Category Archives: Business

Nestlé India celebrates five years of Project Hilldaari

Bengaluru, 16 December 2023: Project Hilldaari is a Nestlé India initiative in partnership with PLAN Foundation and Stree Mukti Sangathana and technical partner Recity India Pvt Ltd. Over the last five years, project Hilldaari has successfully developed inclusive and resilient models for waste management in select tourist cities of India. The project is currently operational in Ponda, Mussoorie, Mahabaleshwar, Munnar, Dalhousie, Darjeeling and Palampur

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestlé India said, “Five years ago we embarked upon an important journey with Project Hilldaari by bringing about positive change through collective action and adopting sustainable waste management models. Through a multi-stakeholder approach, we are successfully implementing this project across 7 tourist destinations and the project has grown from strength to strength. I would like to congratulate all our partners, for making our vision a reality.”

Upon reaching the milestone of five years for Project Hilldaari, Ms. Jyoti Mhapsekar, President, Stree Mukti Sanghatana said, “The last five years of Project Hilldaari have been extremely fulfilling for the team, where we conducted some meaningful work such as professionalization of the waste workers community. We take pride in the way we have been able to raise awareness across stakeholders. We would continue to collaborate and positively impact the ecosystem in these cities.”

Meha Lahiri Co-founder, COO, and CFO, of Recity Network India expressed her elation on the milestone and said, “Recity Network India has been working towards giving rise to a circular economy of plastics and Hilldaari has been one of the shining examples of projects aiding this cause. We are extremely happy with the progress we have made with Project Hilldaari and would continue to put continued efforts to take this cause further.”

Project Hilldaari in its existing locations across India has diverted more than 28,000 MT of waste from landfill through source segregation. 80% of source segregation has been achieved across more than 20,000 residential and commercial waste collection points.

Hilldaari believes that every member of the society can contribute towards making a positive change. These partnerships invoke a sense of solidarity and collective spirit among citizens. The initiative is progressively working towards professionalizing waste workers towards segregation of waste at source through a multi-collaborative approach with municipal councils, citizens, contractors, waste workers, and influencers. Through Project Hilldaari over 560 waste workers have trained to become a part of behaviour change interventions. The project has also provided them with occupational ID, benefits such as health insurance, protective gear necessary for their work, and other such benefits.

Youth who own a mobile phone are around twice as aware of the term life skills as compared to those without access to a mobile

New Delhi – 15 Dec, 2023: A comprehensive survey, titled ‘The Voices Survey’ has provided valuable insights into the state of life skills education in India. The survey aims to understand the awareness and perceptions of life skills among youth, parents, school teachers/ ITI Trainers, and trainers in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. The survey was jointly conducted by Life Skills Collaborative in partnership with Breakthrough, Quest Alliance, and Pratham Education Foundation.

The Voices Survey 2023 was conducted across 11 districts in states such as Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Mizoram, the survey provides a nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by the youth with regards to life skills education.
Rukmini Banerji, Chief Executive Officer, Pratham Education Foundation said:

“The findings from ‘The Voices Survey’ underline the urgent need for initiatives that offer our young people opportunities to understand and acquire life skills. The public education system has a very important role to play in enabling this. Importantly, the survey revealed that most youth who were familiar with life skills had heard about them from their teachers, illustrating the critical role of public education systems in integrating life skills education into the curriculum.”

The survey employed a multi-method approach, combining quantitative indicators with qualitative exploration through focus group discussions. A total of 15,856 youth and 13,806 parents were surveyed through household visits, providing a comprehensive understanding of their views on life skills. Additionally, 2,366 school teachers participated in the survey, providing valuable insights from an educator’s perspective.

Key findings of the survey are as follows:

Experience of vocational/skill training

The survey reveals that 80% of the surveyed youth in rural India are yet to pursue vocational or skill training, emphasizing a significant skills gap. Computer courses stand out as the top choice among those who have undertaken training. Notably, gender disparities exist, with 39% of young women opting for vocational training compared to 33% of males. Regional variations are apparent, with 96% of youth in Lunglei, Mizoram, lacking vocational training, while 44% and 43% in Solapur and Satara (Maharashtra) have pursued such courses. These findings point to the pressing need for targeted efforts to address the skills gap and regional disparities in youth vocational training opportunities.

Access to Digital Devices

The survey reveals a pronounced reliance on smartphones among rural youth, with 92% of those surveyed reporting the use of smartphones, particularly for communication (92%), entertainment (95%), and education (88%). Rural youth, especially older males, leverage smartphones not just for entertainment but also for educational purposes, emphasizing the device’s multifaceted role in their lives. It is interesting to note a marked rise in the category of “learning new things” among young women. Nearly 67% and 77% of 14-18 and 19-22 age group female youth, respectively, reported using their phones to learn new things as compared to 44% and 51% of male youth in the respective age group.

