Rajasthan is known for its beautiful palaces especially tourist attractions of historical ages like the royal forts and palaces, unique culture, topography and mouthwatering cuisine. Economically, it is an important state in the country as it houses 90 per cent of the country’s total mineral reserves and is an extremely popular tourism destination for travel lovers from across the globe. Economic opportunity and poverty go hand in hand in the state of Rajasthan making it an attractive destination for CSR.
In FY 2022-23, Rajasthan was recipient of Rs. 1102.37 Cr. in CSR funds from 1544 companies. The top three areas of focus for CSR initiatives in the state were Education which received Rs. 399.89 Cr. through CSR initiatives, Environment received Rs. 246.98 Cr., and Health that received Rs. 231.39 Cr. in CSR funds. The top recipient district in the state was Udaipur, the city of lakes in Rajasthan. Udaipur received Rs. 195.55 Cr. in CSR funds followed by Jaipur at Rs. 179.94 Cr., and Bhilwara at Rs. 107.6 Cr.
Top CSR initiatives in Rajasthan
Major flagship programmes and latest CSR initiatives in Rajasthan inlcude:
CSR for Livelihoods and Education in rural Rajasthan
The Sandeep Aggarwal Foundation has announced a collaboration with the Vanvasi Raksha Parivar Foundation to enhance educational opportunities and support sustainable livelihoods in two underserved villages in Rajasthan, empowering local communities by providing essential resources and fostering self-reliance.
The partnership will primarily have two major focus points: education and livelihoods. The team will be implementing programs to improve access to quality education for children, aiming to increase school retention rates and academic performance by educating them. The team plans to introduce skill development workshops and providing resources to promote economic independence among villagers.
The Vanvasi Raksha Parivar Foundation, known for its grassroots efforts in rural development, will collaborate closely with the Sandeep Aggarwal Foundation to ensure the effective implementation of these programs.
World’s first industrial Zinc Park coming up in Rajasthan – CSR of Hindustan Zinc
Vedanta’s Hindustan Zinc is planning to establish the world’s first industrial Zinc Park in Rajasthan. The ambitious not-for-profit Zinc Park is poised to serve as a transformative industrial ecosystem, driving both upstream and downstream industries in metals and manufacturing.
The proposed Zinc Park will be strategically located near Hindustan Zinc’s state-of-the-art facilities, including the world’s largest single-location zinc-lead smelter at Chanderiya, Chittorgarh, and top-tier plants at Dariba and Debari. It will create jobs and offer world-class infrastructure, developed industrial land, reliable utilities, a steady supply of raw materials and competitive costs, enabling businesses to seamlessly establish their operations.
The park will operate entirely on renewable energy, aligning with Hindustan Zinc’s commitment to sustainability. It will provide a comprehensive platform for industries, ranging from large enterprises to MSMEs and budding entrepreneurs with initial investments as low as Rs. 5 crores, catering to sectors requiring zinc, lead, silver, and related byproducts. Additionally, the park will serve suppliers, offering a cost-effective and resource-efficient environment for raw material, maintenance services and equipment suppliers.
CSR of Delhivery to enhance Educational Infrastructure in Rajasthan
Logistics service provider Delhivery in partnership with the Samarpann , has launched a transformative initiative to uplift educational infrastructure in three government schools across remote villages in Rajasthan. The schools now benefit from sustainable solar power and clean drinking water systems, significantly improving the learning environment for over 80 students. This effort marks a meaningful step toward enhancing educational access and fostering healthier, brighter futures for these children.
For students in rural areas, quality education is often hindered by the lack of essential infrastructure, including reliable electricity and safe drinking water. The new CSR project aims to bridge these gaps by installing 3-kWh solar power systems in each school. These systems provide a stable energy source for lighting, classroom equipment, and other essential facilities, eliminating the dependence on polluting and expensive diesel generators. This move aligns with India’s climate goals while ensuring uninterrupted learning experiences.
Football Academy by Hindustan Zinc Ltd.
Football Academy is a pioneering effort by Mining major Hindustan Zinc Ltd. (a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited.) in Rajasthan to identify local football talent at an early age and train them to be Indian Football Stars. The objective of the project is to initiate a large scale holistic Football programme for strengthening grassroots community connect by setting up the HZL Football Academy as well as Community Football Centers in communities around HZL operations; identifying talented young footballers from Rajasthan; training them using the latest methodologies and technological interventions to create Indian Football stars.
