About the Conference

Building Flourishing Futures: Early Childhood Care and Education, hosted by Reliance Foundation, is a two-day conference which will convene leading voices from across India and internationally to reaffirm early childhood care and education's crucial role in children’s holistic growth and well-being.

The conference is poised to become an innovation hub bringing together key stakeholders in the early childhood care and education ecosystem. This includes a diverse set of stakeholders from the private and public ecosystems in India – including pre-schools, Anganwadis, researchers, foundations and policymakers. It seeks to cultivate a shared understanding of the importance of play-based learning, combining Indian and global learnings and best practices with actionable, adaptable strategies to enhance early childhood care and education.

The conference has been designed to provide a vibrant, interactive platform for discussion and learning. Delegates can expect a dynamic agenda filled with inspiring talks, masterclasses, and hands-on learning stations, all showcasing the latest in early childhood care and education.

A landmark gathering of public and private practitioners spanning the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) spectrum, convened to share insights and experience play-based learning at Reliance Foundation’s Building Flourishing Futures conference.

Held at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) in Mumbai, the conference brought together diverse practitioners from the ECCE system, academics and experts from India and internationally.

The two-day conference, explored innovative practices and approaches for developing playful parents, teachers, and communities. Contributing towards the goal of universalization of ECCE as articulated in India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, speakers and participants had a range of learning and educational experiences, with 10 masterclasses, 15 interactive learning stations, and 30 speaker sessions.

Showing deep involvement in the subject at the conference, Ms Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Industries Limited and Vice Chairperson, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, was in rapt attention through the sessions, keenly engaging with experts and attending demonstrations with practitioners at various learning stations.

Key speakers included well-known practitioners Shri Sampath Kumar, IAS., Principal Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, Ms Anne Van Dam from The Learning Square, Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy from Ummeed Child Development Center, Ms Sunisha Ahuja from UNICEF and Dr Rita Patnaik, Joint Director, NIPCCD, Ministry of Women & Child Development.

Experts such as from Dr Mahesh Balsekar, Consultant Paediatrician, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre; Mr Abhimanyu Basu, Dean and CEO, DAIS; Dr Nilay Ranjan, Head - Education, Reliance Foundation also added their insights to the proceedings.

Through the two days, participants who included Anganwadi workers, teachers, principals, policy makers and representatives from philanthropies explored a burst of ideas, engaged in animated play-based learning demonstrations, discussed nuances of policies and practice, caregiving and strategies for cross-learning, towards holistic early childhood care, education and development.

Reflecting Reliance Foundation Founder and Chairperson Mrs Nita Ambani’s philosophy of ‘Happy School, Happy Learners’ educators at the Reliance Foundation schools and the Dhirubhai Ambani International School create stimulating learning environments, from the best of Indian and international early childhood learning practices. With this experience, Reliance Foundation’s vision is to help transform the Early Childhood Care and Education landscape across India, especially through building capacity of Anganwadi workers to deliver play-based learning for children from low income and marginalised communities.

Continued collaboration and innovation can build significant momentum. The ‘Building Flourishing Futures’ conference with a unique convening of diverse opinions, thoughts and good practices, aims to build a dynamic platform where practitioners learn from one another; build collaborations to develop actionable strategies within the ecosystem, leading a transformative journey, so that every child in India has the opportunity to reach their full potential, towards a flourishing future.

A landmark gathering of public and private practitioners spanning the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) spectrum, convened to share insights and experience play-based learning at Reliance Foundation’s Building Flourishing Futures conference.

Held at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) in Mumbai, the conference brought together diverse practitioners from the ECCE system, academics and experts from India and internationally.

The two-day conference, explored innovative practices and approaches for developing playful parents, teachers, and communities. Contributing towards the goal of universalization of ECCE as articulated in India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, speakers and participants had a range of learning and educational experiences, with 10 masterclasses, 15 interactive learning stations, and 30 speaker sessions.

Showing deep involvement in the subject at the conference, Ms Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Industries Limited and Vice Chairperson, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, was in rapt attention through the sessions, keenly engaging with experts and attending demonstrations with practitioners at various learning stations.

Key speakers included well-known practitioners Shri Sampath Kumar, IAS., Principal Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, Ms Anne Van Dam from The Learning Square, Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy from Ummeed Child Development Center, Ms Sunisha Ahuja from UNICEF and Dr Rita Patnaik, Joint Director, NIPCCD, Ministry of Women & Child Development.

