Dr. Reddy's Foundation

Empowering communities through improved #education, #health, #livelihood and #ClimateAction outcomes.

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

Yesterday, we officially launched our new Centre for Future Ready Skilling and Innovation (CFRSI) in Hyderabad, established in partnership with Accenture India. CFRSI is designed to address the rapidly evolving needs of India’s skilling ecosystem.

The centre will offer specialised technical courses in emerging domains such as Pharma Manufacturing Technician, Electric Vehicle Service Technician, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Automation with Gen AI, along with Future Ready Core Employability Skills (Digital). Over time, newer technical courses will also be piloted at CFRSI centres. This built-in flexibility to innovate makes the model unique.

With Hyderabad, five CFRSI centres have now been established across Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, all supported by Accenture. DRF was Accenture’s first skilling partner in India under its Skills to Succeed programme.

At the launch event, Krishnamurthy Ramamurthy, Senior Leader; Rajesh Anupoju, Vice President; and Daniel Thomas, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, represented Accenture. From DRF, Shamik Trehan, CEO; Pranav Kumar Choudhary, COO; Rami Puli Reddy, Head IT; and Raghvendra, Senior Manager, joined the CFRSI team to mark the occasion.

#youth #SkillIndia #FutureReadySkills #livelihoods #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

On #WorldEnvironmentDay, we recognise the women who are playing an important role in mangrove restoration work in Tadatalav.

Nearly 150 women from the community are part of this effort to restore 200 hectares of mangroves. Their work starts in the nursery, where they help prepare beds, sow seeds, care for seedlings and track their growth.

At the restoration sites, they support plantation during low-tide periods, carry and plant saplings, maintain spacing and assist with gap filling and site care. They also help remove algae and trash to protect young saplings.

Through their involvement, we are strengthening coastal biodiversity and community-based climate resilience.

Project Vasudha is in collaboration with Vertis Infrastructure Trust.

#MangroveRestoration #ClimateAction #CoastalEcosystem #biodiversity #Women #livelihoods #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

A first job does not change everything overnight. But it can create the first opening.

Through our GROW Green program, we train youth from low-income households for opportunities in the emerging green energy sector. The program combines technical training with core employability skills.

“There, I learned about EV systems, motor controllers, battery management systems, and basic electronics.”

After completing the training, Sanjeev got his first job as a Technician at MG Motor. Today, he works at Euler Motors, repairing electric two-wheelers.

“With my salary, I helped my father open a small general store in our village. Now he has another source of income, beyond daily wage work.”

And sometimes, one opportunity does not stop with one person. It slowly changes what becomes possible for the whole family.

#GROWGreen #GreenEnergy #youth #SkillIndia #livelihoods #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

https://t.co/0h3ldPQ9lD
Promotion decisions shape more than careers. They shape trust, fairness, leadership, and what an organisation truly values.

As AI enters workplace decisions, it can help HR teams see patterns that may otherwise go unnoticed. It can highlight gaps in visibility, consistency, and access to opportunity. But it cannot replace human judgement.

“AI can organise evidence but it cannot define values. That remains a leadership responsibility.”

The real question is not whether AI should decide who gets promoted. It is how organisations can use AI responsibly to support fairer, more transparent, and more accountable decisions.

Promotions are about merit, but merit is not a spreadsheet. It is performance and potential seen in context.

Read the blog by Kalyani, Head of Human Resources.

#HumanResources #AIInHR #PeopleAnalytics #TalentManagement

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

It is estimated that globally, about 1.5 billion tires are discarded every year.

Indosole is a sustainable footwear brand that recycles discarded tires into high-quality shoes. Utilizing their proprietary SETT (Sole Engineered Tire Technology), the platform pulverizes tires into a fine powder to manufacture durable sandals composed of 40% recycled tire, 30% natural rubber, and 30% new material.

As reported by Indosole, they have diverted over 80,000 tires from landfills!

Img: Indosole
#TireWaste #landfill #recycle #CircularEconomy #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

#MomentInFocus
Gold Dust: where effort becomes grain (Photo by Saurabh Chatterjee)

Harvest is not just an end. It is the release of a season’s worry. It is the quiet joy of seeing effort take shape, and knowing the household will be okay for a while.

In rice, this joy often comes after months of labour and uncertainty. That is why we work on approaches that make cultivation more reliable. Through Dry Direct Seeded Rice (Dry DSR), farmers sow directly into dry, level soil using a seed drill, reducing labour dependence, saving water, and lowering emissions, while supporting timely sowing and healthier soils over time.

