Upskilling: The next logical step for better livelihood opportunities
In India’s crowded cities, the story of aspiration often begins in narrow lanes where dreams are bigger than the means to chase them. Young people across these spaces are ready to work, to learn to earn their way forward. What they often lack is not determination, but direction.
That’s where India’s vast skilling ecosystem comes in — a mix of large government programmes and targeted, community-led models. On one hand, national initiatives like Skill India, PMKVY and DDU-GKY aim to train millions across the country. On the other, smaller but focused programmes like Smile Foundation’s STeP (Smile Twin e-Learning Programme) take a ground-up approach, turning individual stories of struggle into stories of progress.
Both are essential. But the difference lies in how they reach people, and what they leave behind.
The Landscape of Government Skilling
India’s government skilling ecosystem is among the largest in the world. Through dedicated frameworks like the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), these schemes deliver training, certification and financial support across states and sectors.
Their scale is their strength — building national capacity, promoting employability and reaching rural and urban youth alike. Yet, scale can also create distance. The deeper a system goes, the harder it becomes to keep it human, flexible and context-driven.
That’s where smaller, more responsive models can make a difference.
From Promise to Possibility: The Birth of STeP
When Smile Foundation launched STeP in 2007, the idea was not to compete with government initiatives, but to fill the spaces between them — to work with youth who might otherwise fall through the cracks.
Targeting those aged 18–25, STeP offers market-aligned training in English, computers, communication and service-sector skills. But the real difference lies in its approach combining technical learning with confidence-building, mentorship and placement support.
What began with a few centres has now grown into a national network, training tens of thousands of young people and helping many secure employment in respected brands.
Six Ways STeP Differentiates Itself
1️⃣ Personalisation and Holistic Development
Government schemes include soft-skill modules, but large-scale delivery often limits how personal training can get.
STeP fills that gap by investing in communication, personality development and English proficiency, alongside technical skills.
In its 2017 assessment, STeP conducted 213 employer engagement sessions and 203 industry visits, giving participants both exposure and confidence — something no classroom alone can teach.
2️⃣ Agility and Market Relevance
STeP’s curriculum isn’t static. It adapts to emerging market needs, introducing modules in digital marketing, healthcare assistance, e-logistics and supply chain management.
While policy frameworks in government schemes can take time to evolve, STeP’s flexibility allows it to respond quickly to what employers actually need.
3️⃣ Reaching Marginalised Urban Youth
Unlike many government schemes that struggle with documentation or outreach barriers, STeP works directly within urban slums and low-income communities.
Its mobilisation teams identify young people who have dropped out of school or lack access to formal skill training — ensuring opportunities reach those most likely to be left out.
4️⃣ Placement and Industry Partnerships
STeP doesn’t end with training; it follows through with employment linkages.
With a Centralised Placement Cell and over 150 partner brands — including Airtel, HDFC, Reliance and Burger King — nearly 70% of trainees have found employment. Feedback from these employers continuously refines training modules, keeping them aligned with real-world expectations.
5️⃣ Support Beyond the Classroom
Training at STeP continues beyond the certificate.
Students receive mentoring, career guidance and even financial literacy sessions to navigate their first jobs. For women, especially, STeP offers a safe space to build self-confidence and balance social challenges with professional aspirations.
6️⃣ Scale vs. Depth — Complementary Strengths
While government programmes achieve extraordinary reach, STeP focuses on depth and quality.
Its certifications, developed with International Management Institute (IMI) and Microsoft, ensure credibility and relevance. Rather than scale for its own sake, STeP measures success in real livelihoods created — trading breadth for depth, and uniformity for impact.
New Horizons: STeP at Medahally
In 2024, Smile Foundation inaugurated its 35th STeP centre — and its second in Bengaluru — at Medahally, in partnership with Vidyaranya and supported by Bosch India Foundation.
Since inception, STeP has trained over 13,750 youth and placed 9,850 across 140 brands. The new centre, the seventh in southern India, reflects the programme’s purpose: bridging aspiration and opportunity with targeted, human-centred learning.
Stories That Bring the Difference Home
Behind every statistic, there’s a story.
Neha, a commerce graduate from a low-income family, joined STeP’s digital marketing course and now earns ₹13,000 a month.
Mohammad Ibrahim, who had dropped out of school, now works in the service sector after completing his training.
Women like Shivani, Priyanka and Nisha overcame social and financial barriers, built confidence, and found employment in sectors like banking and customer service.
These are not isolated successes — they’re proof that the right combination of training, mentorship and opportunity can transform entire families’ futures.
The Difference That Makes a Difference
STeP is not an alternative to government skilling schemes — it’s a complement. It reaches those who remain invisible to larger systems, providing them with not only employability but dignity.
As India works to turn its demographic dividend into real social progress, STeP offers a reminder: scale matters, but human connection matters more.
Teacher's Day 2024: Changing Student-Teacher Relationship
India faces a persistent shortage of qualified teachers, especially in primary and upper-primary schools. Recent government analyses highlight this crisis – a parliamentary committee reported“around 10 lakh vacancies of teachers in SSA-funded schools… and around 7.5 lakh vacancies at the elementary and primary levels”. Times of India notes that some states (e.g. Bihar, Karnataka, Rajasthan) have tens of thousands of unfilled posts and hundreds of schools operating with only one or two teachers. These gaps push actual pupil–teacher ratios far above the NEP 2020 guideline of 30:1 (25:1 in disadvantaged areas). For example, Bihar reports over 14,000 schools exceeding a 40:1 ratio and national data show many schools disobeying PTR norms.
The shortage is acute in rural and remote areas. Tribal and impoverished regions often lack even a minimal cadre of educators; one report cites districts with up to a dozen schools each having no permanent teachers. Contractual “guest” teachers or Shiksha Mitras (community instructors) fill some gaps, but coverage is uneven.
This teacher scarcity has serious implications for foundational learning. Without enough trained teachers, early grades struggle to deliver basic literacy and numeracy. Many schools resort to multi-grade teaching or overburdened teachers, diluting individual attention. Studies show that a high share of learning time is lost when teachers are absent or juggling multiple grades. Ultimately, rising school enrolment (now >95% among 6–14 year olds) has not fully translated into basic skills for children.
In short, India’s quantitative gains in enrolment now risk being undermined by inadequate teacher capacity and staffing.
Systemic Challenges in Teaching Quality and Deployment
Beyond sheer headcount, systemic issues constrain teaching quality in foundational grades. Pre-service training remains weak: a proposed overhaul of the Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed) degree raised alarms among experts that it could shrink the pipeline of teachers. Many current teachers lack specialised FLN methods; rote instruction still dominates classrooms despite new pedagogical goals. Over 70% of teaching time is spent on traditiona, rote pedagogy often because curricula and teacher preparation emphasise coverage over comprehension.
Teacher deployment is also uneven. Urban or better-off districts often have surplus or qualified staff, while remote areas rely on untrained local hires. Research on India’s para-teacher programmes (e.g. Shiksha Karmi in Rajasthan) notes that these local educators boost attendance and community ties precisely because they share language and background with students. However, para-teachers often have lower pay, minimal training and tenuous contracts – factors that undermine retention.
Even regular teachers face challenges: delayed recruitment drives, inflexible transfers and uncompetitive salaries lead many to leave or remain absent. Haryana, for example, has had to shuffle teachers (making Hindi specialists teach English) and resort to online lectures for science due to acute staff gaps.
Retention and motivation problems compound these issues. Teacher absenteeism is endemic (often cited around 25–40% nationally) and many educators perform non-teaching duties or manage classes with 40–50 students. These factors reduce instructional time. About 45% of classroom time is lost to such disruptions. Even when teachers are present, insufficient support and outdated training mean they are ill-equipped to teach FLN.
A study found that only about one-third of teachers felt their in-service training was useful. In short, India’s education system currently prioritises inputs (buildings, enrolment numbers, teacher counts) over actual learning outcomes. This disconnect – combined with policy inertia – means that without external support, many early-grade students may enter Grade 3 without the reading and math foundations they need.
NGO-led Solutions for Foundational Learning Gaps
NGOs have stepped in to bridge these systemic gaps, tailoring grassroots solutions where public systems fall short. Their proximity to communities and flexibility allow them to pilot and scale innovative teaching models. Broadly, NGOs contribute in ways such as supplemental instruction, community educators, teacher training, digital resources, localised curricula and mobilising parents/community.
For example, NGOs often operate after-school or bridge classes to provide remedial and enrichment teaching outside the formal school timetable. These programmes (like Pratham’s renowned Teaching at the Right Level initiative) group children by learning level rather than age, ensuring that all basics are covered. Rigorous evaluations (e.g. J-PAL studies of the “Balsakhi” volunteer-tutor program) show that such remedial tutoring significantly lifts reading and math scores.
