BANK WITH A HEART OF GOLD
From upskilling the youth with AU Ignite to empowering women through AU Udyogini and fostering sports talent via AU Bano Champion, AU Small Finance Bank’s CSR programmes are rewriting societal narratives, along with creating impact across several need-based initiatives in education, environment, healthcare, and road safety among others.
AU Small Finance Bank’s CSR initiatives, much like the chemical symbol of gold (AU) on its monogram, symbolise a commitment to purity. Focused primarily on Rajasthan, where its CSR journey began, the bank spearheads efforts to empower the underprivileged wholeheartedly and ethically. Notably, positive transformations are evident in various parts of the state, reflecting a commendable journey. Dedicated to uplifting communities, the bank prioritises skill development for youth, fosters women’s entrepreneurship, and establishes sports training facilities for local kids and youth. This selfless approach has won the hearts of communities throughout Rajasthan.
As a Fortune India 500 Company and the country’s largest small finance bank, AU Small Finance Bank boasts 1,065 banking touchpoints across 21 States & 3 Union Territories. Its CSR arm, AU Foundation, founded in 2018, aims to empower rural masses, women, and youth, aligning with the bank’s vision of responsible and impactful corporate citizenship
Since 2018, AU Ignite has been transforming the lives of marginalised youth across Rajasthan with its expanding network of specialised skill training academies. The programme is equally focused on imparting domain knowledge and essential life and soft skills, turning out job-ready candidates for exciting opportunities in the organised sector.
Sporting a crisp white shirt and impeccably creased black trousers, Bhanu Pratap Singh asks his guests if they would like regular water or sparkling, the chandelier behind him giving his gelled hair a gleam. His life, says Singh, who works at a leading hotel in Jaipur, has taken a 360-degree turn. Not too long ago, Bhanu helped his farmer father in their fields, even as he worried about his future.
“With just a tiny piece of land and many responsibilities, I couldn’t see how my family could move beyond our struggling lifestyle. Then, I heard about AU Ignite, a programme that helps young, underprivileged folks like me land good jobs. I decided to give it a shot. Now, I work in a fancy hotel, speak English like it is my second nature, and feel incredibly confident. My family is over the moon with pride.”
Youth being trained for IT,ITES (Top)
Young men and women in a BFSI training session (Above)
Details matter: A session in Hospitality underway
Currently, successful academies operate across 12 districts of Rajasthan, including five AU owned direct academies in Bikaner, Bhilwara, Sikar, Jodhpur, Kota, and seven partner-led academies in Jaipur, Ajmer, Alwar, Bharatpur, Jaitaran, Pali, and Nagaur. Since their inception in 2018, these academies have significantly impacted the lives of young men and women and their families.
In addition to acquiring specialised domain expertise, individuals aged 18-30 receive comprehensive life and soft skills training, improving their readiness for roles in the organised sectors and upgrading their job preparedness. Diverse courses include customer relationship management for BPO and KPO roles, domestic data entry operators for backend positions, and accounts executive for basic accounting related job roles. Additionally, the programme offers a banking course covering customer interaction and KYC, along with courses like Food and Beverages Stewards, Front office Associate and Front Office Executive in tourism & hospitality domain.
AU Ignite Future Skills Academy, established in September 2023 caters to individuals aspiring to secure employment within the dynamic IT industry. “Our skills academy aims to bridge the gap between job seekers and IT enterprises, strategically addressing the prevailing knowledge and educational disparities encountered by emerging IT professionals. Our mission is to empower aspiring IT enthusiasts by reducing knowledge gaps, enhancing skill sets, and augmenting their comprehension of pivotal IT domains such as Full-stack development, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics among others, shares Mr Sanjay Agarwal, Managing Director, Founder, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank.
So far, over 17,900 youth have been trained, and over 14,000 placed. With the aim of educating over 28,000 students by March 2025, AU Ignite is indeed touching many lives deeply. Walk into any centre, and you can sense the buzz. Dreams and hopes take shape here every single day , the air almost vibrant with excitement. And why not? Each day, as thousands of young men and women get ready for the day, the mirror not only shows them a more confident self but also becomes a little window of sorts into their future lives.
Meet 20-year-old Rakhi Burman, who is aspiring to become a nurse. Blossoms of hope appear in a modest rented house in Jagatpura, Jaipur, where the winds carry the pungent scent from nearby rail tracks. “When I wear my uniform and nurse’s coat each morning and look in the mirror, I often imagine myself going to work, helping my parents. I feel a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness,” she says, her warm smile reflecting her aspirations.