Experts such as from Dr Mahesh Balsekar, Consultant Paediatrician, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre; Mr Abhimanyu Basu, Dean and CEO, DAIS; Dr Nilay Ranjan, Head - Education, Reliance Foundation also added their insights to the proceedings.

Through the two days, participants who included Anganwadi workers, teachers, principals, policy makers and representatives from philanthropies explored a burst of ideas, engaged in animated play-based learning demonstrations, discussed nuances of policies and practice, caregiving and strategies for cross-learning, towards holistic early childhood care, education and development.

Reflecting Reliance Foundation Founder and Chairperson Mrs Nita Ambani’s philosophy of ‘Happy School, Happy Learners’ educators at the Reliance Foundation schools and the Dhirubhai Ambani International School create stimulating learning environments, from the best of Indian and international early childhood learning practices. With this experience, Reliance Foundation’s vision is to help transform the Early Childhood Care and Education landscape across India, especially through building capacity of Anganwadi workers to deliver play-based learning for children from low income and marginalised communities.

Continued collaboration and innovation can build significant momentum. The ‘Building Flourishing Futures’ conference with a unique convening of diverse opinions, thoughts and good practices, aims to build a dynamic platform where practitioners learn from one another; build collaborations to develop actionable strategies within the ecosystem, leading a transformative journey, so that every child in India has the opportunity to reach their full potential, towards a flourishing future.

When early childhood experts, gather, it is unlikely to be a quiet place. As they sang, shared, and laughed, they walked the talk on the play-based learning approach in India. There are over 13 lakh Anganwadi centres dedicated to foundational development in India. The focus on the early years from birth to age six, as a critical window in a person’s life, has been long recognised.

With innate curiosity, children engage in play to explore, learn, and grow. Activities, stories, or community interactions with cultural significance permeate their world. The academic system, is prone to memorisation and standardised tests and teacher-led instruction.

When children choose activities and try them in different ways, they find independence. They also engage with others in the space and develop mental agility through the process. Unlike structured classrooms, play-based learning enables children to enjoy spontaneous, non-goal-directed activity. With anticipation and surprise children develop an interest and in emotional and physical growth.

Growing interest in play-based learning

There is interest now, in play-based learning a fundamental pedagogical approach. This is a step away from looking at it as a supplementary tool. Studies – including ground-breaking research by Nobel laureate James Heckman – find quality early education has long-term benefits for individuals and societies. UNICEF in its advocacy brief on learning through play, emphasises this. It notes that preschool years play helps children explore the world as well as develop creativity for life.

There is a need for educator training, addressing social norms and building awareness. Recognising these, the National Education Policy 2020 and the NIPUN Bharat Mission are bridging this divide, to achieve foundational literacy and numeracy by 2026-2027.

The true spirit of play-based learning is what occurs in classrooms or early childhood centres while also at homes and in communities. Play should seep into learning spaces, guiding activities while being engaging and inclusive. This requires an enabling, collaborative approach. Educators, parents and community members together, nurture the child’s innate curiosity. Everyone co-creates exciting learning environments. Children develop skills for critical thinking and a strong foundation for school readiness and future learning.

Building stakeholder confluence on play-based learning

During the recent conference held by Reliance Foundation on ‘Building Flourishing Futures’ in Mumbai, practitioners, policy makers and academia and representatives from institutions engaged in play-based learning themselves. Reliance Foundation aimed to build on this crucial point: everyone – practitioner or community member – needs to be hands-on, to walk the talk. The unique convergence of national and international knowledge and practice, the conference transformed into a buzzing multiverse of ideas. It was also an opportunity to explore further practice and policy opportunities. Key stakeholders from government, civil society, grassroots and academia shared diverse experiences.

Government and the larger ecosystem collaboration with organisations and communities is integral. They enhance caregiver capabilities through insights from their body of work and learning. Technological and knowledge capabilities of CSR entities, educational experts, research organisations and knowledge partners across India can come together. They can build educator capacity to deliver play-based learning, contemporary child-friendly learning facilities. With interactive education material, focus on nutrition and development along with other ideas we can step up on leveraging learning on the latest global practices.

Scaling up innovative ECCE approaches

Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) initiatives provide an opportunity for innovation, particularly at the intersection of enabling policies and emerging educational technologies. With India’s robust policy framework, the stage is set for significant advancements. We are looking at an advantage of a growing demographic dividend and the largest population of youth in the world. The opportunity lies in strengthening our wealth of human resource early, really early. As we harness our learnings and feed into ideas, stakeholders are also constantly looking for scalable, sustainable play-based learning programmes. that can be adapted across diverse geographical and cultural contexts.