Supplemental/Remedial Teaching: NGOs set up learning camps, “bridge schools” or study centers that hire local instructors or volunteers. These centers focus on foundational skills – teaching children to read simple stories or solve basic arithmetic through activity-based methods. For instance, Pratham’s TaRL volunteers in many states have demonstrated large learning gains at low cost. Similarly, small local NGOs organise mid-day learning clubs or distribute simple workbooks to reinforce what under-staffed schools cannot cover. These interventions effectively add instructional time and personalised attention, helping children catch up.
Community-based Educators: Many NGOs recruit and train community educators – often local youth or mothers – to serve as paraprofessional teachers. Because they speak the local language and live in the village, these educators can engage closely with students and families. In India’s history, models like Rajasthan’s Shiksha Karmi and UP’s Siksha Mitra show that local teachers improve attendance and link schools to their communities. Newer NGO programmes echo this: local women literacy workers might visit homes to teach alphabets or youth serve as “learning coordinators” in multigrade classes. These community educators do not fully replace certified teachers, but they multiply human resources and keep classrooms functioning when official teachers are scarce.
Teacher Capacity Building: NGOs run extensive training and mentoring programmes for existing teachers, with a focus on FLN pedagogy. They conduct in-service workshops on interactive and activity-based methods, classroom management and use of local materials. For example, Smile Foundation’s education arm hosts training camps in STEM, storytelling and child-centered teaching (see below). Other NGOs pair experienced educators with government teachers for peer learning. Research shows that experiential, classroom-based training helps teachers shift away from rote drills to more engaging techniques. Importantly, NGOs often work within government schools – modelling lessons or providing co-teaching support – so that over time teachers absorb these practices.
Digital and EdTech Solutions: Leveraging technology, NGOs are deploying smart classes, tablets and digital libraries to enrich understaffed classrooms. Smart boards with preloaded FLN content let a single teacher deliver multimedia lessons on letters, numbers and stories. Mobile apps and offline learning devices engage children in basic reading/math games even when teachers are not present. For instance, Smile Foundation partners and other NGOs install solar-powered digital kits in rural schools, offering animated lessons on local language and numeracy. These tools don’t replace teachers, but they serve as aides – making lessons self-paced and visually engaging. As one analysis notes, NGOs increasingly provide smart TVs or tablets with curriculum-aligned content, thus empowering teachers to deliver richer lessons.
Students in a Smile Foundation smart classroom engage with interactive digital lessons. NGO-supported tech (e.g. tablets, smartboards) can enrich foundational literacy and numeracy instruction when teachers are few.
Localised Curriculum and Materials: NGOs often create or distribute learning materials that resonate with local context. This includes storybooks in regional languages, math kits using locally available objects and picture-sheets aligned to the cultural setting. By providing these, NGOs help teachers (who may lack resources) make lessons relatable. For example, some NGOs compile collections of folk tales or primers in tribal dialects to ensure early literacy is home-grounded. These resources compensate for gaps in official textbooks and support teachers in multi-grade classes.
Community Mobilisation: Recognising that teacher shortages often worsen when parents undervalue early schooling, NGOs mobilise families and community leaders. They form parent groups or mothers’ committees to monitor learning and keep children in school. By raising awareness of FLN (e.g. educating parents on the importance of grade-appropriate reading), NGOs boost enrolment and attendance – indirectly justifying more teachers. They also advocate locally (with panchayats or district officials) to press for teacher appointments. This grassroots advocacy has prompted some states to launch accelerated recruitments. Overall, as one NGO analysis notes, “from improving infrastructure to training teachers, from distributing digital resources to mobilizing community participation, NGOs are making education not just accessible, but meaningful”.
Together, these NGO roles create complementary scaffolding around government schools. They do not aim to replace public schooling but to reinforce it: supplementing instruction where teachers are thin, raising teacher skills where training is weak and leveraging technology and community support to compensate for resource gaps.
Smile Foundation’s Mission Education: A Case Study
Smile Foundation’s Mission Education is a prominent example of how an NGO can tackle multiple dimensions of the teacher gap in FLN. Operating in over 27 states, Smile’s education programmes directly reach ~1.6 lakh children through 735 Mission Education Centres (spanning pre-primary to senior secondary) and by supporting 12,660+ government schools. The NGO emphasises a four-pronged, child-centred approach: investing in infrastructure and digital tools, building teacher capacity and engaging communities.
In tech-enabled learning environments, Smile installs digital classrooms in supported schools. These “smart” rooms come with projectors, interactive whiteboards or tablets loaded with curriculum-aligned content in local languages. Children in these classes experience animated storytelling, phonics songs and math games – an approach quite different from rote lessons.
Over the past year, we established multiple digital labs as part of enriching the learning environment. Teachers receive training to operate this equipment, so technology augments rather than replaces them.
Simultaneously, teacher development is a key pillar. Smile conducts regular training sessions (often in workshops or onsite demonstrations) for government teachers in its network. In the last year, Smile facilitated 86 training sessions attended by 482 teachers and 116 school heads. These sessions cover modern pedagogies like activity-based learning, foundational literacy methods, STEM education, classroom management and lesson planning. The focus is on making classes interactive and inclusive.
Notably, Smile aligns its training to the NIPUN Bharat and NEP 2020 goals of FLN, ensuring teachers learn how to engage early graders effectively. By upskilling hundreds of local teachers each year, Smile helps fill the “training gap” that public systems often neglect. This empowers teachers who remain in place, so that even in understaffed schools, the available educators can deliver higher-quality FLN instruction.
Community involvement is the third prong of Smile’s model. They mobilise parents and local stakeholders through mother-teacher associations and community meetings. By involving mothers’ groups and panchayats, Smile encourages communities to monitor schooling, prevent dropouts and even identify potential local candidates to train as volunteer aides. In many villages, Smile staff work with village education committees to track which children need help and to ensure classrooms are functioning. This community focus not only keeps children in school but also creates accountability for teacher attendance and performance. In areas where official teacher attendance is erratic, community vigilance ensures that programmes like Smile’s do reach the intended students.
Finally, Smile directly provides learning materials and support to children. It supplies notebooks, textbooks, math kit tools and storybooks in Hindi and regional languages. It also establishes STEM and language labs in some centers, encouraging self-learning. By filling resource gaps, Smile reduces one factor that often stretches teachers thin (improvising lessons without materials).
In sum, Smile Foundation’s Mission Education programme illustrates the multi-pronged NGO approach: infrastructure + pedagogy + community. The combination of digital classrooms, teacher training and grassroots outreach helps mitigate the effects of teacher shortages. For example, a village primary school supported by Smile may still have only 2 government teachers, but those teachers are backed by smartboards and local teaching aids; they have received fresh training in FLN methods; and enthusiastic mothers’ groups keep children engaged. This integrated support has led to anecdotal improvements: Smile reports higher attendance and rising reading scores in its partner schools.
Other NGOs play similar roles on different scales. For instance, Pratham’s TaRL volunteers and Learning Links Foundation’s Sambal Shiksha programme also supplement regular teaching with tailored FLN camps and training. Tech-focused NGOs (or CSR initiatives) provide tablets loaded with offline reading apps to thousands of rural schools. Meanwhile, community mobilisers like Teach For India alumni or Rural Volunteers help run bridge classes.
Across these varied interventions, the thread is clear: NGOs are filling the chasm left by structural teacher shortfalls. They do so by multiplying adult presence in schools (through volunteers and community teachers), enriching what each teacher can do (through training and tech) and bringing learning resources directly to children. While government reforms aim to systemically improve FLN, on-the-ground change often hinges on such NGO action. By tailoring solutions to local challenges – and continuously adapting to on-site realities – NGOs ensure that even in hard-hit regions, children have a fighting chance at basic reading and math.
When economists and policymakers speak of India’s ambition to become a $7 trillion economy, they often talk about infrastructure, foreign investment, digital innovation and green energy. But one of the most overlooked levers of this transformation lies inside Indian homes: the unpaid care work performed overwhelmingly by women.
Unpaid care—including child-rearing, elder care, cooking, cleaning and fetching water—makes up a significant portion of India’s real economic activity. But because it doesn’t pass through a market transaction, it remains unmeasured in GDP. The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data shows that women in India spend up to six hours a day on unpaid domestic and caregiving responsibilities, compared to men’s average of less than one hour. This disparity has deep implications for labour force participation, productivity and gender equality.
In fact, India’s female labour force participation rate is among the lowest in the world. Much of this is linked not to a lack of willingness or skill, but to the sheer load of unpaid domestic labour. This is the silent tax women pay, restricting their opportunities for paid employment, education or entrepreneurship.
The Economic Case for Change
If this unpaid work were monetised, it could account for nearly 13% of India’s GDP, according to estimates from the International Labour Organization. But the case isn’t just moral or statistical; it’s economic. Reducing women’s unpaid work and enabling their entry into the formal workforce could significantly increase India’s productivity.