The project has 4 pillars:
Community Outreach Programme – Geared to generate mass community engagement in football. 64 Community Football Centers are being set up in select communities around HZL operations. Children coming to these centers receive training for 2 hours a day for 3 days a week. Goal-Post campaigns to train 32 local community coaches have also been initiated. In just 4 months since the initiation of the Project, the outreach programme reached out to 2500 children from Zawar, Debari and Dariba. Talent Hunts are being initiated across Rajasthan. Given the interest shown by girls during outreach camps, plans have been put in place to explore possibilities of forming girls Football teams in the Community Football Centers.
HZL Football Academy – Set up as a residential programme for the most talented players. Training is provided by highly qualified expert coaches using world class infrastructure facilities, latest scientific methodologies and technology. The students selected for this football Centre of Excellence receive intensive football training as well as formal education till class 12. The Academy now has a capacity of 80 boys.
Performance Analysis Center – A high technology centre to provide world class scientific and technological training facilities to local football talents from an early age. It is being built at Zawar and will be ready by February 2018.
Zinc Football League – The best way to become a football champion is to play football matches and to win games and championships. A grassroots football league is being created to strengthen community connect and to give our young champions a taste of playing real games.
Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited’s 1962 toll free number
Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited (a 100% subsidiary of IndusInd Bank Limited) has announced the launch of Rajasthan state level call center – ‘1962’ under the Bharat Sanjeevani initiative. The state level call center is a joint initiative by the Government of Rajasthan, IndusInd Bank Limited (IBL) and Bharat Financial Inclusion Limited (BFIL). This innovative initiative aims to provide doorstep veterinary services, artificial insemination, and animal husbandry information to livestock farmers across the state.
The project will cover livestock in more than 45,000 villages in all the blocks of Rajasthan by deploying 536 Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs). The establishment of the centralised state level call center at Jaipur will be synergised with the door-step delivery of veterinary services. By dialling the toll-free number – 1962 the livestock farmers can connect with veterinary experts and request service.
Building on the momentum of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by BFIL & IBL with the Animal Husbandry Department of the Government of Rajasthan, efforts were directed towards the establishment of the state level call center. This call centre supports the Mobile Veterinary Units, a crucial initiative under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme launched by the Government of India. The launch marks the successful culmination of BFIL, IBL and Govt. of Rajasthan efforts to operationalise the call centre, a significant milestone to enhance veterinary care and disease control in Rajasthan.
Vedanta Nand Ghar
Nand Ghars are a flagship social impact project dedicated to benefit rural children and women in India. A measure undertaken by Vedanta Resources Ltd. under the Anil Agarwal Foundation Initiative, together with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), the project aims at progress of rural India.
Nand Ghar has 200 centres across Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district. A network of a model Anganwadi, Nand Ghar provides pre-school education through e-learning, BaLa designs, and smart kits. Nand Ghars are equipped with solar panels to ensure 24X7 electricity, water purifiers, clean toilets, and smart television sets and have become a model resource centre for the local communities. Pre-school education is provided to children in the age group of 3-6 years. Nutritious meals and take-home rations are being provided for children, pregnant and lactating women. Primary healthcare services are rendered through mobile health vans & telemedicine facilities and women are empowered through skilling, credit linkage, and enterprise development.
To transform the lives of women and children, Vedanta signed a MOU with the Government of Rajasthan last year to develop 25,000 Nand Ghars across 13 districts.
ICICI Rural Self-Employment Training Institutes
The Central government’s Ministry of Rural Development (MORD) has roped in banks to set up RSETIs (Rural Self Employment Training Institutes) for young people from rural communities. On behalf of ICICI Bank CSR, the Foundation has been managing a residential RSETI in Udaipur and its satellite centres for a decade. Satellite centres provide doorstep training and flexible courses on location.
ICICI RSETIs have a high success rate, with more than 75% of the trainees continuing gainful employment long after they have passed out; nearly 58% are women. The curriculum is designed after surveying local employers. There are skilling courses in more than 30 trades, which also align with the guidelines of the National Skills Qualifications Framework. Other activities include roadshows and Ratri Choupal gatherings to generate interest in entrepreneurship.