Around 90% of the sampled older youth (19-22 years) had access to mobile phones while only 71% of the younger youth (14-18 years) had access. There is a marked gender gap in access to mobile phones. Among the older youth, for example, just 5.5% of sampled males had no access to mobile phones, but the corresponding proportion among females was three times higher at 16.3%.

Youth who own a mobile phone are around twice as aware of the term ‘life skills’ as compared to those without access to a mobile. Similarly, youth who know how to use a computer are around twice as much familiar with the term than those who don’t.

Sohini Bhattacharya, Chief Executive Officer, Breakthrough said:

“Listening to ‘Voices from The Ground,’ is an essential part of making sure that the work that we are doing is actually meaningful for the communities we are partnering with. Here participants explore vital competencies like communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and resilience; influencers and gatekeepers add to the inspiration, encouraging attendees to integrate life skills into their daily lives and communities learn to value the data we gather from them, see for themselves the results on the ground and react to it”

Exposure to News/Mass Media

While almost 80% of rural youth engage rarely (49%) or never (31%) with news, older youth (19-22 years) show higher daily exposure (13%) compared to their younger counterparts (6%). However, gender differences in news engagement are marginal. There is an evident gap in news awareness among rural youth, suggesting an opportunity for targeted interventions to improve their access to current affairs and diverse information sources, to increase the adoption of life skills courses.

Life Skills Awareness and Perceptions among Youth

The study explores youth’s awareness of life skills, revealing that approximately 4 in 10 youth have heard of the term ‘life skills’ or ’21st-century skills.’ Age, education level, and access to digital devices influence awareness. Overall, 41% of youth are aware of life skills or 21st Century Skills, with older individuals (50%) more informed than younger ones (38%). Awareness varies across districts, with Karnal (61%) and Jhajjar (55%) in Haryana showing the highest levels, while Gorakhpur (13%) in Uttar Pradesh has the lowest. There are no gender differences overall, but in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), males (42%) are more aware than females (28%), while in Satara (Maharashtra) and Dehradun (Uttarakhand), the reverse is true.

Sources of Life Skills Awareness

Teacher guidance (65%) and school textbooks (36%) emerge as the primary sources of life skills awareness among rural youth. Variations across age groups highlight the importance of targeted educational strategies. Collaborations with educators and educational materials could enhance youth exposure to life skills concepts. Challenges in learning life skills include a lack of knowledge, materials, and limited discussions at home and school. A systematic approach to life skills education is needed, addressing challenges and tailoring content to the specific needs and perceptions of diverse youth groups.

Aakash Sethi, Chief Executive Officer, Quest Alliance

“The Life Skills Collaborative provides a platform where several organizations can come together to ensure that life skills become an integral part of formal education. This unified platform amplifies collective voices, and helps set benchmarks and standards for life skills. It also guides government bodies in building curriculum and assessments in line with these standards. Additionally, it persuasively advocates the necessity of these skills to thrive in the 21st century.”

Life Skills Awareness among Parents

The surveyed parents, particularly mothers, demonstrate limited awareness of the term life skills. More than one-third of mothers had never been to school, and only 21% had heard of the term life skills. Fathers, with a higher education rate, showed a more significant awareness (over 35%). Parental awareness gaps underline the need for targeted awareness campaigns and inclusive family education programs.

Parent Access to Mobile Phones and Usage

Gender disparities in mobile phone access persist among parents, mirroring trends observed in the youth demographic. Only half of surveyed mothers own mobile phones, contrasting with over 80% of fathers. Additionally, women have less access to smartphones, with notable differences in usage patterns. Gendered patterns in mobile phone access underline the importance of addressing technology gaps to ensure equal opportunities for all parents.

Meet Millet Magic, The Mindful Christmas Tree at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai

December heralds the season of cheer, festivities, goodwill, and care with Christmas its crowning glory.

With 2023 being commemorated as the International Year of Millets, ITC Grand Chola has chosen to showcase this mighty grain in its Christmas Tree. Millets are known for their magical properties that nurture well-being and promote good health.

The Millet Magic Christmas Tree is rooted in the ethos of Responsible Luxury & Sustainability. Standing tall at 15 feet, the entire family of millets – Ragi, Kambu, Foxtail Millet, Samai, Barnyard Millet, Pearl Millet, and Varagu, unveil their magic in layers, ornaments, bells, and stars. This unique structure is well illuminated and is flanked by bags of different millets and various other elements that adorn the base.

The tree also represents ITC Grand Chola’s LEED ZERO CARBON status, which is a game-changer in a world riven by climate alterations.

Over the past decade, we have presented unique trees to the city- be it the tastefully done Kanchipuram Saree tree, Woody- the tree made with re-engineered wood waste, or the one with LED bulbs, or last year’s, Palmyra tree. Standing tall in the middle of the grand Sangam Lobby, this year, “Millet Magic” blends beautifully with the warm and welcoming atmosphere, spreading the cheer of the festive season!