Furthermore, digital tools and learning platforms offer enhanced possibilities to expand learning and quality of ECCE. They can deliver capacity building to empower educators, parents and communities. Additionally, government-private sector-civil society partnerships can accelerate knowledge sharing, so ECCE innovations reach underserved populations. In keeping with the core vision of the ICDS, to create experiences for the innate curiosity and potential of children.

Looking forward

What next? We need to strengthen consistent capacity building among educators and caregivers.

Trainers need to adopt effective strategies to incorporate play-based learning. The community also needs increasing awareness about benefits of play-based learning. We must create continuous professional development and robust support networks for ECCE professionals.

Through these steps, strong policy backing and innovative practices, we can shape a future for a child to thrive in the most crucial stage of her life.

The UN sustainable development goal, target 4.1 of SDG 4, underscores the push towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. As part of India’s commitment to the SDGs, we each have a role in making this a reality. Policymakers, practitioners, and researchers shared innovative play-based learning practices, to better explore, scale-up and adapt insights across different contexts.

Our future aspiration is to ensure that every child can thrive in a stimulating, inclusive, and joyful environment. Each stakeholder has a role in building a positive socio-emotional development movement. Investing in early childhood is an investment in the future of our nation and of our world.

So, in this journey, let the magic of play lead the way.

This blog first appeared in Voices, Lifestyle, The Times of India.

Over 900 children from disadvantaged communities in Mumbai had a special treat at Jio Presents Hamleys Wonderland™ for a day of excitement, joy and inspiration through stories. Facilitating the children’s activities and volunteering at the venue, was Ms Isha Ambani who joined Reliance employee volunteers in cheering the children through the fun-filled events of the day that culminated with a storytelling session. The event with children marks over 75 days of Reliance Foundation’s ‘We Care, We Volunteer - Kahani Kala Khushi’, campaign where over 1,200 Reliance employees volunteered have engaged 16,000 underprivileged children from across 25 cities of India through storytelling and art.

“The festive season is synonymous for all of us with spreading cheer among children. This year too, our colleagues from the Reliance family across India have been volunteering and sharing this joy with thousands of children by bringing to life the folktale culture of our beautiful country. We are encouraging children to express themselves creatively through stories and art. The excitement we saw among children across the country and here today was so infectious that it spurs us to continue this spirit of volunteering and inspire them to learn more, read more in an enjoyable atmosphere,” said Ms Isha Ambani.

Reliance Foundation has been dedicatedly spreading joy among children from disadvantaged communities around this time of the year for over a decade now. This year, ‘We Care, We Volunteer – Kahani Kala Khushi’ has been an intensive effort to combine storytelling, culture and art for the children that the Foundation supports through numerous organisations. It was held in 25 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

Volunteers engaged children by telling age appropriate stories that helped them imaginatively discover India and creatively express their ideas, through art, up on being motivated by these stories. The stories covered festivals, folk and tribal stories and the stories had origins in their states. As the campaign aims to sustain their interest in art, art kits and material along with story books were also provided to the children.

The storytelling continued for children at Jio Presents Hamleys Wonderland on Thursday, and all the children indulged in fun-filled extravaganza with attractions including Ferris Wonder Eye, arcade games, carousel, WonderTheatre and much more.

The ‘We Care, We Volunteer’ – Kahani Kala Khushi campaign is a continuation of Reliance Foundation’s sustained Education and Sports for All (ESA) programme. Through ESA, Reliance Foundation has supported children’s aspirations through various education and sports initiatives in collaboration with NGOs as part of continued efforts to inspire children.

• Over 200 practitioners gather at the two-day ‘Building Flourishing Futures’ conference in Mumbai, share experiences and suggest actions for better early childhood outcomes

A landmark gathering of public and private practitioners spanning the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) spectrum, convened to share insights and experience play-based learning at Reliance Foundation’s Building Flourishing Futures conference.

Held at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) in Mumbai, the conference brought together diverse practitioners from the ECCE system, academics and experts from India and internationally.

The two-day conference explored innovative practices and approaches for developing playful parents, teachers, and communities. Contributing towards the goal of universalization of ECCE as articulated in India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, speakers and participants had a range of learning and educational experiences, with 10 masterclasses, 15 interactive learning stations, and 30 speaker sessions.