A 2023 report by McKinsey estimated that advancing gender parity in India could add $770 billion to GDP by 2025 (but isn’t 2025 getting over already!). Unlocking this requires coordinated efforts in childcare infrastructure, flexible work policies, social norms change and capacity building — all areas where civil society has an outsized role to play.
Smile Foundation and Women Empowerment
Smile Foundation’s livelihood and women empowerment programmes offer a compelling example of how this transformation can be grounded in practical, scalable models.
Through its women-centric STeP (Smile Twin e-Learning Programme), the Foundation trains young women in urban slums in market-aligned skills such as digital marketing, patient care and retail services. The programme includes flexible learning schedules, family counselling and confidence-building workshops, all designed to help women overcome both time poverty and social restrictions.
One graduate, Priyanka from Delhi, once spent her entire day caring for siblings and managing the household. After enrolling in STeP, she received digital and soft-skills training, secured employment in a retail chain and now supports her family financially. Importantly, her working status shifted the dynamics at home: responsibilities are more equitably distributed and her younger siblings have started seeing career possibilities for girls.
In rural areas, Smile Foundation integrates early childhood care and education (ECCE) centres with mother’s support groups. These centres serve a dual purpose of preparing children for school and freeing up hours of women’s time each day, which can be redirected to income-generating or educational activities.
Childcare Infrastructure: A National Gap
India lacks adequate childcare infrastructure, especially in informal and low-income urban areas. According to a 2022 report by UNICEF, only 23% of working women have access to any form of institutional childcare.
Smile Foundation’s approach to solving this includes community-run creches, mobile education units and parental sensitisation sessions. These efforts enable women not just to seek employment but also to sustain it over time.
Norms Change: The Slow Revolution
Even as infrastructure improves, change must also come from within families and communities. Deep-rooted gender norms are not easily dislodged. Smile Foundation works closely with men and boys, organising gender workshops, intergenerational dialogues and father-focused campaigns to foster shared responsibility.
A key insight from our work is that public messaging alone is insufficient. What works better is proximity: seeing one’s neighbour share domestic work or hearing a daughter’s success story can be more persuasive than a government poster.
Smile Foundation’s interventions show that multi-sectoral solutions anchored in local contexts can effectively address unpaid care burdens. Policymakers must integrate care economy measures into mainstream economic planning — from expanding ICDS and Anganwadi services to mandating workplace childcare and funding community creches.
The upcoming Union Budget could, for instance, introduce care credits or tax rebates for caregiving households, incentivise employers to adopt family-friendly practices and fund public awareness campaigns on unpaid care.
From Invisible to Invaluable
For India to meet its growth ambitions, it must start counting what counts. Unpaid care work isn’t a peripheral issue — it is central to economic resilience, human development and social justice.
As India aims to become a $7 trillion economy, it must free half its population from the invisible chains of care work — not by eliminating caregiving, but by redistributing it more fairly and valuing it more visibly. Only then can the country move from promise to possibility, powered equally by the hands of all its people.
The issue of school dropout in India is multifaceted, often rooted in socioeconomic, cultural and systemic inequities. While numerous interventions aim to address this crisis, scholarships have emerged as a key instrument in reducing dropout rates.
The Link Between Financial Hardship and Dropout
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) and Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) data consistently highlight a significant correlation between economic constraints and student dropout. Students from economically disadvantaged households often face pressure to contribute to household income or are unable to afford basic educational expenses such as books, uniforms and transport.
According to UNESCO, 40% of Indian secondary school students drop out before completing their education and financial distress ranks as one of the top three reasons. Scholarships, particularly those designed to meet direct and indirect costs of schooling, can act as a potent deterrent to dropout.
What the Research Says
Empirical Evidence
Multiple randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and longitudinal studies have tested the efficacy of scholarships in increasing retention. For instance, a 2019 World Bank study in Bihar found that conditional cash transfers linked to school attendance reduced dropout rates by 10-15% among girls.
Behavioural Economics and Incentive Design
Scholarships, especially those designed as conditional incentives (e.g., based on attendance or performance), also shape behavioural norms around education. They reinforce the idea that education is an investment with returns, not merely a cost.
Psychological Effects
Beyond economics, scholarships often serve as psychological affirmations for students. They validate students’ academic journeys, bolstering self-worth and resilience against systemic challenges.
Smile Foundation’s Approach: Shiksha Na Ruke and Beyond
Smile Foundation’s scholarship interventions illustrate a layered and holistic approach. Launched as part of the broader Mission Education programme, the Shiksha Na Ruke initiative provides need-based scholarships to children from disadvantaged communities.
Outcomes: According to Smile Foundation’s internal review, dropout rates among students receiving scholarships under Shiksha Na Ruke fell below 5%, compared to an average urban slum dropout rate of 15%.
Case Studies
Meena (Kolkata): A class 10 student, Meena was at the brink of dropping out due to her father’s illness and loss of income. A timely scholarship enabled her to complete her board exams and pursue nursing training.
Aamir (Lucknow): An aspiring engineer, Aamir faced pressure to leave school and join his uncle’s workshop. The scholarship covered his school fees and connected him to STEM mentorship, keeping him on track.
Do All Scholarships Work Equally?
Not necessarily. The impact of scholarships depends on:
Timing: Interventions made during transitional phases (e.g., class 5 to 6, or 10 to 11) are more impactful.
Targeting: Need-based and merit-cum-means scholarships are more effective than blanket schemes.
Complementary Infrastructure: Scholarships must be paired with systemic improvements like good teachers, accessible schools and parental involvement.
Challenges and Caveats
Leakages and Mismanagement: Inefficiencies in delivery mechanisms can dilute scholarship impacts.
One-time Grants vs. Continuous Support: Single-year scholarships often fall short of sustaining students through full educational cycles.
Gendered Impacts: Girls face multidimensional dropout triggers, including early marriage, which financial support alone cannot resolve.
Policy Recommendations
Integrate Scholarship Data with UDISE+: Real-time tracking can inform targeting.
Leverage CSR and NGO Partnerships: Organizations like Smile Foundation can help scale impactful models.
Include Mental Health and Career Guidance: Scholarships should go beyond finances to address holistic development.
Bridging the Last Mile
Scholarships, when designed and delivered effectively, can indeed reduce dropout rates significantly. Their impact is strongest when they are part of a broader ecosystem of support. Smile Foundation’s model, which combines financial, emotional and community support, offers a replicable blueprint. As India moves towards inclusive growth and a $5 trillion economy, ensuring that no child drops out due to financial hardship is not just a moral imperative, but a strategic necessity.
India, with a population exceeding 1.41 billion, still has a significant number of impoverished citizens. As a signatory to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, India is dedicated to ensuring that “no one is left behind.” Addressing each of these goals, particularly for the rural population, is vital for the nation’s holistic development. In this context, we must acknowledge the current state of the India’s healthcare system.
A vast institution spanning the country, India’s healthcare system has received numerous accolades, particularly during the 2020 pandemic. Serving both urban and rural communities, it is a crucial pillar of the nation. However, despite its efforts to provide quality healthcare to every individual, it faces serious challenges, including manpower shortages and the slow advancement of accessible quality healthcare access in remote areas.
India’s Health Profile
India’s healthcare system has made remarkable improvements, evidenced by better outcomes and numbers in life expectancy, vaccination rates and advancements in cancer research. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the country boasts approximately 161,829 sub-medical centres and over 31,000 primary health centres catering to both rural and urban populations.
However, despite these advancements, access to modern healthcare remains challenging in rural India. A survey from the “Bharat Health Index” revealed that only 25% of respondents reported having local access to healthcare. Additionally, 90% of those requiring specialised treatment must travel long distances, while financial barriers persist, with 23% relying on informal loans for medical expenses and 6% selling assets for treatment.
Additionally, the issues of the rising prevalence of four major non-communicable diseases—cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic pulmonary disease—which account for nearly 80% of deaths is also burdening the Indian Healthcare system to cater to every patient.
This situation becomes more alarming, as India’s developed cities are seeing a sudden rise in chronic diseases; Delhi and Kochi are witnessing an uptick in kidney diseases, while Kolkata and Mumbai are facing an increase in cardiovascular issues and heart attacks, particularly among individuals aged 31 to 50.
Given this landscape, one must pause to think: Is our Indian Healthcare System supported enough to address the needs of its growing population and the various medical crises it faces? How can we, as a society, support our healthcare system in delivering quality care across all regions of India?
Government’s efforts towards the Healthcare system in India
The Indian government has been dedicated to transforming the healthcare system into an inclusive institution. Leveraging global insights and technological advancements, it has initiated several programmes aimed at making quality healthcare in India accessible and affordable, even in the most remote areas.
Notable initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), the National Health Mission, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, and Janani Suraksha Yojana have significantly improved accessibility and affordability for underserved communities. These schemes provide individuals with the confidence and hope to seek medical treatment, alleviating the fear of high medical expenses and the lack of treatment facilities.
