being an all-rounded individual. We seek individuals who possess not only intellectual prowess but also values of Excellence, Leadership Potential, Integrity, Community Commitment, Growth mindset and Courage.

The process for selecting recipients of the Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship is meticulous and rigorous. An expert panel, comprising individuals with extensive experience and expertise in relevant fields, works to identify the best candidates. This panel meticulously evaluates each application submitted by students, considering factors such as academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, and essays submitted by the student. Following the initial evaluation, a select group of candidates are invited to participate in an interview round. This interview serves as an opportunity for the panel to interact directly with the candidates, delve deeper into their academic and career aspirations, and assess their suitability for the scholarship. The interview process enables the panel to gain valuable insights into the candidates' personal qualities, different skills, and potential for leadership.

Through this comprehensive screening process, we aim to identify the most outstanding and promising talent in India for the prestigious Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship.

The process of awarding the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship is designed to be inclusive and comprehensive, considering both academic achievements and financial needs of the candidates. With this merit and means-based criteria, we consider also scores obtained by candidates in the Scholarship Aptitude Test for the selection process. The Scholarship Aptitude tests assess a candidate's verbal ability, analytical and logical ability and numerical ability. These scores provide valuable insights into the candidates. This holistic approach ensures that meritorious students, especially from difficult socioeconomic backgrounds, have access to educational opportunities and can fulfill their potential.

The Reliance Foundation Scholarships extend beyond financial support, as our objective is also to look at how we can empower students with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experiences to thrive academically, professionally, and personally.

Through the year for instance, we conduct activities such as:

Capacity Building with various elements such as skill-building trainings, leadership training, personality development sessions, etc. to ensure overall growth and success.

Expert Interactions so students engage directly with experts from various fields relevant to their academic or career interests, through seminars or workshops.

Internship opportunities offering exposure to real-world industry scenarios, for practical knowledge and insights into chosen fields, also bridging the academic – industry gap.·

Volunteering opportunities for a sense of social responsibility, to develop empathy, teamwork, and communication along with an avenue for self-discovery.

Committed to continuous learning and improvement, we reflect on our processes, engage with stakeholders and adapt to changing needs. By staying agile and responsive, we aim to ensure that our scholarships remain relevant and impactful.

There are a lot of aspects of my work that bring me contentment and joy. Every scholarship awarded represents an investment in the future, a future where opportunities are accessible to all, regardless of background or circumstance.

One particularly interesting part is observing the interviews for the Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarships, which are conducted by an expert panel. It offers an insight into the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations of the candidates. Each interview brings a unique perspective shedding light on their personal journey, challenges overcome and dreams for the future. These interviews uplift and reinforce my belief in the limitless potential of every individual to make a positive impact on themselves, their community and the world at large.

Another fulfilling aspect is celebrating scholar successes. Whether hearing they have landed their dream job or institution for further studies, witnessing the transformative impact of these scholarships is a testament to the power of our efforts. Most of all, however, meeting the scholars in-person is by far the most enjoyable part of my work. It allows that moving personal connect with students impacted by the scholarships. It also helps me build a meaningful relationship and a sense of camaraderie as we together share in the journey towards success and personal growth. As I continue on this journey, I remain inspired by the resilience and determination of our scholars, knowing that together, we are shaping a brighter tomorrow.

We are delighted to announce the results of the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships 2024-25. This year, one lakh first-year undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds across all States and Union Territories of India applied for the prestigious Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships.

Here's how you can check your result:

Step 1: Click here to visit the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships 2024-25 results page

Step 2: Enter your 17-digit Application Number or registered Email Id

Step 3: Click on submit button

The application status is categorised as "Shortlisted", "Waitlisted" and "Not Shortlisted".

Students who are shortlisted, please note that if any of the information provided by you in written or oral form is found to be inaccurate, misleading or false, Reliance Foundation will have the right to withdraw and/or terminate any such award of scholarship offered with immediate effect.

We will reach out to those on the waitlist by 31st January, 2025 if there are any further updates on their status of selection.

The announcement of the selected Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholars for 2024-25 is expected in the coming months. The applications call for the next round of the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships (2025-’25) will be made in the next academic year.