Showing deep involvement in the subject at the conference, Ms Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Industries Limited and Vice Chairperson, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, was in rapt attention through the sessions, keenly engaging with experts and attending demonstrations with practitioners at various learning stations.

Key speakers included well-known practitioners Shri Sampath Kumar, IAS., Principal Secretary, Government of Meghalaya, Ms Anne Van Dam from The Learning Square, Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy from Ummeed Child Development Center, Ms Sunisha Ahuja from UNICEF and Dr Rita Patnaik, Joint Director, NIPCCD, Ministry of Women & Child Development

Experts such as from Dr Mahesh Balsekar, Consultant Paediatrician, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre; Mr Abhimanyu Basu, Dean and CEO, DAIS; Dr Nilay Ranjan, Head - Education, Reliance Foundation also added their insights to the proceedings.

Through the two days, participants who included Anganwadi workers, teachers, principals, policy makers and representatives from philanthropies explored a burst of ideas, engaged in animated play-based learning demonstrations, discussed nuances of policies and practice, caregiving and strategies for cross-learning, towards holistic early childhood care, education and development.

Reflecting Reliance Foundation Founder and Chairperson Mrs Nita Ambani’s philosophy of ‘Happy School, Happy Learners’ educators at the Reliance Foundation schools and the Dhirubhai Ambani International School create stimulating learning environments, from the best of Indian and international early childhood learning practices. With this experience, Reliance Foundation’s vision is to help transform the Early Childhood Care and Education landscape across India, especially through building capacity of Anganwadi workers to deliver play-based learning for children from low income and marginalised communities.

Continued collaboration and innovation can build significant momentum. The ‘Building Flourishing Futures’ conference with a unique convening of diverse opinions, thoughts and good practices, aims to build a dynamic platform where practitioners learn from one another; build collaborations to develop actionable strategies within the ecosystem, leading a transformative journey, so that every child in India has the opportunity to reach their full potential, towards a flourishing future.

• Merit-based Postgraduate Scholarship grants up to Rs. 6 lakhs for 100 first year students of nine future-ready fields
• The Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship includes a strong development programme in addition to the grant, including sector expert interactions, industry exposure and volunteering opportunities
• Applications invited from across India. Last date to apply is 17 December 2023

Reliance Foundation is inviting applications for its prestigious postgraduate scholarships that aim to nurture world-class talent. Applications are open to first-year postgraduate students in nine fields of study that aim to reimagine and build India’s growth. Applications are open until 17 December 2023.

Resonating with the rapid advancements on technology fronts including digital, renewable and new energy, and biotechnology, the Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship aims to nurture future leaders of tomorrow who have the potential to develop new solutions and innovations in these fields for the benefit of all.

“India’s youth are well-poised to shape the nation’s progress in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Reliance Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship will identify and empower the country’s brightest young minds who can think big, think green, think digital for the benefit of society. We aim to create a cohort of excellence every year to power India’s new era of growth,” said Mr. Jagannatha Kumar, CEO, Reliance Foundation.

Since 2020, the merit-based scholarship for excellence in postgraduate studies, has supported 178 students. Reliance Foundation Postgraduate scholars from past cohorts have embarked on professional journeys in roles that leverage technologies to drive transformation and impact for a better tomorrow. For the graduated scholars, the scholarship proved to be a platform that enriched their educational and learning experience, led them to industry-leading mentors, acquire skills and place themselves on successful career paths.

The top 100 students selected for the scholarship will be awarded a grant of up to Rs. 6 lakh for the entire duration of study along with a holistic development programme that includes expert interactions, industry exposure and volunteering opportunities. Scholars will be selected following a rigorous process that includes application evaluation, aptitude test and interviews with leading experts.

The Reliance Foundation postgraduate scholarships will identify students who can demonstrate qualities of excellence, leadership potential, integrity, community commitment, growth mindset and courage. Those first-year postgraduate students pursuing full-time courses in India in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics & Computing, Electrical and/or Electronics Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Renewable & New Energy, Material Science & Engineering and Life Sciences are invited to apply.

For more details please visit https://scholarships.reliancefoundation.org/PG_Scholarship.aspx. The last date for submitting applications is 17 December 2023.