Digital Revolution of India’s Healthcare
India’s concentration on blending the best of technology within our Indian healthcare system has definitely been a game changer in recent years. The Digital India Revolution has brought significant changes in the healthcare sector with initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, e-Sanjeevani, e-Hospital, e-blood bank and e-Rakhtkosh– that have allowed India’s medical infrastructure to push its boundaries and to evolve through virtual technologies so that, people living in the remotest corners of the county have the accessibility to get timely medical consultations and treatments as preventive solutions rather than just curative mechanisms.
Quality Healthcare & Smile on Wheels
Complimenting the government’s mission, Smile Foundation health intervention, Smile On Wheels, is redefining last-mile healthcare delivery. These technology-enabled mobile medical units, reach communities that lie far beyond the reach of conventional healthcare infrastructure- villages, hilly terrains, flood-prone regions and urban slums.
With over 100 units operational across India, Smile on Wheels provides preventive, promotive and curative healthcare services; supported by doctors, nurses and trained paramedics, each unit is equipped with advanced telemedicine technology, capable of conducting 40+ diagnostic tests remotely enabling real time consultations for conditions ranging from maternal health to chronic illness. This initiative directly contributes to SDG 3- Good Health and Well being, while reinforcing the principle that healthcare should not be a privilege, but a fundamental right.
Building Health Equity Through Collaboration
While government initiatives lay foundation, the role of corporate partnerships with NGOs in India for bridging persistent healthcare gaps is crucial. Strategic CSR partnerships can drive scalable health innovations such
Strengthen preventive and primary healthcare access for underserved families
Co-create scalable, tech-enabled healthcare models aligned with SDG targets
Build a measurable impact narratives that reflect your brand’s commitment to inclusive development and employee-driven purpose
Let’s build a healthier tomorrow to ensure that no child misses school due to illness, no mother is denied care due to distance and no family is pushed into poverty by medical costs. Partner with us to create scalable, sustainable healthcare impact across rural India.
Despite gains in girls’ schooling worldwide, women remain a minority in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). UNESCO reports that women account for only about 35% of STEM graduates worldwide, a figure unchanged over the past decade. Even as more girls attend school, gendered biases and social norms often limit their subject choices. This global shortfall has economic and social costs: countries miss out on women’s talents in innovation and research, and technologies risk being shaped by a predominantly male perspective.
Globally, STEM fields remain male-dominated. Studies consistently show that at school, girls perform as well as or better than boys in science and math, yet far fewer continue to STEM careers. Girls often match or exceed boys in math and science test scores, but disproportionately drop out of STEM pathways. Despite women earning 54% of all university degrees, they make up only 34% of researchers worldwide.
In many countries, stereotyped teaching and materials reinforce boys’ identification with science. For instance, surveys in Latin America found that up to 20% of math teachers believed mathematics is easier for boys, a bias shown to undermine girls’ confidence. Similarly, experiments reveal that professors rated identical applications from female science students as less competent than those from males. These stereotypes and biases – in classrooms, textbooks, homes and workplaces – create a “leaky pipeline,” where talented girls are channeled away from STEM by invisible barriers.
Global research identifies several key barriers for girls in STEM, often interlinked:
Social norms and stereotypes: Widespread beliefs (e.g. that science/math are “for boys”) discourage girls from pursuing STEM. Parents and teachers may subconsciously steer girls toward traditionally “feminine” fields. Surveys show parents often prefer sons for STEM careers and boys rate male peers as more “knowledgeable” in science, even when girls outperform them.
Access to education and resources: In many regions, girls face practical obstacles to STEM learning. Poor infrastructure (lack of science labs, computers or internet), long travel distances to school and even safety concerns can limit girls’ schooling, especially in rural areas. Girls are particularly under-represented in STEM education not because they learn less, but because they have fewer opportunities to continue in those subjects.
Economic constraints: Families under financial strain often prioritise sons’ education, viewing boys as future breadwinners. Studies (e.g. by Sattva Institute) find that the high cost of science degrees leads some families to invest in sons’ schooling over daughters’. Without scholarships or support, talented girls may drop out or choose lower-cost streams.
Curricular and institutional biases: Even where girls attend STEM classes, curricula and teaching often lack female role models. Textbooks frequently depict scientists as men, reinforcing the idea that STEM fields are male domains. Schools rarely offer targeted encouragement for girls in science and girls report less confidence in subjects like math despite equal ability.
Workplace and societal discrimination: The bias doesn’t end with education. Women in STEM careers face lower pay, fewer promotions and hostile work cultures. Global surveys (e.g. by Kelly Services) report that a majority of women in tech feel their colleagues believe men are genetically better at math and science. Such discrimination drives many women out of STEM jobs over time.
Collectively, these factors mean that girls’ high academic achievement in early schooling doesn’t translate to STEM careers. For example, girls in many countries match or exceed boys in math/science proficiency, yet globally women make up only about 22–29% of STEM professionals (estimates vary by field and region). This discrepancy – the “double bind” of performing well but being underrepresented – underscores the role of social and cultural barriers over ability.
Gender Gaps in STEM in the Indian Context
Many of the global factors above are pronounced in India, where gender norms and resource gaps intersect. India actually stands out for having a relatively high share of women enrolling in STEM classes, yet their numbers still dwindle. For instance, one analysis finds that women make up about 43% of all STEM graduates in India (the highest rate globally), yet only 27% of these women enter STEM careers. Engineering is even more skewed: Indian women accounted for just 30.2% of undergraduate engineering enrolments in 2020–21, down from 33.7% in 2012. In popular fields like Computer Engineering, women were only ~34% of students.
These gaps reflect both demand-side and supply-side issues. On the supply side, many government schools – especially in rural areas – simply lack STEM infrastructure. A report by Smile Foundation notes that only 32% of India’s schools have a computer and only 24% a “smart” classroom. In village schools, students may never see basic science lab equipment.
Culturally, rural girls face greater discouragement: girls in rural India are 40% less likely than boys to pursue STEM subjects after primary school Early marriage and household expectations can force girls to drop out of school before 10th grade. Safety concerns, long commutes and household chores also disproportionately affect girls’ attendance.
On the demand side, Indian society often steers talented girls away from STEM. Widespread attitudes frame science and technology as masculine fields. Even in urban middle-class families, parents may pressure daughters to choose medicine, teaching or arts over engineering, fearing that STEM careers demand long hours or relocation. A Smile Foundation analysis attributes the decline of women in engineering largely to societal perceptions and workplace challenges.
Economic factors play a role too: STEM degrees (engineering, tech) are expensive and with limited family resources some girls are pushed toward lower-cost degrees. An IWWAGE study highlights that when budgets are tight, Indian families often invest in sons’ technical education rather than daughters’.
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2023) found that of all Class XI+ students, only about 31.7% were in STEM fields (Physics, Chemistry, Math, Biology), vs 55.7% in Arts/Humanities. Within that small STEM cohort, girls – especially from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds – are a minority. Even those who graduate in science or engineering face attrition: workplace surveys indicate women hold just 26% of India’s data-science and AI jobs and only 15% in engineering roles. Thus India mirrors the global trend: good academic performance by girls at school does not translate into equal representation in STEM professions.
Gender Gaps in STEM: Stereotypes, Biases and Systemic Factors
Across India and the world, gender stereotypes play out early. Children internalise notions that boys are “good at math” and girls are “good at reading.” Studies of classroom dynamics show that boys often get more attention in science class and girls receive less encouragement to explore. In India, this can mean that by middle school girls start to self-select out of advanced science courses. Without visible female scientists around them, many girls assume “science isn’t for me.” This is reinforced by media and advertising: most technology and engineering-related ads feature men. Role models and mentors are crucial – when girls see women succeeding in STEM, it challenges stereotypes.
In higher education and work, institutional biases become evident. Indian data suggest that even when women enroll in STEM degrees, far fewer stay. For example, between 2013–14 and 2021–22, India saw a 43% drop in women taking postgraduate engineering and IT courses. Experts attribute this to factors like lack of flexible hours, limited maternity leave and few women-friendly policies. Female engineers report being sidelined for fieldwork or assignments due to “safety” excuses. In corporate tech, women often hit a career ceiling as promotions favour male employees. Such workplace barriers not only deter entry but also push many women out of STEM jobs.
A broader intersectional factor in India is caste and class. Research indicates that girls from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face compounded obstacles: fewer schools, financial poverty and in some cases, discrimination at home or school. There are reports of Dalit girls experiencing harassment and leaving college. Unfortunately, much of this data is qualitative, but it underscores that the issue is not just gender – it’s gender plus other vulnerabilities. This aligns with UN Women’s observation that STEM gaps are largest for girls facing multiple disadvantages (poverty, disability, caste, etc.).
