Remember that feeling of staring out the window during a class, your mind a million miles away, sketching fantastical machines or spaceships in the margins of your notebook? Those doodles, fueled by childhood curiosity, held the potential for a future astronaut, engineer, or inventor. But sometimes, the traditional classroom setting might not fully capture that spark. It could be the marks or your mind on a wild goose chase for that formula!
In India’s bustling schools, where millions of young minds hold the potential to revolutionize the future, fostering a love for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) presents unique opportunities.
The Heightened Demand for STEM Skills
STEM skills, in particular, are experiencing a surge in demand across various sectors. Industries across the board, from manufacturing and logistics to finance and marketing, rely heavily on a strong foundation in STEM disciplines. From complex data analysis in finance to intricate calculations in engineering, a strong foundation in STEM concepts is becoming increasingly crucial for success in the modern workplace.
Is India Meeting the Demand?
School education forms the foundation of India’s workforce. 86% of India’s labor force has education up to Class 12 or below. Around 36.3% of boys in the 14-18-year-old age group enroll in STEM streams, with a lower enrollment rate of 28.1% among girls. Most of the young people in this age group enroll in the Arts/Humanities stream, comprising 55.7%. While the exact demand for STEM professionals varies by industry, these statistics suggest a potential shortage. India has a vast young population, but it needs to equip them with the necessary skills to thrive in a technology-driven world.
Why Foundational Years Matter
The early years are a time of immense intellectual growth. Children are naturally curious explorers, eager to understand the world around them. By providing engaging and interactive experiences, we can equip them with critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills – foundational skills that benefit them not just in science and math classrooms but in every aspect of their lives.
However, the road to a robust STEM education system in India is not without its hurdles. A staggering statistic reveals that one in four schools in rural India lacks basic facilities. Many of these schools miss essential resources, such as laboratories, which are crucial for effective science education. Furthermore, most initiatives in rural areas tend to focus on economic development and agriculture, often sidelining science education. The absence of basic amenities and a focus on other priorities hamper students’ ability to learn effectively and limit their exposure to practical, hands-on learning experiences.
Akshara: Inspiring Young Minds
Akshara: The school development project under Shahi’s Shikshanam Initiative seeks to partner with STEM Learning, a social enterprise to facilitate a unique way of teaching and learning STEM.
At Shahi Exports, Our commitment extends beyond mere business; it’s a shared vision to empower the next generation. We understand the critical role STEM education plays in fostering innovation and building a skilled workforce. The Akshara program is a fantastic initiative that equips young minds with the scientific knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary to thrive in the modern economy.”
– Alagappan R, COO, Knits Processing Division
This innovative program encourages the building of mini science labs in government schools equipped with materials to explore over 80 modules in foundational STEM concepts. Imagine a classroom transformed – a vibrant hub where children can build circuits, conduct experiments, and explore the wonders of science firsthand!
Since 2021, Akshara has provided access to STEM Learning 24 Mini Science Centers to 5300 students across Government schools in rural Karnataka. We aim to reach 6000 students by 2025.
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) projects bring an exciting dimension to STEM learning. It brings concepts to life where students can hold tools in hand and transform simple materials into working models. For example, Tangrams— a Chinese puzzle made from geometric shapes. Students cut colorful sheets into five triangles, a square, and a parallelogram, then combine these pieces to form various shapes. Tangrams are a great way to develop problem-solving skills, spatial reasoning, and creativity. They can also help with hand-eye coordination and visual perception. As students build, test, and iterate, they develop a deep, intuitive understanding of science and math, turning abstract ideas into tangible realities.
Empowering Educators
The Akshara program understands that impactful learning requires more than just resources. That’s why the program goes a step further by providing dedicated support to teachers. Educators receive comprehensive training on how to make the most of the Mini Science Centre models, ensuring they can effectively guide students through engaging activities and experiments. Teachers believe students grasp science and math concepts more easily due to the models and optimized teaching time.
“Explaining concepts like motion and friction is difficult without demonstration. But the Science Center has transformed my classroom! Many biology models, like the Human ear and Human eye, help students understand these structures better. Seeing the excitement in my student’s eyes as they build and experiment with the Mini Science Centre models is truly rewarding.”
Tamanna Roshan, Teacher, Government Higher Primary School, Kanchanahalli.
86% of students reported that complex and difficult topics were explained more easily with the assistance of models, and 91% of students feel the teaching-learning process is more engaging and interactive with the Mini Science Center. *
The Real Impact
This commitment to both resources and teacher training has yielded impressive results. Studies have shown that students participating in similar programs demonstrate improved academic performance in science and math, increased analytical thinking skills, and a higher level of engagement in the classroom. The impact of the Akshara program itself is equally compelling. 87% of students found it easier to express their understanding, and 13% felt more confident applying concepts to real-life scenarios*. DIY activities enabled the students to apply their knowledge and turn these into skills they can explore further.
“The MSC lab makes me happy just by hearing its name. Before the Akshara program, science class felt boring. Now, it’s my favorite subject! I love building things and figuring out how they work. The Mini Science Centre models are so much fun, and help me understand the concepts better. The Day and Night model looked cool and gave me a clear idea of how day and night occur, which I only knew from theory in 5th grade. I love all the models in the school and enjoy spending time in the lab.”
