MAM
Cry & P&G’s Shiksha’s launch receives sizeable response
MUMBAI: Six weeks post Shiksha’s launch, – the special program to help educate underprivileged children across India launched by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in partnership with Child Relief and You (CRY), the programme has gained momentum with a sizeable response from citizens of India who have helped contribute towards a year’s education of 4,021 underprivileged children across the country.
Citizens of Maharashtra have made the largest contribution of 18 per cent by supporting education of 724 children thus far. The announcement of this initial contribution was made at a unique painting event featuring children from CRY projects and leading actress Katrina Kaif who is supporting the cause at Food Bazaar in Big Bazaar.
To support Shiksha, one has to is purchase a large pack of either Tide, Ariel, Pantene, Head & Shoulders, Rejoice, Vicks VapoRub or Pampers during May and June, and one can help support one day’s education of a child per pack purchased. Irrespective of the sale of its brands from Shiksha, P&G has committed a minimum of Rs. 10 million to CRY.
Says MP&G India market strategy & planning (MS&P) head Vivek Gupta,”It is gratifying to see that Shiksha has already supported a year’s education of 4,021 underprivileged children with citizens across India, simply buying a large pack of Tide, Ariel, Pantene, H&S, Rejoice, Vicks VapoRub or Pampers. Shiksha will continue till 30 June and we appeal to all consumers to change more lives by supporting Shiksha, as each P&G product bought will help support one day’s education of one child.”
CRY regional director Puja Marwaha avers, “Shiksha is enabling lakhs of individuals across the country to participate in the movement for child rights. We are heartened by the number of people that have come forward till date to ensure the right to education for India’s children through this initiative. We look forward to more support during the course of this program.”
Project Shiksha is being supported by renowned personalities from myriad fields, with actors like Kajol, Mandira Bedi, Perizaad Zorabian, Pallavi Joshi, Revathy, Khushboo, Aditi Govitrikar, June Maliah, Sreelekha Mitra, Aishwarya Rajnikant, supercop Kiran Bedi, cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, singer Sonu Nigam, and educationist Dr. Snehalata Deshmukh (former vice chancellor – Mumbai University), via their strong endorsements for ‘children’s education’.
The funds gathered through Shiksha, will be allocated by CRY to projects with a focus on education spread across India: Delhi, Barrackpore (West Bengal), Ongole and Chilkaluripet (Andhra Pradesh), Bellary (Karnataka), Salem (Tamil Nadu), Bolangir (Orissa), and Osmanabad, Wardha, Navi Mumbai, Borivali (Maharashtra).
Brands
Oyo parent Prism appoints former Sebi chief Ajay Tyagi to Board
Former market regulator joins Prism to strengthen governance for IPO
NEW DELHI: Prism, the parent entity of Oyo, has appointed former Sebi chairman Ajay Tyagi as an independent director, as the hospitality firm gears up for its planned Rs 6,650 crore initial public offering (IPO).
Tyagi, a 1984-batch IAS officer, served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) from 2017 to 2022. His appointment is aimed at strengthening the company’s governance framework and providing strategic oversight as it moves closer to a public listing.
He joins a high-profile board that already includes several prominent names from global business and policy circles. These include Troy Matthew Alstead, former CFO and group president of Starbucks; Aditya Ghosh, co-founder of Akasa Air; Deepa Malik, paralympic athlete and Padma Shri awardee; William Steve Albrecht, professor of accountancy at Utah State University; and Bejul Somaia, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Prism founder Ritesh Agarwal, said Tyagi’s experience in capital markets regulation and public-institution stewardship will be critical as the company scales operations and enhances long-term accountability.
The company recently filed preliminary papers with Sebi to raise Rs 6,650 crore through a confidential route. Market sources estimate its valuation will be in the range of $7 billion to $8 billion.
Over the course of his career, Tyagi has held senior roles in the ministry of finance, where he oversaw investment policy and financial-sector reforms. His induction to the Prism board signals a renewed focus on aligning the company’s internal standards with the stringent requirements of public markets as it advances toward its IPO.
