Tata Trusts and Nudge Foundation collaborate to alleviate poverty at scale

Collaboration to help alleviate poverty through product innovation and capacity building

India CSR News Network

BANGALURU: Tata Trusts and The/Nudge Foundation, a Bangalore-based non-profit working on poverty alleviation at scale; today announced a strategic partnership, which will enable and empower the foundation to further innovate on their flagship ‘Programme in Life Management’ in their Gurukuls, build the team needed to scale pan-India and gear up for a growth target of 7X in 2016-17.

The livelihoods portfolio of the Trusts focuses on the inclusive growth of marginalised populations in both rural and urban areas. Besides, development of skills (for individuals) and building the capacity of Community Based Organisations is an important focus area. Through this partnership with The/Nudge Foundation, Tata Trusts will aid in much needed product innovation in the poverty alleviation efforts, and support capacity building of the team to scale the results.

The success of the recently concluded pilot, that The/Nudge Foundation did, in their ‘Mphasis Gurukul’ in Bangalore, underscores the need to take risks and experiment with new ideas to build scalable impact models.

Sharing his views on the partnership, Arun Pandhi, Program Director, Tata Trusts said, “One of the ways of tackling the magnitude and complexity of India’s poverty and skill deficit is through cutting-edge, innovative and scalable ideas. The/Nudge Foundation is doing exceptional work in this space and we look forward to partnering them in their mission to harness India’s talent.”

India will continue to add 1 million to its workforce every month for the next 15 years, most of whom come from impoverished backgrounds. Our growing economy with a massive skill-deficit provides real opportunity for them to escape the cycle of poverty. The/Nudge has successfully implemented their model of building a strong 360-degree life, learning and economic foundation for poor in residential “Gurukuls”, along with lifelong support system, to sustainably alleviate poverty.

Atul Satija, Founder & CEO of The/Nudge Foundation said, “The partnership with Tata Trusts is a great vote of confidence and endorsement of our model. It will afford us to think like any start-up, focus on developing and refining our product, introducing new livelihoods, and putting systems and processes in place. We aim to learn from Tata Group of companies and other nonprofit and for-profit ventures supported by the Tata Trusts.”

The/Nudge Foundation is a collective of some of India’s brightest entrepreneurs, leaders and change-makers coming together to tackle the greatest human development challenge of our times – poverty. The organization aims to bring 1 million people out of poverty by 2020. The Foundation which was launched on July 27, 2015, had secured a seed grant from Nandan Nilekani and boasts of an illustrious advisory board including Dr. Devi Shetty (Chairman and Founder, Narayana Health); Manish Sabharwal (Chairman, Teamlease); Kiran Karnik (ex-President of NASSCOM); Arun Seth, (Ex-Chairman British Telecom & Alcatel Lucent); Hugo Barra, (VP, Xiaomi); Dr. Pramath Sinha, (Founding Dean, ISB); Naveen Tewari, (Founder & CEO InMobi) Vijay Shekhar Sharma, (Founder Paytm & One97), Manish Dugar (CFO,InMobi) and Neeraj Arora, (VP, WhatsApp Messenger)

Tata Trusts is amongst India’s oldest, non-sectarian philanthropic organisations comprising of Sir Ratan Tata & Allied Trusts (1919) and Sir Dorabji Tata & Allied Trusts (1932). The Trusts work in several areas of community development. Tata Trusts seek to be catalysts in development by supporting institutions in the areas of Natural Resources Management, Rural Livelihoods, Urban Livelihoods & Poverty, Education, Enhancing Civil Society and Governance, Health and Media Arts, Crafts and Culture.