Because sustainability is not only about the field. It is about what the harvest means at home.

#Photography #PhotoOfTheDay #farmers #agriculture #DirectSeededRice #livelihoods #sustainability #SDGs

@saurabhchatter

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

What is the biggest challenge in implementing conservation policies?

#conservation #ClimateAction #Earth #sustainability #SDGs #Poll #PollOfTheDay

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

“She would sit with me every night and help me study. She found her own ways to explain things I could not hear.”

There were no special schools in Anil's village. He studied in the local school with his siblings, relying on lip reading, gestures, and the patience of a mother who refused to let him fall behind.

At our GROW PwD centre, he built workplace skills, prepared for interviews and found his first job. Today, he works in an environment where communication is easier, dignity is everyday and he can support the mother who once supported him.

Through GROW PwD, we continue to work towards skilling and employment pathways where persons with disabilities are not left out but included with dignity.

#Inclusion #PersonsWithDisabilities #SkillIndia #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

Kesakambali Foundation is a hair-recycling initiative that repurposes discarded and donated human and animal hair into eco-solutions for soil and water restoration. Through its Bhoomi Sanchay programme, the foundation develops biodegradable hair mats that help retain soil moisture, reduce erosion, suppress weeds, and improve soil health in farms.

Its broader Hair Matters – Jal Sanchay uses hair-based filtration systems and floating barriers to absorb oil pollutants and trap waste in polluted water bodies.

According to reports, they recycled more than 1,000 kg of hair so far.

Img: Kesakambali Foundation
#Recycling #HairRecycling #SoilHealth #WaterConservation #ClimateAction #Sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

For many daily wage workers, healthcare is not only about the cost of treatment. It is also about the earnings lost while accessing care.

B. Mallesh, a farm labourer living with Chronic Kidney Disease, used to travel 17 km to the District Hospital for regular Serum Creatinine tests. The lab tests and consultation often took up to two days, which meant two days of lost wages.

After the PHC in DG Puram was upgraded in February, he started coming here for his checkups.

“They do all the tests in one hour, and I can go back to work. I do not lose any earnings, and I can use the money for daily expenses.”

Through the PHC Upgradation program, in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (@drreddys), we are strengthening primary healthcare facilities so that care is closer to people, reducing travel, waiting time, and the hidden financial burden on households.

#healthcare #PrimaryHealthCentre #RuralHealthcare #AccessibleHealthcare #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

Today, on #InternationalDayforBiologicalDiversity, the theme “Acting locally for global impact” feels especially meaningful to us.

As part of our broader plans for Coastal Ecosystems under the Action for Climate and Environment program, we have been supporting Olive Ridley turtle conservation along the Konaseema and Kakinada coasts of Andhra Pradesh.

In partnership with the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department, and with support from local fishing communities, we helped strengthen six conservation centres, five in Konaseema and one in Kakinada. Trained turtle watchers supported beach patrolling, nest identification, egg protection, hatchery care and safe hatchling release.

Over 62,000 Olive Ridley hatchlings have made their way back to the sea 🐢🐢

Each return to the ocean is a reminder that biodiversity is protected through patient, local and collective action.

#WorldBiodiversityDay #TurtleConservation #CoastalEcosystems #FishingCommunities #ClimateAction #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

A small bee box can bring a visible change to a farmer’s field.

As part of our Action for Climate and Environment program, installation of bee boxes is one of our newer interventions to support pollination, crop health, and additional income for farmers.

So far, farmers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have installed over 200 beehive boxes. The early results are encouraging. Farmers are seeing better flowering, improved fruit setting, healthier sunflower and coconut crops, better seed quality, longer vegetable harvests, and even some additional income through honey.

On World Bee Day, these stories remind us of the important role bees play in agriculture, livelihoods, and climate-resilient farming.

#WorldBeeDay #ClimateAction #Biodiversity #FoodSecurity #livelihoods #RegenerativeAgriculture #Sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

Short-term placement-linked programs like GROW can create this quiet but powerful shift. A first job becomes stability. Stability becomes confidence. And confidence becomes a path forward.

Soubhagya Choudhary had planned to move to another city for employment after graduation, but life took a difficult turn when his father met with an accident. With medical expenses rising and the pandemic beginning soon after, he stayed back home to care for him.