Burman’s father migrated from Koochbihar in West Bengal to Jaipur about
The ball is in their court, for sure: Young girls at an AU Bano Champion practice session
15 years ago for better opportunities. While he works as a driver, his wife serves as a cook in households to support their two children. With Rakhi’s training progressing well and the promise of a job, there is a profound sense of relief in the family.
For marginalised families like the Burmans and many others, AU Ignite has indeed kindled the hope of a new life, with the training visibly transforming the lives of these young men and women, reflected in their increased confidence, growing self-sufficiency, and an overall sense of well-being.
Consider Mukesh Prajapat, who is employed in a call centre in Jaipur. Turned out smartly, polished shoes, sunglasses in place, he exudes the quiet confidence of an achiever as he rides his bike to work. Mukesh effortlessly navigates between his upmarket office and humble home in the Laal Khan area of Jaipur, where children play in unkempt gullies, and women wash clothes at a rickety tap. “I feel like a different person since I joined the AU Ignite programme with AU Small Finance Bank. First, I received training, and then I secured a job. I have been able to buy myself a bike, a long-cherished dream. Today, when I ride the bike, dress the way I do, and bring that salary home, I feel like an achiever
For Mukesh’s parents, who worked on construction sites, sometimes riding eight km on a cycle with a small child in tow, life had been a struggle. But now that their three sons and a daughter are all grown up and settled, they feel relieved. “Mukesh is a good boy. Ever since he got trained by AU Small Finance Bank and then got this respectable job, we feel like all our hard work of toiling in the sun and sleeping in a mud house have paid off,” says Narmada Devi, Mukesh’s mother, who finally left working at construction sites six months after Mukesh started working.
“Our son is not only earning a living for himself but also respect for us,” says Sarvan Lal, Mukesh’s father, who now works as a driver. AU Ignite programmes are being executed through a hub-and-spoke model, where the hub comprises of future skill (NSQF Level 5 and above) courses, and the spoke academies cater to skilling courses with NSQF level up to 4.
For Jyoti Nawaria, a petite young woman from Seeta Ramnagar whose father runs a small kirana shop, the BFSI training opened the door to a new life. “I could barely gather the courage to speak a few words in front of people. Today, thanks to the training, I am confident about working in the banking sector and look forward to customer interactions. I had only seen confident women on television, and now that I feel like one, I feel empowered. I didn’t even know I had it in me. And yet here I am, looking forward to earning my living and supporting my family, all thanks to AU Ignite.”
Champions in the making
This decision has been transformative, touching numerous lives. Shahrukh Khan, a coach in Kishangarh and former sportsman, understands the impact of sports and values the support these children are getting, having dealt with his share of challenges. “The children in rural areas have excellent stamina and a drive to prove themselves. All they need is to be motivated in the right direction. What AU does for children who otherwise could have only dreamt of these facilities is brilliant. I am very proud to be a part of this movement.”
Equally proud are the energetic youngsters eager to prove their worth. In the mornings and evenings, hundreds gather to do their drills. From hurdling and running to stepping and push-ups, they do it all. Of course, initially, it was not easy to convince the parents or their children. However, the rapport built with the persistent efforts of AU has resulted in the programme’s growing popularity, with a steady increase in the number of champions.
Entrepreneurial hands busy at their mustard oil machine
Packing a punch: Bottled mustard oil and masalas ready to go out in the market
(Facing page caption): Women at Nirjhari, a community based enterprise under AU UdyoginiBugga Devi inspects an earthen pot she made on an electric pottery wheel financed by AU Bank Foundation
The reluctant starters are now winning accolades, with over 800 of them shining at district, state and national level competitions organised by various associations and federations . An athlete also qualified for World Athletics Championship to be held in Lima, Peru in August 2024. Six of them participated for the Khelo India Youth Games and 1 athlete won a silver medal at the games. Seven children have been selected by the Delhi Sports School, affiliated by the Govt. of NCT of Delhi to receive residential sports training along with academic assistance. The initiative aims to deepen its focus on technical training and foster stakeholder collaboration
Besides regular training at the grassroots level, the programme provides platforms for children to compete at different levels through its village, district, and state-level sports tournaments. In fact, the first leg of the tournament in February and August 2022 attracted more than 25,000 participants. The district-level event drew 5800 participants, and the statelevel championship held at the SMS Stadium in Jaipur on January 31st Jan , 2024 saw participation of over1,500 athletes.
