Digital
Adani Wilmar’s CSR film celebrates SuPoshan Sanginis’ role in fighting malnutrition & anaemia
Mumbai: On International Women’s Day, Adani Wilmar Ltd (AWL), one of India’s largest food FMCG companies has launched a new CSR short film celebrating the invaluable contributions of SuPoshan Sanginis in eradicating malnutrition and anaemia amongst its target groups- children (0-5 years), adolescent and women in reproductive age. These women volunteers are an integral part of Fortune SuPoshan Project, a pioneering initiative of Adani Wilmar and implemented by Adani Foundation, the CSR arm of Adani Group to combat malnutrition and anaemia in India.
SuPoshan Sanginis empowers their communities and are making their voices heard. Their dedication shows how individuals can spark positive change and inspire others to join in, creating a culture of teamwork and inclusivity. At the grassroots, they’re pivotal in breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. At the same time, these Sanginis also act as beacons of women’s empowerment in their communities.
The newly launched CSR short film, which is airing today, depicts a Sangini visiting a family, diligently checking on their son’s health and ensuring that he receives proper nutrition to thrive. This narrative highlights the transformative role of Sanginis in rural India, showcasing their endeavours to uplift the lives of undernourished children, impart hygiene practices, and educate families on the significance of nutritious foods such as leafy vegetables, millets, legumes, and fruits. Through their unwavering dedication, these women volunteers are not only nurturing the physical growth of future generations but also spearheading positive change within their communities. The four-min CSR short film, which has been directed by the filmmaker Tiyash Sen and conceptualised by DDB Mudra group, will be extended across platforms like Meta & YouTube for maximum visibility.
Commenting on the newly launched CSR short film, Adani Wilmar Ltd MD & CEO Angshu Mallick said, “The Fortune SuPoshan project holds a special place in our hearts, and we take pride in the progress it has made towards eradicating malnutrition and anaemia since its inception. Given that malnutrition is closely linked to food and nutrition, there is no better organisation than us to address it, considering Adani Wilmar’s status as the largest food company in the country. It, therefore, becomes our responsibility to actively work towards this cause. Our SuPoshan Sanginis have played a pivotal role in achieving these objectives, working tirelessly at the grassroots level. The CSR short film serves as a testament to the extraordinary dedication of Sanginis and their unwavering commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of their communities. Their passion and efforts have been instrumental in breaking the worrying issue of intergenerational cycle of malnutrition, and we are proud to honour their contributions on International Women’s Day.”
DDB Mudra creative head Nitin Pradhan said, “Through the metaphor of the chalk drawings on the wall that capture the world through the confines of his house window, the intent was to visually show the journey of a malnourished kid who recovers gradually, with the passage of time. The Suposhan Sangini is instrumental in this recovery in a variety of ways, bringing to our attention her role in helping us get rid of malnourishment as a widespread malaise.”
Initiated in 2016, the Fortune SuPoshan Project has witnessed a resounding success in enhancing the health and nutritional status of its target groups in vulnerable communities. The project’s unique approach involves active engagement with stakeholders, including gram panchayats, local governing bodies, healthcare facilities, and frontline health workers. The training and deployment of SuPoshan Sanginis, who’ve been picked up from the villages that are a part of the project, played a vital role in implementing interventions and driving behavioural changes at the grassroots level.
Lauding the part played by SuPoshan Sanginis in making the project a success, Adani Foundation chairperson Dr Priti Adani added, “I have consistently maintained that the Sanginis have played a significant role in the success of Fortune SuPoshan. The film tribute on International Women’s Day is well-timed and commendable. Their work deserves recognition, particularly their remarkable achievement in breaking the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.”
Empowered with comprehensive knowledge of nutrition and the use of technology like tablets, the SuPoshan Sanginis have conducted interventions, utilising cooking demonstrations to focussed group discussions and individual discussions, to spread awareness about health and nutrition as well as government policies and benefits. They act as bridges between communities as well as serve as a connecting factor with the aanganwadis.