Through GROW, he found a pathway to his first job at BPO Convergence in Bhubaneswar.

“It was close to home, and my salary helped me support my family.”

Today, after three years of work experience, Soubhagya is a Technical Project Lead at SSPL, working on a government digitalisation project for the Bhubaneswar Development Authority. His income has grown, and he continues to support his family.

#GROW #Youth #SkillIndia #livelihoods #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

https://t.co/XxHSmvLwOM
This article from the Stanford Social Innovation Review highlights the need to redesign education systems around career readiness and lifelong learning. It argues that schools, employers, and governments must work together to build pathways that combine academic learning with practical skills, mentorship, and work-based experiences. The article also emphasizes the importance of equitable access to career opportunities, especially for underserved communities, to ensure that education leads to economic mobility and long-term success.

#education #livelihoods #careers #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

India’s soil health challenge needs solutions that combine science, local knowledge and farmer-centric implementation.

We co-organised a consultation workshop on the Bharat Soil Health Policy with ICAR-CRIDA. At the workshop, Suman, Head of Rural Livelihoods and Climate Action programs, shared DRF’s experiences and expectations from the upcoming “Bharat Soil Health Policy-2026”, while colleagues from our Action for Climate and Environment team chaired a session on challenges in soil health, innovation and incentives.

Colleagues from our field teams leading intervention implementation also attended the workshop, bringing in on-ground perspectives from farmers and farming communities.

The discussions highlighted the need for plot-specific soil testing, stronger biological indicators, improved local infrastructure, natural farming incentives and better integration of traditional practices with modern science.

Soil health is one of the central areas of our interventions in regenerative agriculture.

#RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilHealth #farmers #ClimateAction #FoodSecurity #livelihoods #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

One of the most striking things in the stories of Sashakt scholars is their deep interest in research. Many of them are not just pursuing science as a degree but as a pathway to solve real problems and contribute to stronger public systems.

Over the years, more than 56% of Sashakt scholars have gone on to pursue Master’s-level courses in science.

For Falguni Bagh, this journey began with a question that stayed with her from Class 9. Malaria affected so many people, yet had no vaccine then.

Her time at IISER, with its interdisciplinary coursework and early exposure to research, helped her see science not just as a subject, but as a way to create real-world impact.

Coming from a home where finances were difficult, the Sashakt scholarship helped reduce the burden. Just as importantly, the mentorship helped her recognize her strengths, build confidence and find clarity in the path she wanted to pursue.

As Falguni says, “I want to contribute to research that can strengthen public healthcare systems.”

#WomenInSTEM #WomenInScience #WomenEmpowerment #Inclusion #education #SashaktScholarship #Sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

How best can climate policies address livelihood risks?

#PollOfTheDay #ClimateAction #policy #sustainability #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

https://t.co/hYXjLyjO9x
Biochar for Soil Fertility is more than a technical idea. It is an emerging pathway for carbon removal, soil health, and rural resilience in India.

In India, biochar holds significant promise. It can help lock carbon into soils, reduce open burning, support soil health, and build greater climate resilience for farmers.

But moving from promising pilots to bankable scale needs more than technology. It needs reliable feedstock systems, quality standards, local soil understanding, practical application models, environmental safeguards, and financing that can support the long journey from evidence to adoption.

In this blog, Dr. Kumar Abbhishek, Technical Associate, Action for Climate and Environment, reflects on what it will take to build the ecosystem around Biochar for Soil Fertility in India.

#Biochar #SoilFertility #RegenerativeAgriculture #SustainableAgriculture #ClimateAction #SDGs

[Dr. Reddy's Foundation @DRF_India]

Vitara is a social enterprise building more transparent and fair supply chains in the shea sector across West Africa.

The region lies within the shea belt, where shea trees grow naturally and support the livelihoods of thousands of rural women. While shea has strong global demand, many collectors still depend on middlemen and informal markets. Vitara helps change this by connecting women-led collector groups directly to buyers, offering pre-financing, and using its TreeSyt platform to make sourcing more transparent and traceable.

The model also links income with conservation, encouraging communities to protect the shea parklands that are vital for livelihoods, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

As reported by Vitara, the platform connects 40,000+ women to global markets, has onboarded over 150,000 farmers, helped protect 10,000+ acres of shea parklands, and enabled a 20% increase in additional income for local producers.

Img: Shea Belt Journal
#livelihoods #WomenEmpowerment #sustainability #SDGs