Vedanta’s Nand Ghar Joins Forces with John Snow Inc. (JSI) and Rocket Learning to Transform Early Childhood Development at Anganwadi centers in Dholpur, Rajasthan

This marks a transformative step towards strengthening early childhood education,
health, and nutrition across Nand Ghars in Rajasthan.
New Delhi: Nand Ghar, Vedanta’s flagship CSR initiative is reimagining anganwadis as modern centers equipped with smart education tools, BaLA (Building as Learning Aid) designs, LED TV, and child-friendly infrastructure to create engaging, safe spaces for children aged 3–6 years. They also facilitate fortified meals, healthcare services, and nutritional support for children and mothers, while empowering women through skill-building programs that promote sustainable livelihoods and community development. Project Balvardhan is an initiative under Nand Ghar by the Anil Agarwal Foundation. It is focused on combatting malnutrition among children and enhancing the capacity of n ganwadi workers. As per NFHS-5, 31.8% children under 5 years are stunted and 16.8%children are stunted in Rajasthan. Through the project, more than 800 Anganwadi centers
 will be developed into Nand Ghars across Dholpur in Rajasthan, benefiting over 80,000 children and 14,000 women beneficiaries, while largely impacting lives of more than 1,00,000 community members. The initiative using a 360-degree systems approach focuses on strengthening early childhood care and education (ECCE), addressing all forms of malnutrition, and ensuring the provision of quality supplementary nutrition as per the
guidelines of ICDS Rajasthan. A strong emphasis will be placed on behavioral change practices to create a long-term and sustained impact on health and nutrition status for bothchildren and women. To build a holistic,community-driven development model focused on sustainability, scalability, and measurable impact, the strategic collaboration with JSI and Rocket Learning will help build a strong foundation for nutrition, health and education interventions at Nand Ghar. CEO, Nand Ghar, Mr. Shashi Arora reaffirmed the program’s commitment and said, “At Nand Ghar, we believe that real change begins at the grassroots. Project Balvardhan is asignificant step towards our dedicated efforts to combat malnutrition among children and empower anganwadi workers. Together with the Government of Rajasthan, JSI, and Rocket Learning, Nand Ghar is committed to drive this change from the grassroots and build a secure future for our future generation.” Under Project Balvardhan, JSI will lead interventions to improve maternal and child nutrition & health by enhancing the nutritional status of children under 6 years via strengthening Anganwadi services through infrastructural upgrades, digital growth
monitoring and tracking (anthropometry), and promoting maternal nutrition awareness through evidence-based practices via systems-driven Nand Ghar model. These efforts will directly benefit children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, while uplifting the overall health outcomes in surrounding rural communities. Efforts shall also be concentrated

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towards enhanced capacity building of Nand Ghar Didis (AWWs), front-line workers and communities for sustained impact via behavioural change mechanisms. Rocket Learning will capacitate anganwadi workers in delivering high-quality Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) by enhancing child attendance and engagement through interactive learning, developing state-aligned educational content, and training
workers in modern teaching methodologies. JSI and Rocket Learning, in close collaboration with ICDS Rajasthan, are uniting their unparalleled expertise in maternal and child health, nutrition, and early childhood care and education (ECCE) to usher in a transformative era for Anganwadi services. Together, they are poised to deliver an integrated, systems - level approach that not only elevates service delivery standards at Anganwadi centres but also inspires a new vision of holistic child development. The project is being implemented, with the blessings of Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt. Diya Kumari ji—a testament to the government’s strong commitment to child welfare and rural development. Project
Balvardhan stands as a beacon of collaborative impact—driven by partnerships, powered by community, and rooted in sustainability.
About Balvardhan:
Project Balvardhan, a collaboration between the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the Government of Rajasthan, and district authorities, builds on Vedanta’s Nand Ghar partnership with the Department of Women & Child Development. With over 5,100 Nand Ghars already developed in Rajasthan and a vision to scale up to 25,000, the initiative aims to transform Anganwadis into tech-enabled hubs offering integrated services in early education, nutrition, and healthcare. Designed as a scalable, sustainable model, the project combines proven
interventions with technology, policy, and community engagement. It also includes ongoing training for Anganwadi workers and behavior change programs to empower mothers and caregivers in maternal and child well-being.
About Nand Ghar:
Nand Ghar, a flagship social impact project under the Anil Agarwal Foundation, is a model project working towards strengthening the Anganwadi ecosystem of the country. The 8300+ Nand Ghars are the enabler of change and sustainable development with a presence in 15 states across India and currently impacting more than 3.2 lakh children and 2.4 lakh women. Set up in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), Nand Ghars are modernized ‘Anganwadis’ working to eradicate malnutrition among children, provide pre-primary education, primary healthcare, and empower rural women through skill training. Nand Ghars, the state-of-the-art Anganwadis, aim to transform the lives of 7 crore children and 2 crore women across the 13.7 lakh Anganwadis across the country. For more information, visit:0https://www.nandghar.org/
About Anil Agarwal Foundation:

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The Anil Agarwal Foundation is the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s community and social initiatives. The focus areas of the Foundation are healthcare, women and child development, animal welfare projects, and sports promotion. Anil Agarwal Foundation aims to empower communities, transform lives, and facilitate nation
building through sustainable and inclusive growth.