Over 900 children from disadvantaged communities in Mumbai had a special treat at Jio Presents Hamleys Wonderland™ for a day of excitement, joy and inspiration through stories. Facilitating the children’s activities and volunteering at the venue, was Ms Isha Ambani who joined Reliance employee volunteers in cheering the children through the fun-filled events of the day that culminated with a storytelling session. The event with children marks over 75 days of Reliance Foundation’s ‘We Care, We Volunteer - Kahani Kala Khushi’, campaign where over 1,200 Reliance employees volunteered have engaged 16,000 underprivileged children from across 25 cities of India through storytelling and art.

“The festive season is synonymous for all of us with spreading cheer among children. This year too, our colleagues from the Reliance family across India have been volunteering and sharing this joy with thousands of children by bringing to life the folktale culture of our beautiful country. We are encouraging children to express themselves creatively through stories and art. The excitement we saw among children across the country and here today was so infectious that it spurs us to continue this spirit of volunteering and inspire them to learn more, read more in an enjoyable atmosphere,” said Ms Isha Ambani.

Reliance Foundation has been dedicatedly spreading joy among children from disadvantaged communities around this time of the year for over a decade now. This year, ‘We Care, We Volunteer – Kahani Kala Khushi’ has been an intensive effort to combine storytelling, culture and art for the children that the Foundation supports through numerous organisations. It was held in 25 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

Volunteers engaged children by telling age appropriate stories that helped them imaginatively discover India and creatively express their ideas, through art, up on being motivated by these stories. The stories covered festivals, folk and tribal stories and the stories had origins in their states. As the campaign aims to sustain their interest in art, art kits and material along with story books were also provided to the children.

The storytelling continued for children at Jio Presents Hamleys Wonderland on Thursday, and all the children indulged in fun-filled extravaganza with attractions including Ferris Wonder Eye, arcade games, carousel, WonderTheatre and much more.

The ‘We Care, We Volunteer’ – Kahani Kala Khushi campaign is a continuation of Reliance Foundation’s sustained Education and Sports for All (ESA) programme. Through ESA, Reliance Foundation has supported children’s aspirations through various education and sports initiatives in collaboration with NGOs as part of continued efforts to inspire children.

On International Day of Education, leaders across private sector and civil society have come together to launch LiftEd (Learning and Innovation in FLN to Transform Education) an initiative that will impact the lives of 4 million children in India across 5 years. With all partners working together to achieve these results, the diverse coalition that powers LiftEd is strengthening India’s education ecosystem, unlocking young India’s potential, and improving life chances for millions.

The Government of India has identified foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) as an ‘urgent and necessary prerequisite to learning’ and in 2021, launched the landmark NIPUN Bharat Mission to equip every child aged 4-10 with FLN skills by 2026-27. Recognising that collaborative action from the private sector and civil society can act as an ‘impact multiplier’ to bolster the government’s commitment to furthering India’s education goals, LiftEd brings a vibrant and diverse mix of education experts together to improve FLN in India, raising up to USD 20 million (INR 166 crore).

LiftEd is anchored by founding partners such as Atlassian Foundation, Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, British Asian Trust, the Maitri Trust, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Reliance Foundation, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS Optimus Foundation, and USAID. The British Asian Trust is the programme leader and Central Square Foundation and Dalberg Advisors are design and technical partners.

Given that FLN is understood as the ability to read and understand basic text and solve basic mathematical problems by the end of grade three, it is the cornerstone on which a child’s learning journey is built. Over 5 years, LiftEd’s ambition is to strengthen these ‘building blocks’ of learning through a dual approach: on-ground and at-home interventions.

LiftEd’s on-ground education partners are working with state governments and school facilitators in five geographies (Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar) to train them and build their capacity to improve FLN levels for public school children across grades 1-3. To achieve results at scale, working with stakeholders who influence education is critical and helps the education partners – Kaivalya Education Foundation, Language and Learning Foundation, Peepul, and Pratham Education Foundation – take a ‘systems change’ approach. As such, training block and district officers, school principals, and teachers enables LiftEd to positively impact more lives across a sustained period of time, as each person trained can have a ripple effect reaching several batches of students.

In parallel, LiftEd has also launched an EdTech Accelerator to develop digital solutions to improve FLN for low-income students in India. Eight innovative partners – Amira Learning, Chimple, Ei Mindspark, Pratham Education Foundation, Rocket Learning, Sesame Workshop, ThinkZone, and Top Parent – have been chosen to be a part of the EdTech Accelerator following a rigorous selection process. They are working towards developing high-quality and contextually relevant solutions focused on the bottom of the pyramid, and are receiving dedicated support in the form of mentorship, capacity building workshops, and funding through the Accelerator.