Please note: Reliance Foundation and its associated entities never solicit or accept monies by way of deposits or otherwise to offer any scholarship or other benefits. Members of the public are advised not to deal with such unscrupulous persons or fall prey to such fraudulent activities.

*Reliance Foundation is collaborating with the Government of Maharashtra through play-based learning techniques for 700 Anganwadi Workers and Supervisors to reach 10,000 children

*Inauguration of Anganwadi Learning Labs network held at Rayte village in Kalyan, Maharashtra on Friday as a step forward in this direction

*Reliance Foundation aims to create conducive teaching and learning environments through a network of 24 Anganwadi Learning Labs as demonstration, training and innovation spaces

Mumbai, December 13, 2024: In a significant step towards strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Maharashtra, a network of 24 Anganwadi Learning Labs was launched at an event in Rayte village in Kalyan today. This is a part of Reliance Foundation’s strategic partnership with the Government of Maharashtra in early childhood care and education in the state. The launch of the network of Anganwadi Learning Labs is an important milestone in this direction to foster age-appropriate development outcomes among three to six-year-old children.

Over 250 parents, children and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme officials were part of the formal launch on Friday, sharing their aspirations and perspectives for the centre.

Reliance Foundation, is dedicated to enhancing ECCE. Through this partnership in Maharashtra, to improve the learning and development of young children, Reliance Foundation is also creating Anganwadi Learning Labs as demonstration, training and innovation spaces.

Speaking at the launch event, Shri Kailash Pagare, I.A.S., Commissioner, ICDS, Government of Maharashtra said, "Reliance Foundation has partnered with ICDS Maharashtra on the Early Childhood Care and Education Initiative. Through this partnership, we are leveraging their expertise and resources for all-round development of children. We strongly believe, this initiative will improve the quality of Early Childhood Care and Education services in the Anganwadi centres, ensuring a strong foundation for our children’s future."

“We are privileged to partner with the Government of Maharashtra to empower frontline Anganwadi workers, who play a crucial role in early childhood development, and recognising the role of parents, especially a mother in a child’s early years. The launch of the Anganwadi Learning Labs is an important moment in this direction. Reliance Foundation will continue to work with the government to build on these initiatives”, said a spokesperson from Reliance Foundation.

Reliance Foundation will provide capacity building on play-based learning techniques for 700 Anganwadi Workers and Supervisors as well as focusing on parental and community engagement activities for development of the child. Age-appropriate books, digital and learning infrastructure, besides child friendly WASH facilities, aligned to Saksham Anganwadi guidelines are being provided in revamped Anganwadi spaces. These efforts aim to enhance children’s school readiness, as well as their numeracy and literacy skills and the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Rigorous training programmes and continuous support will reach over 10,000 children across Maharashtra. This aligns with Reliance Foundation’s vision to provide world-class early childhood care and education to over 10 million children from disadvantaged communities across India.

Reliance Foundation is working intensively on ECCE across India, along with various state governments through models for capacity building, community engagement and enabling environments to lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning and development for India’s children and youth.

* Reliance employees engage children from disadvantaged communities with inspiring storytelling, art and other activities

* During the week of Children’s Day, the initiative will reach about 22,000 children, including children from over 1,100 Anganwadis

* The outreach efforts with children will continue over the next few weeks across India

Reliance Foundation’s Kahani Kala Khushi is back! This year’s initiative kicked off on Children’s Day to inspire children across schools and Anganwadi centres through storytelling and other activities across India over the next few weeks.

As part of this initiative, employee volunteers from across Reliance businesses, representatives of organisations partnering with Reliance Foundation in this initiative and communities will engage with children from disadvantaged backgrounds. During the week, the initiative will reach about 22,000 children.

Marking Children’s Day on Thursday, the initiative began at a government school in Mumbai, where over 400 Reliance employees volunteered engaged 3,800 children through storytelling, art, outdoor and indoor games. Over the next few days, hundreds of such volunteers will engage with children across the country.

In Maharashtra and Telangana, the initiative began in 63 Anganwadis for pre-school aged children on Thursday and is set to reach 18,000 children in more than 1,100 Anganwadis during November 14 – 16.

