Vedanta Aluminium: NandGhar, the flagship social impact initiative of Vedanta under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, has marked a key milestone with the inauguration of a new centre at Saisurni village in Gunpurgram panchayat, Kalahandi district by Sarpanch Sujata Majhi. It is set to further strengthen the last-mile delivery of early childhood care and women-centric services in a remote tribal region of Odisha, while adding to the company’s growing network of 631 NandGhars across the state.
Nand Ghars are modernised anganwadis developed by Vedanta, which have emergedas crucial hubs of women and child development across rural India. Designed to enhance service delivery under the national Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)framework, the NandGhar in Saisurni is equipped with child-friendly infrastructure including Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) walls, LED-enabled smart learning tools, hygienic kitchens and sanitation facilities, solar power, safe drinking water systems, and age-appropriate furniture.
The model combines improved infrastructure with programme support through implementation partners, enabling access to millet-based nutrition, regular health check-ups, immunisation, and community-led interventions focused on behavioural change. Women from the village are also engaged in the project through self-help groups, supporting skilling and livelihood opportunities that contribute to greater financial independence.
The new centre was launched under a MoU signed with the District Social Welfare Offices of Rayagada and Kalahandi to modernize 100 Anganwad is into NandGhars in each district. Aligned with national priorities such as Poshan 2.0, BetiBachaoBetiPadhao, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and Digital India, the initiative complements government efforts to address malnutrition, strengthen early childhood education, and expand access to primary healthcare services in underserved areas.
Speaking at the inauguration, Sarpanch Sujata Majhi said, “Vedanta’s NandGhar is a blessing for Saisurni. The facility, and the infrastructure and education support for our children will be good. This will help improve our block and support its development. We are thankful for this initiative.”
NandGhar is a nationwide network of modernised Anganwadi centres delivering integrated services across nutrition, early childhood education, healthcare, and women’s empowerment. With over 13,000 centres across 17 states in India, the initiative is envisioned to impact 7 crore children and 2 crore women. The Saisurni centre represents a scalable model of community development in Odisha, anchored in strong institutional partnerships and designed to deepen impact across tribal districts.
