FROM HOMES TO HILLS A JOURNEY OF LASTING CHANGE
From the hills of Across health, education and environmental sustainability, Nestlé India’s CSR initiatives empower communities with knowledge, dignity, and the confidence to shape their own destinies
Across India’s diverse social and geographical landscapes, from dense urban neighbourhoods and curious classrooms to ecologically fragile hill towns, Nestlé India’s CSR initiatives are quietly strengthening the foundations of community well-being. Anchored in a long-term vision of shared values, these programmes move beyond short term interventions to address systemic needs in health, education, and environmental sustainability.
What unites these efforts is a simple but powerful belief that lasting change begins by empowering people with knowledge, dignity, and the confidence to shape their own futures. Whether nurturing healthier mothers and informed adolescents through Project Jagriti, sparking scientific curiosity among schoolchildren through Project NHK–Jigyasa, or building sustainable waste management systems through Hilldaari, Nestlé India’s CSR journey reflects a consistent partnership-driven, community-led, and impact-oriented approach.
Tucked away in the narrow lanes of Shashi Garden, Delhi, the Basti Vikas Kendra hums with everyday life. Women arrive in small groups, adolescents drift in after school, and conversations unfold through questions, shared experiences and quiet reflection. At the centre of this space are the women affectionately known as the Mamta Didis.
The title Didi (sister) goes beyond a name. It signifies trust. “People may forget our names,” one of them smiles, “but they remember what we stand for.” That trust lies at the heart of Project Jagriti, Nestlé India’s long-standing CSR initiative implemented in partnership with the Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child.
Launched in 2014, Project Jagriti focuses on improving the health and well-being of women, young couples and adolescents through sustained community engagement. The programme was first piloted in Nihal Vihar, West Delhi, reaching over 100,000 beneficiaries, with an early focus on breastfeeding practices, maternal nutrition and timely access to public health services
Health conversations rooted in trust, lived experience and shared learning
From nurturing healthier families and curious young minds to protecting fragile hill ecosystems, Nestlé India's CSR initiatives reflect a deep commitment to people, partnerships and long-term change
In a room filled with colour and care, confidence begins to take shape.
Modern medical infrastructure supports hands-on learning, enabling first generation learners to transition smoothly into professional healthcare education.
Care reaching where roads hesitate, bringing diagnosis, dignity, and hope to the hills
Encouraged by its impact, the initiative expanded in 2015 across seven states and one Union Territory, covering 15 districts. Grounded in a Life Course Approach, Project Jagriti addresses nutrition, health, and hygiene as interconnected stages from adolescence to motherhood and beyond.
At the Basti Vikas Kendra, this approach plays out daily. Mamta Didis conduct Life Skills sessions for adolescents and Aanchal meetings for women, discussing maternal health, breastfeeding, and emotional well being. These sessions are not lectures but dialogues shaped by lived realities
Block Supervisor Tanveer Kaur, associated with the project for nearly a decade, explains: “We work with women, adults over 30, and adolescents. With adolescents, we talk about life goals and growing-up challenges; with adults, we discuss age-related health risks. The aim is to support people at every stage of life.
For adolescents like Abhigyan, a Class 8 student, these sessions build confidence. “I learned here that hormones change with age,” he says. “That’s why anger increases and why parents’ advice sometimes feels irritating.” He also learned about cyber fraud and now cautions his peers to stay alert online
Building trust was gradual. Outreach worker Priya recalls early resistance. “People didn’t want to connect initially. But once we explained that the information was for their benefit, things changed. Today, they call us themselves.”
One of the most visible shifts has been in women’s understanding of nutrition and maternal health. Earlier, nutritious food was seen as expensive and inaccessible Uzma, a new mother, credits the Mamta Didis for guiding her through early motherhood.
Gulshan recalls how beliefs were gently challenged: “My mother-in-law didn’t believe delivery should happen in a hospital. The Didis explained everything. They even told me that if I can’t afford paneer, I can eat chickpeas for protein.
Women at the heart of community care, turning awareness into action.
Curiosity comes alive when learning becomes hands-on
For Payal, information brought emotional reassurance. “If I hadn’t known that mild depression can happen during pregnancy, I would have been scared.
The programme engages entire families. Shahrukh Malik, who attends sessions with his wife, reflects: “After two pregnancies, I decided to focus on raising the kids well. I also support my wife in household chores. These things really bring happiness to a family.”
Perhaps the strongest testament comes from Nirmal, whose education resumed after Mamta Didis spoke to her family. Today, she is a Delhi University graduate, earning ₹25,000 a month
“None of this would have been possible without their guidance.” Quietly, Project Jagriti continues to strengthen families and empower communities — one home at a time.
explore. Science, once perceived as difficult and distant, is becoming tangible and exciting.
This transformation is driven by Project NHK–Jigyasa, Nestlé India’s CSR initiative implemented with the Agastya International Foundation. Rooted in the belief that curiosity is the foundation of learning, the programme brings experiential science labs, and libraries into schools.
Nestlé India has helped set up learning labs in seven different schools, and each lab has 93 different models.
For years, science education remained largely theoretical. Laboratories, when present, were filled with fragile equipment students were discouraged from touching. Project NHK–Jigyasa changed this by introducing activity-based, hands-on learning
Anushka Honavarkar, a science graduate and Ignator with Project NHK Jigyasa since October 2023, plays a key role in turning hands-on science into lasting understanding.
“When students learn through hands-on activities, they visualise everything. They connect what they see and do with exams and with real life,” she says. “They come back to discuss concepts, ask questions and
Learning that goes beyond textbooks
From hesitation to smiles of confidence—science as discovery, not fear.
Clean systems built on shared responsibility
Earlier, we used to work without access to personal protective equipment. Now we have gloves, masks, jackets and medical check-ups. It makes a big difference when someone thinks about our safety.
From hesitation to smiles of confidence—science as discovery, not fear.
Today, Munna has represented India in international tournaments across Thailand, Indonesia, Bahrain, Dubai and Uganda. He holds two gold, two silver and six bronze medals internationally, and is ranked ninth in the world. The Delhi government has honoured him as Best Sportsperson.
He aspires to qualify for the World Championships, Asian Games and the 2028 Paralympics, drawing inspiration from Tokyo Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat
NBCC’s intervention was not simply about equipment; it was about belief.
From healthcare in Almora to airwaves in Baramulla, from classrooms in Sambhaji Nagar to badminton courts in Delhi, NBCC’s CSR initiatives are guided by a common philosophy: development must be inclusive.
Each story reflects a partnership between institution and community, and between aspiration and opportunity. In every case, NBCC chose to strengthen what already existed – a rural health centre, a local radio initiative, a special school, an athlete’s dream
Infrastructure may be NBCC’s core expertise, but in these stories, the true construction is intangible: trust rebuilt, confidence restored, potential unlocked.