Bringing Data to Life: The “Leaky Pipeline”
The cumulative effect of these biases is that the transition from education to employment in STEM is much smaller for women. UNESCO’s Cracking the Code research shows that globally women earn just 35% of STEM degrees but only about 22–29% of STEM jobs (lower still in many tech fields). Similarly, World Bank analysis finds women are over 50% of university grads but only 34% of researchers. In India, recent data tell a similar story: despite one of the world’s largest young populations of female graduates, women are under 30% of engineering and tech professionals. This “pipeline leak” happens because at each stage – subject choice, college specialisation, job entry and career retention – women drop out at higher rates than men.
Studies also highlight the feedback loop of stereotypes and confidence. Girls who are constantly told (even subtly) that boys are better at science tend to lose confidence, which in turn affects their class participation and exam performance. Over time, a girl’s interest in STEM may wane for lack of positive reinforcement.
In India, concerted efforts have increased girls’ school enrolment, but making STEM relatable and accessible requires changing deep-rooted attitudes. Even the way STEM is taught – often by rote and with few interactive experiments in government schools – can fail to spark girls’ curiosity.
Government and Civil Society Responses
Recognising the gap, the Indian government and international organisations have launched initiatives to boost girls in STEM. For example, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has set up thousands of tinkering labs in schools (over 10,000 nationally) to encourage hands-on science learning among students – and many of these explicitly target girls The Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan promotes science fairs and mentorship in rural schools, often with a focus on girl students.
The National Education Policy 2020 even mandates coding education from primary grades, which could help normalise tech from an early age. However, reports note that only about half of school STEM policies specifically include measures for girls. Internationally, UNESCO and UNICEF emphasize training teachers in gender-sensitive pedagogy and distributing feminine hygiene products to keep girls in class. UNESCO’s Cracking the Code and other studies have spawned advocacy campaigns (e.g. “#GirlsCrackTheCode”) to raise awareness.
Beyond policy, civil society and the private sector have crucial roles. Non-profits run after-school science clubs, scholarship programmes and campaigns to encourage girls. Companies host “Girls Who Code”–style workshops and offer internships to young women.
The Times of India reports that India’s tech industry has launched skilling programmes: for instance, the Nasscom Foundation collaborates with tech firms to train female STEM graduates in coding and data skills. These efforts acknowledge that women also need mentorship and networks to navigate STEM careers. Early results show promise: where dedicated programmes support girls (with resources, female instructors and encouragement), more girls stay in STEM tracks.
Smile Foundation’s Initiatives for Girls in STEM
Smile Foundation has implemented several programmes directly addressing these challenges. Our Mission Education initiative brings hands-on science resources to underserved schools. For example, Smile sets up mini science centers and resource kits in government schools, supplies Do-It-Yourself learning kits and organises science clubs and fairs. Teachers receive training in inclusive STEM pedagogy so that girls are actively engaged. The effect is a shift from passive rote learning to active exploration: students (especially girls and first-generation learners) become curious scientists.
Empowering rural schoolgirls in STEM. To counter the lack of role models and labs, Smile also creates supportive environments for girls. In rural innovation ecosystems, we run “girls in STEM” workshops and mentorship drives where local role models (female engineers, scientists) share their stories. Our STEM labs and fairs have led to a an increase in girls’ participation in science activities. In one Uttar Pradesh project (in partnership with CooperSurgical), Smile opened a science lab for girls in a Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (a residential girls’ school). There, village girls build circuits, run experiments and present projects – experiences which improve their understanding of science and math and bolster confidence.
Smile’s broader girl-focused programmes also reinforce STEM inclusion by addressing dropout barriers. Our She Can Fly campaign provides scholarships, stipends and laptops to disadvantaged girls, and organises life-skills workshops to build confidence. By “meeting girls’ needs holistically,” Smile enables many talented girls to stay in school long enough to reach science classes. We also fund tertiary education through our Scholarship Programme, ensuring that girls who excel in school can go on to college and even technical careers.
In rural areas – where barriers are often highest – Smile’s experience underlines a simple truth: talent is universal, access is not. We deploy mobile STEM labs that travel to remote schools with kits and experiments and train local teachers in inquiry-based science education. We engage parents and community leaders to counter stereotypes, emphasising that girls innovating (like the students building pedal pumps or clean-water filters) can solve real village problems. Through these efforts, there is higher attendance and more girls stepping up as science club presidents or fair winners. These examples illustrate how multi-pronged programmes – combining infrastructure, mentorship and cultural outreach – can begin to close the STEM gap at the local level.
Path Forward
The underrepresentation of girls in STEM is a complex, global issue with local roots. On one hand, girls have the aptitude for science and often perform as well as boys in school yet they leave STEM paths in far greater numbers. On the other hand, the reasons are equally clear. Deeply entrenched gender norms, inadequate school resources (especially in rural and low-income areas) and institutional biases throughout education and employment systematically disadvantage girls.
In comparing nations, we see both progress and paradox. Some countries (including India) have high female STEM enrollment rates at the university level, but that does not guarantee workplace parity. More egalitarian societies still experience STEM gender gaps (the so-called “gender-equality paradox”), underscoring that cultural change must accompany any increase in equality.
Ultimately, addressing the gap means tackling it from all sides: reforming school curricula, training and sensitising teachers, providing girls with mentors and role models, offering financial support and safety nets (scholarships, menstrual health) and enforcing gender-friendly workplace policies.
Smile Foundation shows that integrated community programmes can make a difference. By embedding STEM labs, support networks and girl-centric scholarships into their education outreach, they help keep girls on the STEM track. Other countries and organisations offer similar lessons: hands-on STEM programmes that specifically engage girls, national policies that mandate gender equity in science education and public campaigns to shift stereotypes all play a part.
In the end, bridging the gap is not just a matter of fairness, but one of necessity. Innovation requires the brightest minds regardless of gender. When diversity is missing, the technologies we build can be skewed or incomplete. Only by dismantling cultural and structural barriers at every level can we ensure that the next generation of scientists and engineers fully represents half our population.
Controlling the Numbers of Newborn Mortality in India
In a village in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar, a 22-year-old mother-to-be walks each month to the local healthcare centre. Her heart brims with hope and tender dreams of the memories she will one day weave with her newborn child. A warm sun follows her steps, while the air carries the dry sweetness of bajra fields and the dust of the roads. At the healthcare centre, kind hands greet her. The doctors and nurses listen carefully, guiding her through every stage of pregnancy. They check her heartbeat and ensure her body receives the nourishment it needs with vitamins and supplements, tailored just for her, with promises of a healthier tomorrow.
Months later, her cries of labour turn into the first wail of her newborn son — a healthy boy weighing 3.2 kilograms. His tiny fingers curl around hers, and in that moment, she feels the fulfillment of all her careful steps and sleepless nights.
Yet, beyond her village, across countless corners of India, there are still millions of mothers who walk their journeys alone. They face their pregnancies without guidance, unaware that their own well-being is the foundation of their child’s future. They carry the weight of fear and their children’s futures, some hoping for, and others unaware of care they can receive.
According to the Registrar General of India, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in 2020 was 28 per 1,000 live births, meaning one in every 36 infants dies before completing their first year of life. This translates to roughly 1,800 deaths per day, summing up to over 650,000 infant deaths annually.
Although the global infant mortality rate declined by 58% from 64 deaths in 1990 to 27 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023. On average, 9,700 children under age of 1 died every day in 2023, compared to 24,600 in 1990. Nearly 46% of all maternal deaths and 40% of neonatal deaths happen during labour or the first 24 hours after birth.
Some of the major causes of newborn deaths among babies less than 29 days old are: prematurity and low birth weight, birth asphyxia and birth trauma, neonatal pneumonia and non-communicable diseases.
Why Essential Newborn Care still Slips through the Cracks?
Neonatal mortality continues to pose a critical public health challenge in rural India, with birth asphyxia — defined as the failure to initiate and sustain breathing at birth — emerging as a leading cause of death within the first hours of life. While healthcare facilities may be physically accessible, the consistent implementation of essential newborn care practices remains suboptimal. Interventions such as immediate drying, skin-to-skin contact, delayed cord clamping, and early initiation of breastfeeding are frequently missed or improperly executed, resulting in preventable neonatal deaths. In fact, a study in Uttar Pradesh found that only 26.1% of newborns received the recommended ENC practices in public health facilities.
Skill Decay in Rural Health Systems: Addressing the Gaps in Post-Training Support
Neonatal resuscitation training is often provided through workshops; however, without regular refresher courses and practical sessions, skill retention diminishes over time. This gap is particularly evident in Mobile Medical Units (MMUs), Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and remote delivery points, where continuous training opportunities are limited. Many rural health workers (ASHAs, ANMs, MMU staff) receive initial training, but rarely get refresher sessions, hands-on practice or supervised feedback. As a result, life-saving interventions — like bag-mask ventilation for birth asphyxia or proper newborn care — may be performed incorrectly or not performed at all.