These centres build micro-entrepreneurs and attempt to walk them through the venture end-to-end support. They will inform them about credit schemes from the government, fill out application forms and show the procedure to set up their business enterprise. There are follow-ups for two years after training where the team checks up on their progress.
CSR of HDFC Bank
HDFC bank’s CSR initiatives in Rajasthan mainly focus on rural development initiatives, education, vocational skill training and healthcare. HDFC Bank Parivartan, the bank’s umbrella programme for social initiatives impacted lives of over 35.43 lakh people in Rajasthan in the FY 2020-21, as per their announcement. The bank reached out to 132 villages across 13 districts – Bhilwara, Sikar, Baran, Alwar, Jaipur, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Dhaulpur, Jaisalmer, Karauli, Dausa, Pali, Rajasmand and Alwar. #Parivartan aims at mainstreaming economically & socially-challenged groups across the country by ushering growth, development and empowerment.
HDFC Bank’s Holistic Rural Development Programme (HRDP) includes farm and nonfarm-based livelihood, water conservation, on-ground training for farmers, creation of Farmer Producer Organisations, sanitation and Natural Resource Management. The bank facilitates livelihood enhancement opportunities, particularly for women and youth, primarily in agriculture and allied areas such as dairy and poultry. The objective is to help them find jobs locally, enhance their household income and discourage migration.
The bank aims to reduce the carbon and ecological footprint of communities by promoting clean and renewable energy solutions. This includes undertaking projects such as tree plantation for carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. In addition, it is providing solar home lights, biomass chulha, biogas plant, solar study lamp, and a solar irrigation unit, covering 25% of the households in each village. The biomass stoves have helped improve indoor air quality, creating a direct positive impact on women’s health.
HDFC Bank is implementing a programme to promote education in line with India’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan. Under this theme, a multi-faceted support is provided to schools, to enhance the quality of education – which includes training the teachers, providing scholarships and career guidance to students, as well as infrastructure support to schools, such as building toilets and improving classrooms.
The Bank has dedicated programmes for improving teachers’ skills and scaling up no-cost solutions for improving existing systems and processes. It has also been working towards establishing libraries, scientific labs and digital classrooms. Under this theme, the aim is to enhance the quality of education in government schools through a three-dimensional, target-driven approach.
CSR of Honda Motorcycle And Scooter India
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI), a leader in two-wheeler manufacturing is a major spender in CSR projects in Rajasthan. The company has undertaken CSR initiatives like computer lab training and hardware (Gyantantra Digital Dost), water conservation projects through Self Help Groups, hospital upgradation and maintenance of toilets at community health centres in Alwar district.
Apart from these, they also have initiatives for education, health camps and mobile medical unit & static medical unit. Honda has invested in developing the existing local government Community Health Centres (CHC) in two locations around the Honda plants in Tapukara and Tijara in Alwar district. These include redevelopment of boundary walls, post-mortem room, parking area for ambulance, X-ray machines, medical equipment, first aid care, oxygen pipeline, cleaning staff and cleaning equipment, facilitating over 800 local residents.
The company’s water conservation projects through Self Help Groups in Alwar include construction and restoration of water structures and a dam in Kalikhol village, Skill development of an SHG by providing them training in the field of water conservation along with infrastructure development.
They have also supported the learning of 75,000 government school students in Rajasthan through a WhatsApp based home learning model. Honda has also developed playgrounds and sports ground facilities in the villages of Burera, Ishroda and Tapukara villages in Alwar district
Satya Bharti Schools
With a strong belief that education is critical to empower children, particularly in rural India, Bharti Foundation (the CSR arm of Bharti Enterprises) launched its flagship Satya Bharti School programme in 2006. The CSR programme imparts free, quality education to less privileged children of India. Currently, 28 schools are functioning in Jodhpur district, directly impacting the lives of over 170 teachers and 6,300 students with a 50-50 ratio of girls and boys and more than 75% being from disadvantaged communities.
All the schools provide free quality education to underprivileged children, with a special focus on the girl child. Specially designed girl-child policy, separate toilet for girls, one female teacher in each shift and special sensitization campaigns have been put in place to encourage parents to send their daughters to school. The curriculum followed in the schools is at par with curricular structures followed in schools across the country. It is also integrated with community campaigns, which helps children in developing life-skills as well as critical and creative thinking skills through hands-on experiences.