Dev, a young footballer making waves, cannot be thankful enough for the support sportspersons like him are getting. “Playing gully football is so different from playing professionally. That is something I learned here with AU. Through the programme, I have imbibed quite a few crucial lessons. To begin with, there is the value of discipline; secondly, there are the rules and regulations and different techniques; and most importantly, there is the infrastructure, which we could not have dreamt of accessing otherwise. Earlier, we used to play, fall, give up and sit. Today, we have learnt to play and fall and get up and outdo ourselves,” says the ace footballer. Meanwhile, Maidan Se Manzil Tak rends the air like a war cry as one of the teams scores the winning goal.”
In the little-known village of Shree Ram Ki Nangal near Jaipur, humble women artisans are discovering their hidden talents, gaining a new identity and becoming self-sufficient with the support of AU Small Finance Bank’s AU Udyogini programme (Aatmanirbharta se badlaav tak).
Draped in immaculately pleated synthetic saris, their hair slicked back, and their faces sporting luminous smiles, these are no business executives at a swanky MNC office in Bengaluru or Gurugram. They are empowered women artisans from the nondescript village of Shree Ram Ki Nangal on the outskirts of Jaipur. And yet, seeing these enterprising women coolly hand out their business cards, confidence visibly oozing, you could not tell the difference.
Shabnam Devi’s card reads Prime Woman Artisan and Santosh Devi’s Director.
Every morning, after having sent their children to schools and having finished their morning chores like cleaning and cooking, Santosh, Shabnam and several other women like them, head to their special place of work. The Nirjhari Women Artisans Producer Company in Shree Ram Ki Nangal, Jaipur, is not just a community enterprise for these women. It is a very important part of their lives.
Nirjhari is one of the two community-based enterprises under AU Udyogini Programme. The programme promotes self-help groups and supports women entrepreneurs in setting up individual businesses. AU’s initiatives aim to empower women from distressed backgrounds and boost family incomes through market linkages.
Between ‘22-‘23, the AU Udyogini Programme engaged more than 2,300 women members of self-help groups, over 180 earning income through community enterprises. Additionally, 820 individual women entrepreneurs started small businesses and began to show growing profits. Through this initiative, women have cumulatively earned nearly Rs 2 crore. The feeling of being empowered is visible in their body language.
At Nirjhari, a collection of vibrant clothes adorns a rack of hangers amidst rolls of unstitched fabric and the constant rhythmic hum of sewing machines, accompanied by occasional chatter and laughter. The women working here clearly find joy in their work and represent how work and happiness can coexist.
As Santosh Devi puts it, “This place is my safe haven. Spending the day here stitching, designing, managing stocks, and checking the ledger gives me a sense of identity. It makes me feel counted. The fact that I earn doing all this makes the deal even sweeter.
If it means identity for Santosh Devi, for others it serves as an escape from troubles at home or a path to self-sufficiency. Some view it simply as a creative outlet. But what it definitely is for all these women – some of whom come walking several kilometres to – is a place where they have found a new identity.
With a smile, Shabnam Devi talks about how her husband has changed from being fiercely opposed to her stepping out of home for work to now her biggest source of support. “My greatest joy is to be self-sufficient. If I want to buy something for my children myself, I have the money and that gives me a sense of satisfaction and deep joy
So far, the company has trained over 200 women to deliver a range of products from clothes to home furnishings to recycled paper products. Since April 2022, the company generated sales of Rs 74 lakh.
Beaming Udyoginis not just dry and grind pure masalas but also and market them
(Facing page caption): Women at Nirjhari, a community based enterprise under AU Udyogini
As the women at Nirjhari stitch, design, embroider, and decorate the bags, cushions, clothes, diaries, and pen stands, it is clear what it is enabling them build their lives.
Across rural Rajasthan, AU Small Finance Bank is sowing seeds of empowerment, transforming the lives of enterprising women who are turning their hidden talent into flourishing businesses. From mustard oil processors to potters and beauty entrepreneurs, these enterprising women are scripting their own success stories with AU Small Finance Bank’s support
If you think women cannot run machines, think again. Better still, witness the industrious women of a women-led enterprise called Maa Annapurna Masala sort, process, package and deliver spices and mustard oil like professionals. “When I run the machine, fill bottles and paste labels on oil bottles, it is a very different feeling. This is my office, and I love it,” says Ritu Sharma, 31, who runs a mustard oil processing machine at the Khijuria village near Jaipur. Her husband is a casual labourer
There are already four bustling centres in place to support 110 such women, under Khejri Mahila Producer Company, a farmer-producer organisation (FPO) that was roped in to support the programme in 2022. Adds Sampati: “I had never really stepped out of the house, but now that I do, it feels great.