Since LiftEd is designed to incorporate principles of outcomes-based financing – collaboration, scale, innovation, and a razor-sharp focus on measurable outcomes – it puts transformational impact for children at the heart of its focus.

Quotes from the coalition of global partners:

Jagannatha Kumar, CEO, Reliance Foundation, said, "Providing children a strong start to their learning journey ensures them a bright future where they can fully realise their potential. Reliance Foundation shares this vision with all the consortium partners who have come together to launch LiftEd to foster learning and innovation in foundational literacy and numeracy. Bringing together the consortium’s collective strength and experience and aligning with the Government of India's NIPUN Bharat, LiftEd could prove life-changing for millions of children across India."

Mark Reading, Head, Atlassian Foundation, said, “We’re inspired by LiftEd because it incorporates many of the elements we believe can have an incredibly positive impact on education outcomes: a focus on impact, rather than activity, active government involvement, and the scaling of proven approaches, delivered by a first-rate team. We look forward to LiftEd and its partner organisations delivering life-changing FLN outcomes for millions of children across India.”

Amit Shah, Investment Director, Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, said, “We’re hugely excited about the potential of LiftEd. By working to improve basic literacy and numeracy skills at a systems level, we believe it can have a transformative impact on the lives of millions of children in India over the next four years, while also helping to shape the future of education in the country. LiftEd is also a great example of the power of partnerships in creating and scaling effective solutions to some of our most pressing challenges. Bridges is delighted to be able to contribute what we’ve learned from over a decade of delivering outcomes-based projects, and we’re really grateful to our partners on the SDG Outcomes initiative for helping us to bring this pioneering collaboration to life.”

Bharath Visweswariah, Executive Director India, British Asian Trust, said, "LiftEd will strengthen foundational learning skills for millions of children, setting them up for success later in life. By steering this initiative from conception to implementation and convening a coalition of experienced global partners, the British Asian Trust has created an opportunity to strengthen foundational learning in a scalable and sustainable manner. Applying our learnings from previous successes in education in India, we recognised the value of aligning with the Government of India's goals, embedding a systems-change approach and unlocking the power of technology early on."

Luke Aspinall, CEO, the Maitri Trust, said, “LiftEd aligns closely with Maitri’s strategic goals to improve primary school systems and foundational literacy and numeracy attainment, offering significant opportunity to make meaningful improvements in learner outcomes on a large scale. The initiative’s focus on systemic shifts, tying changes within the education system back to their subsequent impact on the child, could prove game changing for future systemic capacity building programmes. With ambitious targets to positively impact 4 million children, we believe joining this collaborative initiative will accelerate progress far beyond what we could achieve in isolation.”

Prachi Jain-Windlass, Senior Director, India Programs, The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, said, “The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is proud to partner with LiftEd consortium, which is a bold ecosystem initiative to improve and mainstream foundational literacy and numeracy outcomes in government schools. This will be the first development impact bond where the nonprofit organisations involved are achieving outcomes by building capacities in the government school system rather than implementing interventions directly. The Dell Foundation has always been supportive of such innovative projects which help the system achieve outsized impact on the lives of children. We look forward to the success of all the partners embarking on this journey.”

Karuna Bhatia, Head of Sustainability, Standard Chartered Bank India & Global Business Services, said, “As a company whose Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ethos includes investment in development of the regions where we operate, being a part of LiftEd is a clear pathway towards our goals. Through this unique initiative, we will strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy, identified as the highest priority of the education system by the Government of India, for millions of children across India, generating far-reaching, long-lasting impact.”

Dhun Davar, Head of Social Finance UBS Optimus Foundation and Head of Social Impact & Philanthropy, India and Middle East, said: “In our experience, outcomes-based finance can be a powerful way to improve learning outcomes for millions of school children around the world, including India. Building on a strong track record of outcomes contracts in education in India, we are delighted to come together with our partners to launch LiftEd and strengthen basic numeracy and literacy skills using both classroom-based and home-schooling tools.”

Veena Reddy, Mission Director, USAID/India, said, “Around the world, USAID supports quality education and literacy programs, paving the way for a more equitable and prosperous global future. In India, USAID partners with the government, civil society, and private sector to promote innovative and scalable solutions that will have local reach and can have global impact. USAID is pleased to support LiftEd to invest in the future of India and the world.

