Colgate India increases water for livelihoods and women empowerment programs in rural Rajasthan

Udaipur, Rajasthan: As an extension to Colgate Palmolive (India) Limited’s Water for Livelihoods & Women Empowerment program, in partnership with NGO Seva Mandir a water anicut and water conservation literacy program was inaugurated in the tribal area Aadh of Alsigarh village, in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Inaugurated by seniors from Colgate India and Seva Mandir, this program focuses on offering holistic and sustainable solutions to communities, majorly women.

Based on Colgate’s 2025 Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy, while a water anicut restoration initiative helps an entire village, there are several (over hundred) such restorations that will help recharge over 600 wells till 2025. This will also provide over fifty thousand people access to water and about sixty thousand with financial and digital literacy in the region.

Prabha Narasimhan, Managing Director, Colgate-Palmolive India present at the event said, “Conserving and treating water is a cornerstone of Colgate-Palmolive’s 2025 Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy, vital to our overall mission to create a healthy and sustainable future. We’re ensuring water stewardship, security and resilience across our value chain, thus protecting ecosystems and supporting water access in our communities. We have been working closely with Seva Mandir, our NGO partner, to improve the social and economic status of women in Rajasthan by ensuring water accessibility and livelihood-based women-empowerment programs. Through this program we are committed to scale the impact of our water program.”

Ronak Shah, Chief Executive, Seva Mandir, commented, “The partnership with Colgate Palmolive has been very valuable for Seva Mandir. It has led to important innovative interventions of rejuvenating water structures in remote hilly regions and of enhancing financial digital literacy of women. A new component of Water Conservation Literacy is a new addition, which is of immense need today. Our gratitude to Colgate Palmolive (India) Limited for deep commitment towards water and community empowerment.”

In a short period of time the program has positively impacted more than 30,000 villagers specially women through farm based livelihood initiatives and Financial & Digital Literacy. 30 water anicuts have been restored, which has helped recharge 300+ wells and replenished 128 million litres of water.