NDTV World Summit: M3M Foundation Focused On Sustainable Development, Smart Villages, Says Payal Kanodia

The M3M Foundation, philanthropic arm of the M3M India Group, work towards holistic development of underprivileged children and families by improving their living conditions through various initiatives, according to Payal Kanodia, chairperson and trustee of the Foundation.

One notable project Kanodia spoke about includes Sarvoday. It focuses on integrating villages, promoting sustainable development and building smart villages along with promoting arts, literature and sports.

Kanodia emphasised the importance of community engagement, stating that when projects are undertaken with community consent, the ownership of the initiative flourishes.

"Today, when we sit down and see the results of these projects, we see that women are entrepreneurs, they are more independent, running their village panchayat, managing community kitchens in the villages," she said at the NDTV World Summit 2024 in Delhi on Monday.

Kanodia also spoke about the launch of the Vanjeevan programme in 2024, which aims to support the entire ecosystem and not just human interests.

She highlighted a few wildlife habitats like the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra and the Kolhuchaur Forest, next to Jim Corbett, where M3M Foundation had contributed in a huge way.

The foundation also supports athletics and para-athletics by providing scholarships, she said. "It is beautiful to see that India has so much talent. It just needs to be nurtured."

Kanodia also said that the foundation acknowledges the government's existing programmes but stresses the need for enhanced public-private partnerships. Payal noted that while the programmes and processes were in place, collaboration was essential for their success.

The first day of NDTV World Summit 2024 concluded with some of the top policymakers, diplomats and sectoral experts sharing their views on an array of subjects. One of the key highlights of the day was the inaugural address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which he presented the 125-day report card of his third tenure.