CII Foundation

🌱 A Tree Plantation Initiative in Gurugram.
On 21 September 2026, we will be inaugurating our Tree Plantation Project at Village Daboda and Taj Nagar, Gurugram as part of our ongoing environmental restoration efforts.

We are honoured to have Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Gurugram, & Minister of State, Government of India as our Chief Guest

Since 2025, the initiative has been contributing to environmental restoration across 20 acres at Village Daboda and Taj Nagar, with a focus on:
🌱 Increasing green cover
🌿 Strengthening local biodiversity
🌳 Creating sustainable community green spaces

The inauguration marks an important milestone in an ongoing effort to restore the local environment and foster greener, healthier and more sustainable spaces for communities and future generations.

Something green is taking root in Gurugram.

On 21 September, communities in Village Daboda and Taj Nagar will come together to mark an important milestone in our ongoing environmental restoration efforts.

More details coming soon. Watch this space.
Confederation of Indian Industry

Good news! The nomination deadline for the Woman Exemplar Award 2027 has been extended.
If you've been meaning to nominate a grassroots woman leader—or apply yourself—there's still time.

Help us recognise women who are creating meaningful change in education, health, microenterprise and community strengthening.

Don't miss this opportunity.

🔗 Submit your nomination: https://ciifoundation.in/WEP2027/
Givfunds Social Ventures

Sports builds confidence, gives a sense of purpose, and strengthens community connections. Through its Village Sports Initiative, CII Foundation is working to create accessible opportunities for children and youth in rural communities to learn, train and pursue their potential through sports. At Ghulal village, Ludhiana, the initiative is supporting young athletes, encouraging regular training, participation and competitive exposure.

The academy students delivered an outstanding performance at the Block-Level Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan competitions held on 9 and 11 September 2026, showcasing remarkable talent across athletics and team sports.

🥇 11 Gold | 🥈 6 Silver | 🥉 5 Bronze

The athletes excelled across events including 100m, 200m, 400m, 600m and 800m races, long jump and shot put, while the academy’s U-21 teams also secured Gold in Circle Style Kabaddi and Volleyball.
A particularly encouraging achievement was the selection of 15 girls in individual events and 2 teams for the district-level competition, reflecting the growing participation, confidence and sporting potential of young athletes from the community.

👏 Congratulations to all the young athletes, coaches and everyone supporting their sporting journey.

Only few days left to nominate extraordinary grassroots women leaders for the Woman Exemplar Award 2027.

Across India, countless women are quietly transforming lives through education, healthcare, livelihoods and community leadership. Their work deserves to be seen, celebrated and strengthened.

If you know someone making a difference where it matters most, don't let her story go unheard.

📅 Submit your nomination before the deadline:
🔗 https://ciifoundation.in/WEP2027/

Goutami’s journey is a story of turning profound loss into a commitment to transform the lives of her community.
Despite these challenges, Goutami pursued higher education and eventually chose community service over the security of a government job, joining Action in Rural Technology and Service (ARTS) in 2020.

Since then, she has helped overcome deep-rooted health myths, leading a vaccination drive that reached 14,000 people in six months. As CEO of the Adivasi Mahila Farmer Producer Company, she now works to strengthen tribal farmers' livelihoods, financial inclusion and access to fair markets.
Goutami’s story reminds us that resilience can become a powerful force for change when it is rooted in a deep commitment to one's community.

The Woman Exemplar Program celebrates grassroots leaders like Goutami who turn adversity into opportunity and create pathways for stronger, more sustainable rural livelihoods.

✨ Know a changemaker like Goutami? Nominate her for the Woman Exemplar Award 2027.

🗓️ Nominations close on 15 September 2026
🔗 Apply through https://ciifoundation.in/WEP2027/

A proud moment for the girls! ⚽🏆

From village fields to the state stage, the Girls U-19 Football Team of Arya Senior Secondary School, Bhambhewa, Jind, Haryana, has made its mark by securing 3rd position at the 59th State School Tournament in Panipat, Haryana.

Through the Village Sports Initiative, CII Foundation, in collaboration with India Youth Soccer Association (IYSA), is creating opportunities for children in rural communities to learn, play and grow through sports.

This achievement is a celebration of confidence, determination and the power of equal opportunities for girls to play, compete and shine.

Congratulations to the team! ❤️⚽

Cleaner Air. Healthier Communities. Happier Cities.

On this International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, CII Foundation is happy to announce a new major Air Pollution & Health initiative in urban clusters of Delhi-NCR i.e., Faridabad and Ghaziabad, in partnership with Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India Limited.

The initiative will take a comprehensive, evidence-based and community-centered approach to identify and address micro pollution hotspots, understand local pollution sources, and implement practical mitigation measures It will also focus on improving the health and well-being of vulnerable and high-exposure groups, including children, older people, on-ground workers, and other communities exposed to air pollution.

The initiative will work closely with local industries, RWAs, district administration, and other key stakeholders to drive community participation and implement solutions on the ground. Through air quality assessment, health screening camps, preventive healthcare, community engagement and environmental improvement measures, the initiative aims to create cleaner, healthier and happier communities while developing a scalable and replicable model for other non-attainment cities across India.

From identifying hotspots to delivering solutions on the ground—together, we can build healthier communities and happier cities.

Every Breath Counts. Every Action Matters.
Confederation of Indian Industry

Clean air doesn’t begin in the sky. It begins on the ground. 🌱
Globally, every US$1 invested in integrated climate and clean-air action could generate up to US$15 in economic benefits. By 2050, these solutions could help prevent 144 million premature deaths and hundreds of millions of cases of chronic disease. According to UNEP 2026.
In 2017, India faced a significant crop-residue management challenge: 16% of crop residue was burnt in fields, with paddy straw accounting for nearly 60%. In north-western India alone, an estimated 2.5 million farmers burnt paddy straw during October and November, severely affecting regional air quality. According to National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 2017.
CII Foundation recognising the urgent need to tackle crop residue burning at its source, launched a pilot across 19 villages in Punjab in 2018. By bringing together farmers, communities, government, industry, and knowledge institutions, the initiative transformed collective intent into scalable action. Today, it has grown into a powerful multi-stakeholder movement reaching:
🌾 1,000+ villages
👩‍🌾 2 lakh+ farmers
🚜 12 lakh+ acres of farmland
Through its Crop Residue Management initiative, the CII Foundation supports farmers with:
✅ Awareness and community engagement
✅ Machinery access through community tool banks
✅ Farmer training and farm demonstrations
✅ Ex-situ solutions for the productive use of biomass
In 2025, these collective efforts helped manage 1.6 million tonnes of straw that could otherwise have been burnt, avoiding an estimated 14,000 tonnes of PM2.5 and PM10 emissions.
Beyond crop residue management, CII Foundation is advancing initiatives in tree plantation, waterbody restoration, and waste management, contributing to cleaner environments, healthier ecosystems, and more resilient communities.
On this International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, let us turn awareness into action, partnerships into progress, and today’s efforts into tomorrow’s blue skies.