The First Minute Matters — But Tradition Often Gets in the Way
Deeply rooted cultural norms and traditional practices often delay the timely adoption of essential newborn care. For example, immediate drying and skin-to-skin contact — critical for preventing hypothermia — may be postponed due to rituals surrounding bathing or waiting for elders to arrive. Similarly, colostrum, the first milk rich in antibodies, is sometimes discarded because of the belief that it is impure. In other cases, herbal substances are applied to the umbilical cord, increasing the risk of infection. When newborns fall ill, families may also turn first to community-based practitioner outside the formal health system rather than trained health workers, leading to dangerous delays in appropriate treatment.
Prematurity and Low Birth Weight: Hidden Drivers of Neonatal Deaths
Premature birth and low birth weight significantly increase the risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Studies suggest prematurity accounts for approximately 30-35% of neonatal deaths in India.
Sepsis, pneumonia and meningitis continue to claim newborn lives, especially in areas where hygiene and infection control are inadequate. Infections are responsible for an estimated 25–30% of neonatal deaths. Conditions like severe jaundice and metabolic disorders, if left untreated, can lead to irreversible damage. Early detection and timely interventions are lifesaving, yet often delayed, and thus, infection is estimated to cause around 25-30% of neonatal deaths.
What We Miss About Newborn Health Starts with the Mother
Maternal health is the foundation of neonatal survival. Conditions like anemia, hypertension, diabetes and infections increase the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight and birth asphyxia. Inadequate antenatal care further compounds these risks, especially where emergency obstetric services are scarce. Strengthening maternal health systems is not just a women’s issue—it’s a newborn survival imperative.
Cultural and Religious Superstitions Leading to Infant Mortality in Rural India
In rural India, deeply ingrained cultural and religious beliefs continue to contribute significantly to infant mortality. These practices often stem from traditional customs, superstitions, and societal norms that place newborns, especially girls, at risk.
In certain rural regions of India, the birth of a girl is still viewed through the lens of economic burden and diminished social value — largely driven by dowry traditions and entrenched patriarchal norms. This perception has led to deeply troubling practices, including female infanticide and abandonment.
Buried Voices: The Unspoken Horror of Female Infanticide
A harrowing example occurred in October 2019 in Uttar Pradesh, where a newborn baby girl was discovered buried alive in a shallow grave. She had been wrapped in cloth, placed inside a clay pot and buried two feet beneath the earth — only to be discovered and rescued by a grieving family preparing a grave for their own stillborn child.
Ritualistic Cultural Extremes Threatening Child Safety
Despite legal prohibitions, ritualistic killings persist in isolated communities. Certain communities continue to practice ritualistic killings under the belief that child sacrifice can bring prosperity or appease supernatural forces. These acts, rooted in occult traditions and extreme superstition, represent one of the most violent expressions of cultural misbelief. A tragic case emerged in April 2025 in Chhattisgarh, where a seven-year-old girl named Lali Goswami was abducted and murdered by her own relatives as part of an occult ritual. The perpetrators believed that the sacrifice would bring them wealth. The crime was carried out in a cremation ground and the body was buried nearby in an attempt to conceal the act.
The Cultural Lens That Shapes Infant Health Decisions
In several communities across India, traditional newborn care practices — though dangerous to both mother and child — is widely prevalent. One common example is the application of substances like kohl, oil, or herbal powders to the umbilical cord to hasten its detachment. These practices can introduce infection, delay healing and increase the risk of sepsis.
Smile Foundation’s Operational Footprint in Rural Health Delivery
Mobile Healthcare Units: Bridging the Accessibility Gap
In remote areas where healthcare facilities are scarce, Smile Foundation’s Smile on Wheels initiative has been a game-changer. “Before Smile on Wheels, we had to travel miles to get basic medical care. Now, the clinic comes to us, and my children receive regular check-ups,” says a resident of a remote village in Rajasthan. These mobile medical units provide essential services such as antenatal check-ups, immunisations and postnatal care directly to communities. This approach ensures that even the most isolated populations receive timely medical attention.
Impact:
Over 10,00,000 people received healthcare services in 2022-23, with 75% being women and children.
80,000+ people benefited through telemedicine projects.
77,000+ people received relief support under emergency & disaster response.
Smile Foundation has integrated Godh Bharai into health campaigns. These events serve as platforms to educate expectant mothers about nutrition, breastfeeding and hygiene, thereby promoting healthier practices within the community. In the past year alone, over 76,000 women were sensitized on reproductive and child health through door-to-door visits, community mobilization sessions, street plays, couple counselling and more.
Addressing Anaemia and Malnutrition
Anaemia and malnutrition are prevalent among women and children in rural India. Smile Foundation’s Pink Smile project in Mathura’s Chatta Tehsil aims to tackle these issues through anemia screening camps, nutritional education and supplementation. “I never realized how important my diet was during pregnancy. The sessions taught me how to eat right for my baby’s health,” says, a mother from Sangrur district, Punjab. In its pilot phase, the programme reached over 4,200 individuals and plans to expand its reach to over 40,000.
Impact:
The programme reached 23 villages and impacted over 60,000 people, including pregnant women, lactating mothers and young children and their families.
Through this effort, Smile teams and officials held 260 health camps offering nutrition and anaemia screening.
Conducted nearly 9,750 community sessions and home visits on diet and self-care.
Empowering Women through Education and Awareness
Smile Foundation emphasises the importance of educating women about their health rights and available services. “I used to be afraid of childbirth, but after attending the workshops, I feel more prepared and confident,” says a participant from Bihar. Through workshops and awareness campaigns, the foundation empowers women to make informed decisions about their health and the health of their children.
Impact:
Over 76,000 women were sensitised on reproductive and child health through various community outreach programs.
Born into a family facing financial hardships, Gaurav’s parents initially delayed seeking medical care due to the cost. However, with the support of Smile Foundation’s healthcare services, Gaurav received timely treatment and is now healthy and thriving.
A Shared Roadmap for Safer Births and Stronger Futures
The real impact of maternal and newborn health initiatives emerges when families understand and embrace evidence-based practices, replacing harmful beliefs.
Swabhiman focuses on empowering women with information about postpartum health, including hygiene, nutrition and newborn care. By conducting awareness sessions, Smile Foundation encourages women to seek care without shame or delay, thereby improving maternal health outcomes.
In partnership with ICDS and the PepsiCo Foundation, Smile Foundation organised breastfeeding demonstrations, emphasising the benefits of proper attachment and positioning. These sessions educated caregivers on the importance of breastfeeding for both mother and child.
Without addressing entrenched beliefs and misinformation, even the best medical interventions risk being underutilised. Too many newborns have been buried under the weight of myths. But awareness has the power to break that cycle — every child deserves to enter the world embraced by love, not burdened by myths. When families learn, when communities choose care over harmful tradition, we create a future where no newborn is claimed by myth. Each of us has a role to play — whether by supporting, by showing up or simply by helping communities unlearn practices that put newborns at risk.
In India, festivals are far more than celebrations– they are moments of togetherness, gratitude and shared humanity. Families gather together, neighbours exchange sweets and communities come alive with hope, light and laughter making the air echo with new beginnings and aspirations.
A special time for India as it is the beginning of the festive arc– from Diwali to New year, this season is important in many ways for all. From the perspective of businesses , it is a rare window for brands to do something deeper – to build emotional connections that outlasts the noise of advertising.
This is where cause-related marketing plays a pivotal role enabling brands to move beyond sales- embedding themselves in the heart and minds of consumers, through values of giving, belonging and shared purpose.
Driving Festive Impact with Cause Marketing
Studies reveal that 60% of consumers are more likely to return to a brand within 6 months, if their festive marketing experience feels meaningful. This data only affirms what emotions have long known– people remember how brands make them feel, not just what they sell.
Campaigns like Myntra’s inclusive Diwali, which celebrated domestic helps as part of the festivities, or Big Basket’s “Neki Kar” campaign which championed kindness and humanity, remind us that meaningful, impact based storytellingdrives deeper loyalty than any discount ever could.
Yet, the festive season also poses challenges for brands– soaring media costs, dwindling attention spans, and content oversaturation can often lead to brands’ communication getting lost.
Therefore, in such a crowded landscape, brands can stand apart from their competitors through cause related marketing campaigns, that can become the bridge that transforms the festive campaigns into collaborations– purposeful, human and authentic.
The Modern Indian Shopper & Festive Cause Marketing
Festivals in India awaken generosity and nostalgia as Indian consumers’ shopping choices are often driven by cultural and religious sentiments. But, it is also important to acknowledge that today the modern Indian consumer is no more impulsive. Today consumers are deliberate, aspirational and emotionally attuned.