The story of 50-year-old Santosh Devi from Thakursi ka bas village is similar. She once had to lease out her favourite pair of anklets to scratch together the fee for her children’s school. Maa Annapurna Masalas has, however, turned her life around. “Just like Maa Annapurna ensures ample food, our masala company has also ensured our homes run smoothly,” she says, the anklets on her feet shining in the afternoon sun.
While the women’s groups continue to flourish, the support provided to individual women entrepreneurs has given new hope to many aspiring women across more than 27 types of businesses such as grocery, cosmetics, stitching, flour mill etc. Take the case of a beneficiary, Bugga Devi from the Harkishanpura village, who purchased an electric pottery wheel that turned her life. As a little girl, Bugga had mastered the art of making clay pitchers under her father’s tutelage. After marriage, she continued honing her skills and assisted her father-in-law in making the pitchers.
Life was a struggle with her husband working as a helper in a private school and two children and in-laws to support. But her earnings helped supplement the family’s income. “In 2019, however, when our pottery wheel broke, we suffered a setback for two years. My father-in-law also fell sick. But thanks to AU Small Finance Bank, which gave me an electric pottery wheel in January 2022, I have been making three to five times more pitchers than I could earlier. It feels great to be independent. Every woman deserves to experience this beautiful feeling.
At a parlour run by Rajni Motiya from a small room in her home in Naulakpura village, a row of women is waiting for turn to receive beauty treatment. Business for her is even better in festival and marriage seasons. Quite literally, the parlour has changed the face of Rajni’s life, for which she is grateful to the AU Small Finance Bank. “I am completely booked. Bookings get done three months in advance. People might not know about hair rebonding, but the bridal packages and makeup services sell like hotcakes. Today, I am so successful that it feels surreal,” she says.
Rajni Motiya and Bugga Devi are two of the many enterprising women who have received support from AU Small Finance Bank to realise their entrepreneurial dreams. These women not only receive financial assistance but also essential technical support. For instance, the bank organises training sessions on accounting to help the women maintain a record of their sales and profits, allowing them access to loans to scale up their business in the future. AU also empowers AU Udyoginis through exposure visits at diverse platforms which not only help them with great insights about market trends and rates but also other crucial details.
There are no business suits and high heels for these entrepreneurs. Pallus draped around their heads and bangles on their wrists, they write their own success stories. Like Bugga Devi sums it, “Everyone must know that we are more than our kitchens and utensils. We can achieve a lot; we only need a little support and someone who believes in our potential – just like AU does.
Sanjay Agarwal, Founder, MD and CEO, AU Small Finance Bank
Embarking on a transformative CSR journey, AU Small Finance Bank strives to give back to the community that nurtures it.
Please tell us about AU Small Finance Bank’s CSR journey.
Our journey started with a humble vision to give back to the society that has generously given us so much. Our CSR activities have evolved over the years from ad-hoc initiatives to well-structured and impactful programmes that tackle some of our society’s most urgent challenges.
How integral is sustainability to AU Small Finance Bank?
At the core of our operations lies sustainability. Our motto, “Badlaav Humse Hai” (We are the Change), reflects our strong belief in this principle. Our ultimate vision is to create a sustainable planet, which in turn will lead to a sustainable AU. We recognise the importance of corporations taking responsibility and positively impacting a better future.
Why do you believe corporates excel at social initiatives, too?
Running large organisations means having robust systems in place. We are organised and goal-oriented. Thus, corporations often achieve the desired outcomes effectively when shouldering CSR. It is not just a government’s duty to usher welfare; we must also contribute to society’s upliftment as responsible organisations.
How does AU Small Finance Bank perceive CSR?
We feel grateful for having the opportunity to give back to the community. Our purpose is to serve by providing loans, accepting deposits, and offering job opportunities. Our goal is to establish a self-sufficient ecosystem. Over the past six years, our CSR initiatives have become more organised and now focus on addressing significant societal issues. We take pride in our programs as they have helped thousands of people and enabled them to realise their potential and strengths
With such extensive efforts in uplifting communities, how does being part of this change feel?
It’s a matter of pride and responsibility. While India has achieved much in the past 75 years, there’s still a long way to go. Corporations must play their part alongside the government. At AU, CSR is deeply ingrained in our DNA; we believe the change starts with us. We strive for community progress daily, ensuring they grow with us. At AU, sustainability is integral. The belief “Badlaav Humse Hai” underscores our commitment to being the change agents for economic growth and a sustainable future. It’s about ensuring long-term viability and growth without compromising the well-being of our planet.
At AU, we ensure that our initiatives have a real impact, and with your support, we can make even more purposeful efforts. As we continue to move forward, we aspire to set new benchmarks in CSR, making a meaningful difference in countless lives.