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
Tata Sons defers decision on chairman N Chandrasekaran’s third term
Term runs till 2027, but board differences are stalling extension talks
MUMBAI: Tata Sons has deferred a decision on whether to extend the tenure of its chairman, N Chandrasekaran, injecting fresh uncertainty into the leadership timeline of India’s largest conglomerate.
The board had last year cleared a third executive term for Chandrasekaran running until February 2027, when he turned 65. However, deliberations on any further extension were put on hold this week after differences emerged during a board meeting, CNBC-TV18 reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The pause underscores internal strains as the group pushes through an aggressive investment cycle while grappling with uneven financial returns. The Economic Times reported that Chandrasekaran himself asked for discussions on his reappointment to be deferred after some directors raised concerns about mounting losses at several newer businesses.
Those concerns were led by Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, the principal shareholder of Tata Sons. Other board members countered that losses were expected in early-stage, capital-intensive ventures designed to secure the group’s long-term position.
Since taking charge in 2017, following the ouster of Cyrus Mistry, Chandrasekaran has driven a phase of expansion and consolidation. Over the past five years, the tata group has nearly doubled revenue and more than tripled net profit and market capitalisation, while committing about Rs 5.5 lakh crore to investments aimed at making the conglomerate “future fit”, according to its latest annual report.
Recent numbers, however, present a more mixed picture. Tata Sons reported a 24 per cent rise in revenue to Rs 5.92 lakh crore in fiscal 2025, while net profit fell 17 per cent to Rs 28,898 crore.
In its annual report, the company said the year opened with expectations of macroeconomic stability and easing inflation. That optimism faded as uncertainty over global trade policy intensified, complicating the operating environment.
For now, the question of leadership continuity at the apex of the Tata Group remains unresolved and closely watched by investors assessing the cost and conviction behind the conglomerate’s long-term bets.