Since its inception in 2016, the Fortune SuPoshan Project has spread its network across 31 sites in the country including some of the aspirational districts like Vidisha(MP) & Narmada(Gujarat), reaching over 4,04,261 lakh households through 1000+ Sanginis across 1940 villages and slums. The proactive approach of Sanginis have resulted in around 90,000 children being saved from malnutrition. More than 3 lakh adolescent girls and women in reproductive age have also benefitted from the project’s intervention through the women volunteers.
The endline evaluation by a New Delhi-based research institute, recently disclosed the impactful interventions of the Fortune SuPoshan Project in addressing malnutrition among children under five across six sites. Despite India ranking 107 out of 121 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2022, the evaluation showcased the project’s effectiveness in combating malnutrition, which is especially critical given India’s high global child wasting rate.
Apart from child nutrition, the project also addresses maternal health, infant and child feeding practices, adolescent knowledge and Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) practices. Positive outcomes include increased Antenatal Care (ANC) check-ups, iron folic acid consumption, institutional births, early breastfeeding initiation, and improved dietary diversity among beneficiaries.
Digital
Ethical AI must benefit society, not dominate it, says WFEB chief Sanjay Pradhan at IAA event
At Mumbai event, ethics expert urges businesses and governments to shape AI responsibly
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence may be racing ahead at lightning speed, but its direction must still be guided by human conscience. That was the central message delivered by Sanjay Pradhan, president of the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB), during the latest edition of IAA Conversations held in Mumbai.
The session was organised by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and the Artificial Intelligence Association of India (AIAI) in association with The Free Press Journal at the Free Press House on 7 March. Addressing a packed audience, Pradhan called for stronger ethical leadership to ensure AI remains a tool that benefits humanity rather than one that governs it.
“Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most powerful technologies humanity has created,” Pradhan said. “It is unlocking breakthroughs in medicine, science and creativity at a pace unimaginable just a few years ago.”
But he warned that the same technology carries serious risks. AI, he noted, can amplify disinformation faster than facts can travel, compromise privacy, deepen discrimination and disrupt millions of livelihoods. Referencing concerns raised by AI pioneers such as Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of AI, Pradhan stressed that the real challenge is not whether AI will shape the world, but whether humans will shape it with ethics and wisdom.
Structuring his talk around four guiding questions, why, what, how and who, Pradhan introduced the audience to WFEB’s emerging AI Ethics Partnership, a global platform aimed at advancing responsible artificial intelligence. He outlined four priority concerns that demand urgent attention: disinformation, bias and discrimination, data privacy and job security.
To make the idea of ethical AI easier to grasp, Pradhan offered a simple metaphor. Ethical AI, he said, is like a three layered cake. The outer layer represents the visible value ethical AI creates for businesses and society. The middle layer is organisational culture that moves ethics from written codes to everyday practice. The innermost layer, however, is the most crucial, the conscience of individual leaders.
Drawing from Indian philosophical thought through WFEB co-founder Ravi Shankar, Pradhan noted that while artificial intelligence can reproduce stored knowledge, true intelligence is boundless and rooted in conscience, creativity and compassion. Practices such as breathwork and meditation, he suggested, can help leaders develop the calm clarity needed for ethical decision making.
The event also featured a discussion with Maninder Adityaraj Singh, chief of staff and head of innovation at Rediffusion Brand Solutions Pvt Ltd, and Yash Johri, lawyer, Supreme Court of India.
Opening the session, IAA India chapter president Abhishek Karnani, highlighted the need for industries to understand and engage with AI responsibly.
“AI has to be befriended and understood,” added Rediffusion managing director and AIAI national convenor Sandeep Goyal. “Its ethical use will determine whether it becomes a friend or a foe.”
As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, Pradhan ended with a simple but powerful call to action. Businesses, governments and individuals must work together to ensure that the algorithms shaping the future reflect human values rather than just cold logic.