Shaveta Sharma-Kukreja, CEO & MD, Central Square Foundation, said, "LiftEd resonates closely with CSF's core mission to improve FLN outcomes at scale in India, both in schools and at home. A key component of LiftEd is nurturing the development of high-quality EdTech solutions through the EdTech Accelerator. Among the numerous EdTech organisations in India, only a small proportion focus on foundational learning, and even fewer are built for low-income users. The LiftEd Accelerator adopts a unique approach to solving this by catalysing the supply of diverse, innovative EdTech solutions and by galvanising demand for at-home learning, hence meaningfully contributing to achieving NIPUN Bharat's learning goals."

Dayoung Lee, Partner, Dalberg, said, “While the pandemic exacerbated India’s learning crisis, there is now an extraordinary window of opportunity to accelerate outcomes on foundational learning through the government’s NIPUN Bharat Mission. LiftEd rides on this momentum to scale effective school-based solutions and innovative home-based EdTech solutions. Dalberg is excited to be a part of this ambitious initiative – unprecedented in raising the stakes for outcomes while working through government systems. I believe it is our best shot at achieving impact at scale.”

Partners at a glance

Founding partners
Atlassian Foundation, Bridges Outcomes Partnerships, British Asian Trust, the Maitri Trust, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Reliance Foundation, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS Optimus Foundation, and USAID.

Design and technical partners
British Asian Trust (Programme Leader), Central Square Foundation, Dalberg Advisors

Education partners
On-ground: Kaivalya Education Foundation, Language and Learning Foundation, Peepul, Pratham Education Foundation At-home: Amira Learning, Chimple, Ei Mindspark, Pratham Education Foundation, Rocket Learning, Sesame Workshop India, ThinkZone, and Top Parent

Evaluation partners
On-ground: ConveGenius Insights, Development Solutions
At-home: Educational Initiatives, Sambodhi, Prof Tarun Jain (IIM Ahmedabad), Principal Investigator on the EdTech Accelerator evaluation studies

• Over 58,000 applications from students in 5,500+ educational institutions
• Diverse cohort of scholars from all streams of study selected on merit-cum-means basis for one of India’s largest, inclusive and diverse higher education scholarships
• Selected first-year UG students will receive grants of up to Rs. 2 lakh over the course of their study, become part of a strong capacity-building programme and a vibrant alumni network

Five thousand students have been selected from a country-wide application pool for the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships 2023-24, results for which were announced today. The scholarship, one of India’s largest, inclusive and diverse scholarship initiatives for higher education, awards undergraduate students a grant of up to Rs. 2 lakh and an opportunity to be part of its vibrant and enabling alumni network.

Across 35 states and UTs of India, 58,000 students studying at more than 5,500 educational institutions had applied for the scholarships. The final 5000 have been selected through a systematic merit-cum-means process. In addition to their performance in the aptitude test and their Grade 12 marks, 75% of the selected students have an annual household income of less than 2.5 lakh rupees.

To know the outcome of their application, applicants can visit https://reliancefoundation.org/ugscholarships_2023-24_results.

The Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships aim to support students in any stream of study to lift themselves, their communities and contribute to India’s future socio-economic development. It selects students on merit-cum-means basis and enables them in continuing their undergraduate studies without financial burden.

As part of its overarching vision for education, excellence and innovation, Reliance Foundation is constantly intensifying efforts to ensure the selection of a strong, diverse, merit-cum-means cohort of undergraduate students, unlock the potential of youth and take the nation to greater heights. Till date, over 23,136 student scholarships have been awarded, out of which 48% are girls and 3,001 are students with disabilities.

This year’s cohort includes students from all subject streams including Commerce, Arts, Business/Management, Computer Applications, Science, Medicine, Law, Education, Hospitality, Architecture, Engineering/Technology and other undergraduate degrees.

Reliance has been awarding scholarships since 1996. Strengthening this commitment in December 2022, on the 90th birth anniversary of Reliance’s Founder-Chairman Shri. Dhirubhai Ambani, Mrs Nita Ambani, Reliance Foundation Founder & Chairperson, announced that Reliance Foundation will award 50,000 scholarships over the next 10 years. This announcement on the 5000 selected scholars for 2023-24 takes forward Reliance’s consistent commitment to education and nurturing students towards building India’s future.