RAJASTHAN (India CSR): In Rajasthan’s mining heartland, transformation is not always measured in tonnes of metal or kilometres of roads. Sometimes, it is reflected in a woman who now leads her community with confidence, a young footballer who now of representshis country, or a young girl whose journey takes her from rural Udaipur to a cruise ship in Spain. Together, their stories capture Hindustan Zinc’s road of rural development – one that places people at the heart of progress.
Rajshree Chauhan’s confidence was once a distant dream. There was a time when she was not even permitted to attend community meetings. Today, she manages the operations of an entire federation, earning an independent livelihood while leading women across her village. Through Hindustan Zinc’s Sakhi initiative, Rajshree gained far more than financial opportunities. She learnt digital tools, financial management and organisational leadership – skills that transformed her from a participant into a community leader.
“Today, I stand on my own feet,” she says with quiet pride.
Rajshree’s story reflects the transformation taking place across rural Rajasthan, where over 25,500 women are strengthening household incomes, through Sakhi Utpadan Samiti, women-led units operate across oil pressing, pickles, spices, ghee, honey, namkeens, stitching, and block printing, under homegrown brands of Daichi (edibles) and Upaya (textiles). These products are retailed via platforms like ONDC, Blinkit, Amazon, Flipkart and physical stores like Modern Bazaar.
Empowerment, however, is taking many forms across Rajasthan. While women are building businesses, young individuals are discovering new avenues through sports, education and skills.
One such journey belongs to Mohammed Kaif. What began on the streets of Makrana took shape at Hindustan Zinc’s AIFF-accredited three-star Zinc Football Academy in Zawar, where he earned a scholarship in 2018. Years of disciplined training transformed him into one of India’s most promising footballers, and today he proudly represents the country on the international stage.
“Hindustan Zinc gave me my ground with Zinc Football Academy. It was a chance that is much more than football skills. It gave me the belief that a boy from a small town in Rajasthan could dream of playing at the highest level. Every training session, every match and every lesson shaped. Representing India is a proud moment, and it all began here at ZFA”says Mohammed Kaif.
For young dreamers from rural Rajasthan, the academy represents far more than sporting excellence. It is creating opportunities, challenging stereotypes and inspiring a new generation to believe that their aspirations deserve the same stage as anyone else’s.
If Mohammed’s journey demonstrates the power of opportunity, Deepika Devara’s story shows just how far that opportunity can travel.
Raised in the small village of Bhamniya Khet near Udaipur, Deepika enrolled in Hindustan Zinc’s Zinc Kaushal programme with the hope of building a better future. Beginning with training in food and beverage services, she developed industry-ready skills before gaining experience with leading hospitality brands. Today, she works aboard Marella Cruises in Spain – a remarkable journey from rural Rajasthan to the global hospitality industry.
Deepika’s success reflects the growing impact of Zinc Kaushal, which has equipped over 10,000 young people with market-relevant skills and connected them to meaningful employment. More than creating jobs, the initiative is nurturing confidence, expanding aspirations and proving that talent, when supported with the right opportunities, can cross every boundary.
While these stories reflect personal transformation, they are part of a much larger ecosystem of community development built by Hindustan Zinc across Rajasthan. Through Shiksha Sambal and Unchi Udaan, the company is expanding access to quality education and guidance for students in government schools. Through Samadhan, it is helping farming families adopt climate-smart agriculture and sustainable livelihood practices. Swasthya Sewa is strengthening preventive healthcare through mobile medical units and community hospitals, while safe drinking water initiatives continue to improve health outcomes and create sustainable community-owned infrastructure across villages.
Today, Hindustan Zinc’s social impact initiatives extend across more than 4,100 villages, positively transforming the lives of over 2.6 million people. Every programme is designed not as a standalone intervention but as part of an integrated approach to education, livelihoods, health, sports and community resilience.
Because true development is ultimately measured not by the number of programmes implemented, but by the lives they help transform. Today, Rajshree, Mohammed and Deepika are three among the millions whose journeys remind us that when communities are empowered with opportunity, they don’t just build better futures, they redefine what is possible.
(India CSR)
