At Anil Agarwal Foundation, how do you prioritize CSR initiatives, particularly those related to sports? What drives your strategy?
When it comes to prioritizing CSR initiatives at the Anil Agarwal Foundation, especially in sports, we focus on where we can truly make a difference and create a lasting impact. Sports has always been close to our hearts because we바카라™ve seen first-hand how it can transform lives and communities with a special focus on areas where Vedanta operates. Our strategy is deeply rooted in the belief that sports can drive social change and bring people together. By building grassroots programs and nurturing young talent, we바카라™re not just investing in future athletes바카라”we바카라™re investing in the future of our communities. It바카라™s important to us that our efforts align with national goals, empowering the next generation to thrive.
Vedanta has a strong focus on social impact through its entity Anil Agarwal Foundation. Can you share how sports are integrated into your CSR programs and how they contribute to community development?
Sports is an integral part of our community development approach to empower youth, particularly from underserved communities. We바카라™ve established residential academies in Rajasthan and Goa, and community playing centres across several states. These facilities not only provide access to quality training but also promotes fitness, good health, discipline, and teamwork. For instance, our archery academies in Jharkhand and Odisha are tapping into local talent and traditions. By integrating sports into our CSR programs and organizing sports events and tournaments, we바카라™re creating pathways for youth development and community engagement.
The Anil Agarwal Foundation emphasizes education and health. How do sports initiatives complement these areas, and how do you measure their success?
Sports naturally complement our focus on education and health. They promote physical fitness, teach valuable life skills, and can even enhance academic performance. We measure success through various metrics such as, participation rates, improvement in athletes바카라™ skills, health indicators in our communities, and ultimately, the number of athletes progressing to higher levels of competition. We constantly evaluate our program to ensure we바카라™re creating meaningful, long-term impact.
Can you discuss any specific sports programs or partnerships that the foundation has launched to foster talent or promote physical well-being in underprivileged communities?
One program I바카라™m particularly proud of, at AAF, is our partnership with SportsXL for the Squash Stars Academy. This initiative provides world-class squash coaching to 20 children from Dharavi, one of the world바카라™s largest slums in Mumbai. These children have already completed over 100 hours of training. It바카라™s a prime example of how we바카라™re working to democratize access to sports and create opportunities for youth. Moreover, our sports initiative 바카라˜Project Divyang바카라™ in partnership with the Paralympic Committee of India supports para-athletes, including Tokyo Paralympics medallists Sundar Singh Gujjar and Devendra Jhajharia.
What role do you believe sports play in the empowerment of women and girls in the communities supported by the Anil Agarwal Foundation? Could you provide examples of impactful programs in this area?
The Anil Agarwal Foundation recognizes sports as a powerful tool for empowering women and girls, promoting equality, and breaking societal barriers. It helps build confidence, promote good health, and challenge gender stereotypes. In all our programs, we ensure equal participation opportunities for girls. At our Sesa Football Academy, we promote women바카라™s participation in football and the recently-held Vedanta Women바카라™s League 7th edition saw participation of 140+ women footballers. Similarly, our Squash Stars Academy has an equal number of boys and girls.
We바카라™re seeing fantastic results! These girls are not just excelling in sports but also becoming more confident in their daily lives. We바카라™re committed to expanding such initiatives to create more opportunities for women and girls across India.
Given Vedanta바카라™s focus on sustainable development, how do your sports-related CSR activities contribute to long-term community resilience and social equity?
Our sports initiatives are designed with long-term sustainability in mind. By providing access to high-quality sports facilities and training, especially in underserved areas, we바카라™re opening up new avenues for social mobility to inspire youth. These programs don바카라™t just produce athletes. They build character, promote health, and create role models within communities. For instance, our residential academies in Udaipur and Goa for footballers have produced gems in the sports바카라™ arena such as Mohd. Kaif, who led the Indian team to victory as captain at the South Asian Football Federation Championship U-16; and Sahil Poonia, who represented India at the South Asian Football Federation U-17 Championship and was awarded the Best Goalkeeper title. They continue to not only inspire members of the community and employees, but also us at Anil Agarwal Foundation to build best-in-class infrastructure, provide latest modules of training and find newer initiatives to build a pool of skilled, healthy, and motivated individuals who can drive a positive change in the society.
How do you incorporate technology and innovation into your sports-related CSR initiatives, and what challenges have you faced in doing so?
We바카라™re always looking at leveraging technology to enhance our sports programs. A prime example is our Zinc Football Academy, which uses F-cube technology - a first of its kind in India. This advanced system helps in player assessment and development. However, implementing such technology comes with its challenges. We need to ensure that our staff and players are adequately trained to use it effectively. There바카라™s also the ongoing task of maintaining the technology and keeping it relevant. However, we believe in embracing innovation that is crucial for developing world-class athletes and staying at the forefront of sports development in India.
In what ways does the Foundation collaborate with government bodies or other organizations to scale sports initiatives across regions where Vedanta operates?
Collaboration is key to scaling our impact. We work closely with government bodies, sports associations and local schools to implement and expand our programs. These partnerships help us reach more communities and ensure our programs are integrated into the local sports ecosystem.
We바카라™re actively involved in seven different marathons across India including one of the most prestigious marathons in the world- Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, which requires collaboration with local authorities. In fact, we had the esteemed presence of the Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Haryana who supported our cause of #RunForZeroHunger advocated by our marathons by flagging off the races in Jaipur, Faridabad and Gurugram.
Looking ahead, what are your future goals for sports initiatives within your CSR portfolio? How do you see these initiatives evolving to create greater impact?
Our vision for the future is ambitious and multi-faceted. A key focus is bringing international-level coaches and facilities to India, providing the best resources and infrastructure right here at home. We want to build world-class facilities that attract global talent to India, reversing the trend of our athletes needing to travel abroad for top-tier training.
Currently, we바카라™re concentrating on four sports - football, archery, marathons, and our latest addition, pickleball. Our goal is to become the best in these disciplines. We aim to expand the number and reach of our academies and community centres, bringing high-quality sports training to more regions across India. A crucial objective is to see more athletes from our initiatives progressing to national teams and international competitions.
Looking at the bigger picture, we바카라™re leveraging India바카라™s demographic advantage - we have the highest youth population in the world. We바카라™re exploring ways to use sports as a tool for broader community development, integrating it more closely with our health and education initiatives.
In essence, we바카라™re working towards creating a robust sports ecosystem that nurtures talent from the grassroots level who can dominate the global sports arena, bring glory to our nation and inspire future generations.