While urban consumersseekaspirational experience, shoppers in Tier 2 and 3 cities value practicality. But, across these diverse groups run a common thread– the desire for meaning alongside consumption . Increasingly, shoppers want their purchases to carry purpose– to add value not just to their lives, but to the communities around them.
These numbers show willingness to invest— but also the need for returns beyond material satisfaction. Through cause-related marketing, brands can align their messaging with consumers’ growing desire for joy with meaning– a purchase that uplifts both giver, receiver and a beneficiary of a community that needs support.
The Heart of Festive Spending
Festivals stir a universal impulse– the desire to give, to indulge and to make loved ones happy. Consumers want their spending to matter.
When brands infuse CRM into festive campaigns, they offer consumers an opportunity to multiply their joy through purpose. A parent buying a toy for their child could also be supporting another child’s education. A family purchasing electronics may empower rural women entrepreneurs– these layered experiences turn purchases into acts of compassion.
Furthermore, as consumer openness grows, particularly towards new and emerging brands– this emotional window during the festive seasons, gives challenger brands, D2C ventures and established players alike the chance to earn trust through purpose engagement.
When Promotions Meet Purpose
In India, festivals are just the right time to experience the vibrancy of India’s different cultures and communities- families shop together, give gifts together and celebrate together. Naturally, promotions and festive bundles remain irresistible. But, when these offers get tied to a meaningful cause, the result is often magnetic.
Imagine a festive sale that donates a percentage of proceeds to children’s health, or a bundle that funds skill training for women in rural India– these result oriented campaigns often become far more impactful than just being a sale’s affordable purchase–it becomes a powerful transformative action.
It has also been observed that 81% of consumers have said that short videos capture their attention most effectively during the festive season. This means that if brands align their festive marketing campaigns with cause marketing, they can establish their authenticity through real faces, real voices that tell the story of positive change in their own words, giving the consumers an insight to the commitment of the brand towards social welfare.
Guide to Leverage Cause Marketing During Festivals
Step 1: Early Planning and Long-Term Partnerships
Brands that plan early and build lasting partnerships with NGOs convey credibility and empathy. Through consistent, co-branded initiatives, consumers see tangible proof of impact, transforming each purchase into a story of real-world change.
Step 2: Phased, Story-Led Campaigns
Structured storytelling ensures awareness translates into action:
Pre-Festive Phase: Build curiosity through storytelling and awareness.
During Festivities: Encourage participation through donations, purchases, and events.
Post-Festive Phase: Showcase on-ground impact through real beneficiary stories.
This rhythm sustains engagement long after the lights fade.
For the Good, By the Good
In a world driven by visibility, empathy-driven campaigns resonate. Cause-related marketing enables brands to move beyond impression metrics– crafting emotional resonance that shapes society and businesses alike.
Stories of real lives such as a girl in Odhisha pursuing education, a widow in Tamil Nadu rebuilding her livelihood, a young aspirant achieving higher education through scholarships– all such stories transform consumers from spectators into participants of change as they see their spending being utilised to uplift others.
Festive Marketing Strategies That Spread Lasting Smiles
At Smile Foundation, we have witnessed first-hand how cause related marketing partnerships during the festive season can transform campaigns from transactional promotions into instruments of genuine social change.
Every year from Diwali to New Year, brands have the opportunity to align with programs like ours to deliver measurable and meaningful impact; we firmly believe that well strategic Cause marketing partnerships can enhance the wider ecosystem of all the stakeholders– brands, consumers and committees involved.
It is important to understand that cause related marketing must be viewed as a platform that can transcend seasonal giving. It can be a strategic investment in holistic development blending brand purpose with social progress.
Brands,NGOs and consumers alike become co creators of change as companies reinforce trust and loyalty, consumers experience fulfillment with purposeful purchase and participation, but most importantly– underserved communities benefit from tangible support in health, education and empowerment.
One such inspiring example of such collaboration wasOPPO India’s #BestDiwaliGift initiative, which inspired people to gift brighter futures to less privileged children. At OPPO’s House of Lights in Pacific Mall, New Delhi, visitors lit candles and shared stories of those who illuminated their lives. For every candle lit or story shared, INR 50 was donated to Smile Foundation — a gesture that turned celebration into compassion.
Another striking example of cause related marketing partnership with Smile was Swiggy Instamart’s Orange Santa collaboration where Swiggy delivered packs of joys to children from the Mission Education program. The campaign demonstrated the instant impact of strategic festive cause marketing partnerships; it successfully established that festive campaigns are more than seasonal promotions.
All such initiatives establish a key lesson – when festive campaigns are integrated with cause marketing, they provide measurable results across three dimensions- community impact, consumer engagement and brand differentiation, but most importantly they establish brands as social custodians, who implement “giving” as their business ethos to ensure that lives in need are truly supported for a better future.
Partner with us to transform festive campaigns into strategic initiatives that advance meaningful community impact.
India is witnessing a transformation in its economic and industrial landscape, powered by the growing influx of STEM-trained (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) talent. With the country producing over 1.5 million engineers and thousands of graduates in pure sciences and mathematics every year, the absorption of this workforce across high-growth industries has become a key metric of progress. But the question remains: which sectors are absorbing this trained talent fastest—and why
The Shifting Demand for STEM Talent and STEM Jobs
India’s demographic dividend offers an extraordinary opportunity. A majority of the population is under 35 and millions enter the workforce each year. But having a young population is only useful if their skills align with industry demand. STEM education — ranging from engineering and IT to biotechnology and data science — is becoming the currency of employability in a rapidly digitising economy.
Employers increasingly value not just domain knowledge, but also adaptability, critical thinking and digital literacy. Fields like AI, analytics, clean energy and bioinformatics are no longer niches — they are engines of national growth. Government policy, private sector investment and skilling programmes are converging to channel talent into these emerging ecosystems.
Let’s explore the key sectors absorbing India’s STEM-trained youth the fastest.
1. Information Technology (IT) and Software Services
Why It Leads:
India’s IT industry has long been the poster child for STEM absorption, contributing nearly 8% to the GDP and employing over 4.5 million people. Companies like Infosys, TCS and Wipro, along with emerging SaaS and AI start-ups, are hiring engineers, data scientists and developers at scale.
Cloud computing, machine learning, cybersecurity, and mobile app development continue to be key areas. Even non-tech companies — from banking to retail — are digitising and need software talent.
Entry Point for Many:
STEM youth often find IT services as the easiest entry route — campus placements, training modules and demand for coders create a relatively accessible pathway.
2. Electronics and Semiconductor Manufacturing
Why It’s Growing:
With the launch of India’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for electronics and semiconductors, a new wave of demand for hardware engineers, embedded systems specialists and robotics experts is emerging.
From mobile phone assembly lines to chip design labs, the sector is ramping up both domestic production and global supply chain integration. Start-ups working in drone technology, wearables and IoT (Internet of Things) are hiring engineers trained in electronics, instrumentation and materials science.
3. Renewable Energy and Sustainability
Why It’s Strategic:
India’s commitment to generate 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy by 2030 has created an urgent need for STEM graduates. Roles in solar panel design, battery technology, green hydrogen systems and energy storage solutions are rapidly expanding.
Institutions like TERI and industry leaders like ReNew Power and Adani Green Energy are partnering with engineering colleges for research and hiring. STEM-trained youth are finding work in solar installations, smart grid design, wind energy logistics and even carbon offsetting analytics.
4. Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals and Bio-Sciences
Why It’s Scaling:
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated hiring in biotech and health-tech. India’s robust generic drug industry is now complemented by a growing interest in vaccine research, diagnostics, digital health platforms and personalised medicine.
Biotech graduates, lab technicians, data analysts, and clinical trial professionals are increasingly absorbed by pharma companies, hospitals and research labs. Technologies like CRISPR, telemedicine and wearable health devices need STEM-literate minds who can build, test and interpret.
Smile Foundation’s own programmes have responded to this trend. Through its STeP initiative, the Foundation has added healthcare skilling modules such as General Duty Assistant (GDA), patient care and digital record management. Many underserved youth, especially women, now receive hands-on training to support clinics, nursing homes and diagnostic labs.
5. Fintech and Data Analytics
Why It’s Exploding:
As India becomes one of the world’s fastest-growing digital economies, the need for data scientists, business analysts and AI engineers is soaring. STEM graduates — especially those comfortable with mathematics, statistics and coding — are being hired in droves by fintech firms, banks, insurance companies and consulting agencies.
Startups like Razorpay, Cred and Zerodha, along with digital arms of traditional banks, require skills in blockchain, payment processing, risk modelling and data visualization. Often, graduates from non-metro cities find new career paths here, especially when they gain exposure to applied STEM learning.
6. E-Commerce, Supply Chain and Logistics Tech
Why It’s Rising:
With the expansion of online commerce, logistics optimisation and warehousing management have gone high-tech. STEM youth with knowledge of process automation, data modelling and systems design are now employed in functions like supply chain analytics, route optimisation and AI-based inventory planning.
