Spotlight
(Ms. Edda Sehgal and Dr. Suri Sehgal with the award)
Suri Sehgal Awarded with Philanthropist of the year award by Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC)
Dr. Suri Sehgal, Founder of S M Sehgal Foundation, has been named “Philanthropist of the Year” by the Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC) at the 2025 Unity Summit in Washington, D.C.!
From Sehgal Foundation, Ms. Jane E. Schukoske received the award on his behalf.
Dr. Sehgal’s contribution has empowered millions across rural India through innovative work in water security, sustainable agriculture, school infrastructure, and local participation.
The AAUC award recognizes not just his vision and service, but the transformative potential of philanthropy built on compassion, equity, and opportunity.
Dr. Sehgal often reminds us, “True philanthropy is not measured by the size of one’s giving but by the depth of one’s commitment to empower others to shape their own futures.”
(SMSF team meeting the community members in Mahendragarh)
SMSF Chairperson’s Visit to the Intervention Villages of Mahendragarh
Jay Sehgal, chairperson of SMSF, along with Navneet Narwal, principal lead, and N. P. Singh, senior program lead, visited interventions in Mahendragarh, Haryana. The visit highlighted sustainable Pashu Sakhi enterprises, farmer field schools, and pond rejuvenation under Uttam Gram Initiative. Key impacts included livelihood enhancement model, a case in point where aPashu Sakhi expanded her goat farm from 20 to 45 goats, earning ₹2 lakh in nine months; a renovated pond that improved water levels and cropping patterns; and farmer field school beneficiaries reporting over ₹1 lakh earnings in three months through crop diversification.
Stories of Change
“Lake rejuvenation project has helped strengthen the bund, which was very weak and of lesser height. Currently, the groundwater level is at 6 metres from the ground, compared to 12 metres earlier. Additionally, we have observed increased productivity in the paddy, cotton, and chili fields where we applied the silt.”
—Manda Marku, Tank Users Group
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Partnership Highlights
(Krishi Jyoti at DialogueNext)
(SMSF team at DialogueNext)
Sehgal Foundation at World Food Prize DialogueNext
Sehgal Foundation participated in the World Food Prize Dialogue NEXT! Chairperson Jay Sehgal welcomed the event chief guest, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, and discussed the shared mission to empower smallholder farmers with sustainable solutions in agriculture, water, and community development.
In the session “Krishi Jyoti: Enlightening and Empowering the NEXT Farmers,” farmers Khurshid Ahmed and Rekha Devi explained how improved soil health, water conservation, and modern practices are promoted through the Krishi Jyoti project, an initiative in partnership with The Mosaic Company and Mosaic Company Foundation For Sustainable Food Systems.
Read more…
(Mosaic Cares Day)
Mosaic Cares Day
On Friday, 12th September, 2025, S M Sehgal Foundation and Mosaic Foundation with Mosaic Company Foundation For Sustainable Food Systems, together celebrated Mosaic Cares Day with a visit to a government school in Alwar, Rajasthan. The school has been transformed under the Krishi Jyoti Project, a long-standing partnership reviving agriculture, building water security and transforming schools across seven states in India. Read more…
(SMSF team briefing the community about project implementation)
CSR Project with Varun Beverages Ltd.
S M Sehgal Foundation, in partnership with Varun Beverages Limited, through its CSR arm, RJ Foundation, is implementing a project in Hatti village, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (erstwhile Aurangabad), to improve access to safe drinking water and strengthen local water security.
The initiative will directly benefit over 4,300 community members. Targeted interventions include the construction of two check dams, contour trenches, and twenty recharge wells to replenish groundwater, as well as the establishment of a community drinking water station and installation of a rooftop rainwater harvesting system in a village school.
(SMSF and IARI signing the MoU)
Regenerative Agriculture Project
On 15th September 2025, S M Sehgal Foundation launched a new project at the India Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) campus, focused on advanced technologies for regenerative agriculture to improve productivity and resource-use efficiency. The event was joined by leaders, scientists, and partners including Padma Bhushan Dr. R. S. Paroda, Mr. Jay Sehgal, Dr. Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Ms. Anjali Makhija, and Dr. S. S. Singh, who each shared their vision for a sustainable farming future.
Project Vriddhi Inaugurates School in Nuh
Nestlé India and S M Sehgal Foundation inaugurated the newly upgraded Government Middle School in Uleta, Nuh, benefitting 160+ children. Through Project Vriddhi, launched in 2019, 23,000+ lives have been positively touched with better schools, rejuvenated ponds, improved farming practices, and women’s empowerment.
Read more…
(Nestlé India and SMSF team in Nuh)
Month At A Glance
(Anjali Makhija and Arti Grover facilitating the POSH training)
POSH Training at Abhey Oswal Group of Companies
S M Sehgal Foundation was invited to conduct a gender sensitization and POSH training for the Abhey Oswal Group of Companies on August 19, 2025.
Ms. Anjali Makhija, trustee and CEO of SMSF, serves as the external member of the company’s POSH IC committee. The session was jointly facilitated by Anjali Makhija and Arti Manchanda, senior manager of public relations at SMSF. About thirty members participated in the training, which highlighted the importance of gender balance and sensitization within teams as well as key provisions under POSH.
(Subhransu Bebarta at SICA’25)
SMSF at SICA’25
At the Social Impact Conference & Awards (SICA) 2025, hosted by TheCSRUniverse, Mr. Subhransu Kumar Bebarta, lead of Partnerships & Fundraising at S M Sehgal Foundation, represented SMSF on a panel “Innovations for Sustainable Solutions for Water Security & WASH.” The discussion highlighted indigenous models, smart technologies, and cross-sector collaborations advancing equity and collaboration in vulnerable communities.
(FIG women group at Saras Mela)
FIG Women at Saras Mela
Women members of a Farmer-Interest Group (FIG) from S M Sehgal Foundation–supported FPOs in Kolar, Karnataka, proudly showcased their value-added products at the 22-day Saras Mela in Delhi, organized by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Their participation received an overwhelming response, creating pathways for enhanced visibility, stronger market linkages, and future business opportunities.
(Health camp at Haryana)
Health Camps Bring Care to Nuh Schools
Two successful health camps were organized under Project Drishti of UGI in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Department on the 12th and 19th of September 2025 at government schools in Badarpur and Poothli, Nagina Block, Nuh. Both schools were transformed under the Transform Lives one school at a time program. The camps focused on assessment of Vitamin A deficiency, eye check-ups, and general health assessments for anemia and malnutrition. Read more…
(Salahuddin Saiphy leading the session on RWH)
Sharing Rainwater Harvesting Practices Across Borders
On September 20, 2025, Salahuddin Saiphy, principal lead, Water Management at S M Sehgal Foundation, served as a resource person for the Young Rainwater Champions webinar series, an initiative of the South Asia Rainwater Network (SARNET). He presented an overview of current practices in rainwater harvesting, drawing on S M Sehgal Foundation’s work with rooftop systems in schools, check dams, ponds, recharge wells, gabions, and nallah bunds. Read more…
More from SMSF
Podcast
SMSF Connect Podcast features a bouquet of interesting programs about rural development and other social issues and themes. TUNE IN to our podcast channel on I-RadioLive. Podcasts also available on Spotify.
Contributors: S M Sehgal Foundation team
Photo Credits: S M Sehgal Foundation staff
Design and Production: Outreach for Development team
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