The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, organised the National CSR Workshop on Early Childhood Care, Education & Nutrition – Strengthening Anganwadi Centres on 20th February, 2026 at New Delhi.
Held under the guidance and vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, with a focused emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as a foundational pillar of Viksit Bharat @2047, the workshop marked a significant step towards mission-mode mobilisation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) resources for strengthening India’s Anganwadi ecosystem.
The workshop on National CSR Workshop on Early Childhood Care, Education & Nutrition – Strengthening Anganwadi Centres held in the august presence of the Hon’ble Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi and Hon’ble Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Smt. Savitri Thakur.
The workshop witnessed participation from over 100 representatives from corporate CSR leaders, philanthropic foundations, international organisations, development partners, Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). Officers from Central Ministries and State/UT Governments participated to ensure that CSR partnerships translate into smooth, accountable and outcome-driven implementation at the field level.
Delivering the welcome address, Shri Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, stated that Anganwadi Centres are foundational community institutions serving millions of children and mothers across the country. He emphasised that the next phase of strengthening requires measurable, technology-enabled and accountable CSR partnerships aligned with national development priorities.
Delivering the keynote address, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Annpurna Devi, emphasised that investment in early childhood is a strategic national priority. She stated that strengthening Anganwadi Centres is integral to nation-building and that the true measure of a developed nation lies in how it nurtures its children in their earliest years.
Addressing the CSR Workshop, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development respectfully echoed the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, quoting his inspiring words: “Investment made in childhood is the greatest nation-building.”
She highlighted that over the past decade, the Government has adopted a “Whole of Government” and “Whole of Society” approach to strengthen childhood development initiatives. Emphasizing the vital role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), she urged industry leaders to ensure their investments create sustainable and measurable impact.
Minister further stated that with nearly 14 lakh Anganwadi Centres across the country, India operates the largest such network in the world. Through these centres, more than 7.57 crore children below six years of age are provided six integrated services, including nutritional support and early childhood pre-school education, laying a strong foundation for their overall growth and development.
She called for stronger collaboration between Government and industry to further accelerate progress in Early Childhood Care and Education and build a strong foundation for the nation’s future.
Setting the context, Smt. Radhika Jha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, made a comprehensive presentation outlining the national scale of over 14 lakh Anganwadi Centres serving nearly 8.7 crore beneficiaries. She detailed priority areas for CSR engagement, including:
Infrastructure modernisation
ECCE learning enhancement
Nutrition strengthening
Digital enablement through the Poshan Tracker
CSR facilitation through the Pankhudi Portal
H.S.H. Prince Max von und zu Liechtenstein, Chairman of LGT and Board Member of LGT Venture Philanthropy, emphasised the importance of catalytic capital, measurable social returns, and long-term systems strengthening in early childhood development.
He noted that recent discussions with leading philanthropic organisations reaffirmed how foundational the early years are, and underscored that health, nutrition, caregiving, and early learning must function as an integrated system.
He described India’s nationwide childcare platform as an extraordinary national asset, highlighting that meaningful progress at scale requires close alignment between philanthropy, corporate engagement, and government leadership.
He mention that LGT Venture Philanthropy already supporting nearly 40,000 AWCs nationwide and he further committed to support an additional 10,000 AWCs over the next three years in states such as Rajasthan and Maharashtra .
An audio-visual presentation on ECCE and the Poshan Tracker demonstrated how technology-driven monitoring and real-time data are enhancing service delivery, transparency and governance within the Anganwadi network. Padma Shri Shri Sanjeev Kapoor highlighted the importance of dietary diversity, behavioural change and community participation in addressing child malnutrition.
He noted that improved nutrition outcomes require alignment between communities, caregivers and institutions. A short film on the Nand Ghar -an initiative of Vedanta Ltd. showcased the modernisation of Anganwadi Centres into vibrant hubs of early learning, nutrition services and women’s empowerment.
Ms. Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Non-Executive Director, Vedanta Ltd. and Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc Ltd., stated that Nand Ghar represents a strong resolve to transform India’s Anganwadi ecosystem into vibrant spaces where children receive quality care, education, and nutrition, while women are empowered with new pathways to independence and dignity.
She highlighted that with nearly 12,000 Nand Ghars operational across 17 states, these centres are demonstrating how small community spaces can drive meaningful and large-scale transformation. She emphasized that investing in the nation’s youngest citizens and empowering women collectively strengthens the foundation of a stronger and more inclusive India.
She further announced Vedanta’s commitment to strengthening Anganwadi Centres across Odisha, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Bihar, the birthplace of Vedanta Group Founder and Chairman Shri Anil Agarwal. Senior representative from Zerodha highlighted the role of responsible enterprises in supporting grassroots social infrastructure and expressed support for collaborative adoption frameworks aligned with Ministry guidelines.
An audio-visual presentation on the Pankhudi Portal demonstrated how the technology-enabled platform aligns CSR resources with State-uploaded proposals, ensuring transparency, need-based allocation and implementation tracking.
The workshop included an interactive session wherein corporate leaders, CPSE representatives, philanthropic foundations, international partners and State officials deliberated on adoption models, accountability frameworks and structured commitments.
Participating organisations were encouraged to formalise commitments with clearly designated responsibilities to ensure sustained and measurable impact.
The Ministry outlined a framework for collective responsibility in strengthening social infrastructure through:
Direct State-level engagement based on identified needs and priority geographies; and
Collaboration through the Pankhudi Portal, a transparent, technology-enabled platform aligning CSR resources with State proposals.
Senior leadership representatives from corporate houses and institutions expressed willingness to adopt and strengthen individual Anganwadi Centres through structured and measurable commitments aligned with Ministry guidelines. International development partners also participated in the deliberations, reinforcing global interest in India’s ECCE transformation agenda.
During the workshop, representatives from various PSUs and corporates outlined their ongoing infrastructural and programmatic interventions to strengthen Anganwadi Centres. NTPC shared details of its organisational support to a significant number of centres, HDFC indicated extensive backing of AWCs, while ONGC highlighted substantial investments across multiple states along with further commitments to expand its support.
Industry leaders such as Tata Steel, Aditya Birla Group, Hyundai, Reliance Industries and Apollo Hospitals also expressed their intent for large-scale collaboration, including investments in training, sustainability, hyper-local nutrition promotion and a focused approach on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
The workshop was widely appreciated by participants from various sectors as being well-organised and impactful, serving as a valuable platform for dialogue and partnership, and fostering collaborative efforts towards strengthening and modernising the national Anganwadi ecosystem.
Delegates also commended the initiative of the Pankudhi Portal, a dedicated digital platform for CSR engagement, for enabling greater transparency, coordination and effective collaboration between stakeholders. The National CSR Workshop marks the beginning of a mission-driven framework for CSR mobilisation in Early Childhood Care, Education and Nutrition.
With active involvement of States, industry leaders, CPSEs, philanthropic foundations and international partners, the initiative strengthens institutional collaboration and implementation accountability. By aligning policy vision, financial resources, governance reforms and Jan Bhagidari, the Ministry aims to reinforce the foundation of a healthier and empowered generation, while advancing women-led development and India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat @2047. The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks by Shri Ajeet Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development.