Kahani Kala Khushi initiative aims to build communication skills and confidence in children along with their cognitive functioning, driven by Reliance Foundation’s commitment to children and youth as a core area of our work the aim is to build aspirations of young people to shape a strong and prosperous nation.

Reliance Foundation is committed to spreading joy among children from disadvantaged communities around this time of the year for over a decade now. This year’s Kahani Kala Khushi initiative is an intensive effort to combine storytelling and art with inspiration to engage children. Last year’s initiative was held in 25 cities reaching out to over 17,000 children.

• 5000 Merit-cum-means undergraduate scholarships up to Rs. 2 lakhs each and 100 postgraduate scholarships for excellence up to Rs. 6 lakhs each
• The Reliance Foundation Scholarship comprises a strong capacity building programme throughout the scholar’s journey
• Last date to apply is October 6, 2024
• This is part of Reliance Foundation’s 2022 commitment of 50,000 scholarships over 10 years.

Reliance Foundation announced the launch of applications for its prestigious scholarship programme for the academic year 2024-25 to identify, support and mentor 5,100 outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate students across India.

The Reliance Foundation Scholarships aim to nurture excellence and empower youth to be at the forefront of leading India’s growth story. Through holistic support and a generous financial grant, the scholarships help students achieve their academic and professional aspirations. First-year undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing full-time regular degree courses from institutes across India are eligible to apply.

The Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships strive to enable talented students to realise their dreams to become successful professionals and unlocking their potential to contribute towards India’s future socio-economic development. They will be awarded to 5,000 meritorious students based on a merit-cum-means criteria for their undergraduate college education, empowering them to continue their studies without financial burden.

The Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarships will select 100 exceptional meritorious students from future-ready courses in Engineering, Technology, Energy and Life Sciences with potential to contribute to creating a new India. All scholarships will be awarded based on academic merit and aptitude and will cover the duration of the degree programmes. The initiative is designed to recognise and develop exceptional talent who think big, think green and think digital for the benefit of society.

In addition to grants of up to Rs. 2 lakhs for undergraduate students and Rs. 6 lakhs for postgraduate students, Reliance Foundation Scholarships provide mentorship, access to industry leaders and experts for career advice besides professional development, leadership development opportunities through workshops, seminars and events to enhance skills, along with community engagement to contribute to societal development through service and outreach programmes.

Education is at the heart of Reliance Foundation’s work, from early childhood to quality higher education. In December 2022, on Reliance's Founder-Chairman Shri Dhirubhai Ambani’s 90th birth anniversary Mrs Nita Ambani, Reliance Foundation Founder & Chairperson, announced Reliance Foundation’s additional commitment of 50,000 scholarships over the next 10 years, making it India’s largest private scholarships. Since then, 5100 students have been awarded scholarships every year.

Till date, Reliance has provided over 23,000 higher education scholarships.

Former Reliance Foundation Scholars through the mentoring and exposure from the Scholarships have embarked on rewarding careers and academic and professional journeys. This year’s launch marks the opportunity for yet another cohort of highly talented students to benefit from this rewarding journey.

Application portal: Students can apply online through scholarships.reliancefoundation.org

The selection process includes an evaluation of aptitude and economic background for the undergraduate student. For the postgraduate scholarships, academic achievements, personal statements, and interviews are part of a competitive selection process to identify the cream of talent from across India.

The deadline for applications is 6 October, 2024.

About the Conference

Building Flourishing Futures: Early Childhood Care and Education, hosted by Reliance Foundation, is a two-day conference which will convene leading voices from across India and internationally to reaffirm early childhood care and education's crucial role in children’s holistic growth and well-being.

The conference is poised to become an innovation hub bringing together key stakeholders in the early childhood care and education ecosystem. This includes a diverse set of stakeholders from the private and public ecosystems in India – including pre-schools, Anganwadis, researchers, foundations and policymakers. It seeks to cultivate a shared understanding of the importance of play-based learning, combining Indian and global learnings and best practices with actionable, adaptable strategies to enhance early childhood care and education.

The conference has been designed to provide a vibrant, interactive platform for discussion and learning. Delegates can expect a dynamic agenda filled with inspiring talks, masterclasses, and hands-on learning stations, all showcasing the latest in early childhood care and education.

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.

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.