Companies like Flipkart, Amazon and BigBasket, along with B2B logistics tech startups, are hiring engineers to streamline everything from delivery networks to predictive demand analytics.
Smile Foundation has adapted its STeP programme to include logistics and e-commerce skill tracks. Modules on digital platforms, warehouse management and customer interface prepare youth for front-line tech roles in the sector — critical in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns.
7. EdTech and Digital Learning
Why It’s Unique:
While edtech start-ups often hire educators, they also rely heavily on software engineers, UI/UX designers, AI content creators and data teams. With the rise of gamified STEM education and AR/VR platforms for immersive learning, the demand for technically sound teams is rising.
Companies like BYJU’s, Vedantu and Physics Wallah need coders and engineers who understand education. Young STEM graduates with a knack for content design and technology are finding niche roles here.
Bridging the Gap of STEM Jobs: The Role of Organisations Like Smile Foundation
While the industry side is evolving rapidly, not all STEM graduates are equally equipped. Many come from marginalised backgrounds, with limited access to industry-aligned training, exposure or confidence. This is where non-profits like Smile Foundation make a vital difference.
The STeP Programme: Empowering First-Generation Professionalsfor STEM Jobs
Smile Foundation’s STeP (Smile Twin e-Learning Programme) bridges the skilling-employment gap by equipping underserved youth — especially girls and first-generation learners — with:
Digital and computer skills
English communication
Sector-specific training (retail, digital marketing, healthcare, logistics)
Personality development and workplace readiness
In recent years, the programme has been updated to reflect industry trends, ensuring STEM-curious students can join sectors like healthcare, e-commerce and data support.
With over 13,750 youth trained and nearly 9,850 placed, Smile Foundation’s model proves that access to industry-relevant training, mentorship, and soft skills is key to helping youth enter and thrive in STEM-heavy fields.
Are We Doing Enough for STEM Jobs? Challenges Ahead
While absorption is growing, challenges remain.
1. Mismatch Between Curriculum and Industry Needs
India’s technical education often lags behind real-world application. Coding is taught in outdated languages and students are unfamiliar with modern tools or platforms unless they seek external training.
2. Urban-Rural Divide
STEM graduates from rural or semi-urban institutions often struggle with soft skills, digital fluency or exposure — putting them at a disadvantage in competitive hiring.
3. Gender Disparity
Women remain underrepresented in STEM employment despite comparable academic performance. Cultural biases, lack of workplace support and role models continue to discourage women from STEM careers.
Smile Foundation’s targeted focus on training young women in logistics, healthcare and digital commerce helps counter this by offering women a path into sectors where they are traditionally underrepresented.
The Future is STEM and STEM Jobs, But Only if It’s Inclusive
India’s journey toward becoming a $5 trillion economy hinges on how well it integrates its STEM-trained youth into its high-growth sectors. From AI to clean energy and from biotech to digital payments, the economy is being rebuilt with the hands and minds of young professionals.
But this promise can only be fulfilled if opportunity meets preparedness. Non-profits, government schemes and private sector partners must collaborate to ensure equitable access to STEM training and real-world pathways.
Smile Foundation’s work in STEM-linked skilling and livelihood training is a powerful example of how inclusion, mentorship and vision can turn marginalisation into participation.
Because the future doesn’t just belong to those who can code or calculate — it belongs to those who were given a fair chance to learn how.
Whether it’s an ASHA accompanying a mother to the health centre, an Anganwadi worker serving a hot mid-day meal or a grassroots teacher encouraging a girl to stay in school, these women are the invisible architects of India’s progress.
The narrative of India’s growth has often focused on infrastructure and innovation, but beneath those macro achievements lies also the story of women-led community models that are transforming generational outcomes in health, education and social well-being.
This transformation is not accidental. It stems from decades of investment in women’s leadership at the grassroots supported by public programmes like the National Health Mission and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and strengthened by civil society organisations such as Smile Foundation, which partners with community-based women workers to ensure that last-mile service delivery is not just efficient, but empathetic.
The Invisible Infrastructure of India’s Welfare System
India’s vast social sector machinery relies on nearly 3 million Anganwadi workers and helpers and over 1 million ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) — each a vital link between policy and people.
An ASHA is the first point of contact for families in rural and low-income urban areas. She counsels pregnant women on antenatal care, tracks immunisations, identifies health risks and ensures referrals. Meanwhile, the Anganwadi worker manages the village’s ICDS centre providing nutrition, early childhood care and pre-school education to children under six. Together, they represent the frontlines of India’s human development mission.
Yet, their roles go beyond service delivery. They embody trust, accountability and cultural understanding — qualities that no formal institution can replicate.
In many villages, these women are the only visible representatives of the state. When a mother loses her child to malnutrition or a family faces a health crisis, it is not a distant bureaucracy that they turn to — it is the ASHA or Anganwadi “didi” next door.
As Smile Foundation’s community programmes show, this trust is what enables long-term impact. Development becomes sustainable when it is co-owned by women who live within the community and understand its pulse.
Health: When Care begins at the Doorstep
Public health outcomes in India have improved dramatically in the past two decades — maternal mortality has fallen by 75% since 2000 and institutional deliveries have become the norm in most states. But these gains were not driven by infrastructure alone. They were achieved by women — ASHAs and community health workers — who went door to door, convincing mothers to trust modern medicine.
Smile Foundation’s Smile on Wheels mobile healthcare programme operates on this very principle. While its medical vans bring doctors and diagnostic services to underserved regions, its real strength lies in its community linkages. Each project is supported by local women volunteers—often ASHAs or Anganwadi workers—who mobilise families, identify high-risk cases and ensure follow-up care.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur Dehat, for example, where Smile Foundation runs a mobile health initiative, it is the women health mobilisers who track maternal and child health data, encourage vaccination and follow up on TB and anaemia cases. Many of them are ASHAs who have been trained to bridge preventive and curative healthcare.
“We realised early that you can’t just send a doctor in a van and expect people to show up,” says a Smile programme coordinator. “You need women from the community who people trust. They are the real health ambassadors.”
By strengthening this local health leadership, Smile Foundation’s model mirrors the philosophy of community-based care embedded in India’s health mission. The result is not just improved service uptake, but a deeper behavioural shift — families that now see healthcare as a right, not a privilege.
Education: The revolution in classrooms
If ASHAs and Anganwadi workers anchor India’s health outcomes, grassroots women educators form the backbone of its education movement. Across Smile Foundation’s learning initiatives — from urban slums to remote tribal villages — local women serve as teachers, mentors and advocates for girls’ education.
In Smile’s Mission Education centres, women teachers are not just instructors; they are role models. Many are first-generation learners themselves, whose journeys inspire their students to dream beyond traditional boundaries.
In Ladakh’s residential learning programme for girls, the transformation is visible. Here, young girls from remote villages — where secondary schools are often days away — live and learn in a safe environment that combines academics with life skills. Most mentors and coordinators are women from the region who understand the socio-cultural context of girls’ education.
“When a girl from the village becomes a teacher, she doesn’t just teach children,” explains a Smile Foundation project lead. “She changes how the community perceives girls’ education.”
This “representation effect” is powerful. Studies have shown that female teachers increase girls’ school attendance and reduce dropout rates. But beyond data, it’s about continuity — how one generation of women nurtures the next.
In communities where early marriage or domestic responsibilities often pull girls out of school, seeing a local woman in a position of leadership sends a message more potent than any campaign slogan: education is possible, and it is powerful.
Nutrition and Early Childhood: The Anganwadi’s Everyday Impact
Step into any Anganwadi centre on a weekday morning and you’ll see India’s human development story unfold in real time. Children line up for a warm meal, mothers attend nutrition counselling and pre-school lessons blend play with learning.
At the heart of this system are Anganwadi workers, often juggling the roles of caregiver, educator and data collector. Despite modest pay and limited recognition, they are central to shaping early childhood outcomes for millions of children.
Smile Foundation’s work frequently intersects with these centres — whether through nutrition drives, capacity-building workshops or digital learning initiatives that support Anganwadi workers with better tools. In several states, Smile has introduced solar-powered digital classrooms, enabling both teachers and Anganwadi workers to access quality learning materials even in off-grid areas.
This integration of women-led community work with technology has shown promising results. In regions of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, digital modules on nutrition, hygiene and early learning have helped Anganwadi workers improve both engagement and outcomes.
“Technology helps, but what really matters is the woman behind it,” says a Smile education coordinator. “These workers are not just delivering content; they’re shaping childhood experiences that define entire generations.”
Economic Agency and Social Recognition
For many ASHAs and Anganwadi workers, their work is the first opportunity to earn an income and gain public recognition. This financial independence often catalyses broader social change — allowing women to participate in decision-making within their households and communities.