Jayanth J S, Class VII student at Government Higher Primary School, Arekere
A Brighter Future
The impact of such programs can be profound. Consider a young girl, once curious about the world around her, who now lights up with excitement as she builds a tiny solar-powered car. This newfound passion for exploration can pave the way for future careers in science and technology or simply equip her with the critical thinking skills necessary to tackle any challenge life throws her way.
We are excited to explore how to make STEM learning even more engaging and empower the next generation of Indian innovators to take their doodles from the margins of their notebooks to the forefront of the future.
*Endline Survey Conducted by STEM Learning amongst students from 5th-7th Grade in 2023-24.
Driving Sustainability through Social Responsibility
According to the report ‘Our Common Future’ by the World Commission on Environment and Development, responsible corporate activities can lead to more significant sustainable development. The importance of corporate social responsibility and its connection to our core values has grown at Shahi. Strategic planning and incorporation into daily operations form the foundation of our corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Corporate Social Responsibility at Shahi
Through our programs, Shahi ensures the creation of efficient strategies to alleviate societal, environmental, and economic issues. It caters to some of the most vulnerable communities (largely women from low-income backgrounds), children, farmers, and migrant workers. It supports local government authorities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to build communities for the better. With over 22,867 beneficiaries benefitted, Shahi has progressed towards making its CSR approach more resourceful, ethical, and sustainable.
The Potential for Lasting Impact
The Government of India’s Census Data states that India has a population of 1.38 billion people, 67% of whom live in rural areas, most of which lack infrastructure and essential services. In this light, CSR has the power to change, alleviate, and even eliminate many common challenges faced by communities in India. CSR works to address the needs and aspirations of communities by building commitment to the development and upliftment of communities.
In the India Philanthropy Report 2022, Poverty Alleviation, Healthcare & WASH, Education & Skills, and Rural Development emerged as the highlighted theme areas that account for 70% of India’s overall CSR budget. Compliant and accountable CSR has ensured that rural development and other facets of our society have made considerable strides in the right direction.
Our Engagement this Past Year
In the past year, Shahi has undertaken a variety of projects in the areas of Environmental Protection, The Welfare of Migrants, Health, Education and School Infrastructure, Covid Support along with Rural Development.
Environmental Protection
Environmental sustainability at Shahi is committed to the responsible use of natural resources and environmental protection.
Shahi has conducted a tree plantation drive with Give Me Trees Trust (GMTT) to increase green cover and improve local air quality. GMTT is India’s largest community-based voluntary tree planting and conservation movement in India. The environmental charity strongly believes in planting native species of trees (like Peepal, Neem, Pilkhan, and more) as they are the most beneficial trees suited for the environment and provide additional medicinal benefits.
Shahi has partnered with GMTT to plant trees on barren land in Delhi and convert it into a dense forest. The plantation drive is based on the Miyawaki Method, involving planting two trees per square meter to make a biodiversity hotspot in the city.
Shahi partnered with Saahas on the Sada Suchittva Arekere Program, within which Shahi established a sustainable Solid Waste Management (SWM) model in an identified area near Arekere Lake Bengaluru to reduce dumping waste into the lake. This initiative aligns with the Clean India Campaign’s goal to build a cleaner and healthier environment for local communities.
Shahi further partnered with Tanga Charitable Trust to launch the Biomass Sustainability Project. The program provided livelihood opportunities and extra income to local farmers in the Raichur region for farm waste collection. This effort prevents stubble burning and reduces carbon emissions in the region by extracting and converting crop residue into biomass.
The Welfare of Migrant Workers
At Shahi, we recognize the challenges faced by migrant workers when relocating to new urban environments. Shahi joined hands with Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) to launch the Migrant Support Center.
With 900 registered migrants, this initiative intends to provide migrant workers with social, informational, functional, and psychological support and services to promote their integration into new urban surroundings.
Health
The Swasth Parivaar Project is a health intervention program for the vulnerable population of the Peenya Region in Bangalore, Karnataka. Under this project, Shahi jointly worked with the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) to set up a satellite clinic to provide preventive and curative services for sexual and reproductive health.
The services include Family planning (Intrauterine devices, injectable and oral hormonal contraceptives, male and female condoms, emergency contraception), Maternal and child health services (Antenatal and postnatal care, treatment of minor illness and immunization), Prevention and management of sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections including HIV.
Shahi also launched the Menstrual Health Project to improve knowledge of menstrual hygiene management and promote access and acceptance of menstrual cups as safe sanitary products. In collaboration with Kamakshi Trust and Shakti (Rare Enterprises), the project trained over 1,698 women on menstrual health management and distributed menstrual cups. Over 68% of these women accepted using the menstrual cups provided. Overall, the project created menstrual health awareness for 2,750 migrant women in Karnataka.
Further, Shahi, along with Save the Children, India (Bal Raksha Bharath), launched the program ‘Improving Maternal, Child Health, and Nutrition Services’ (MCHN) in Bengaluru (urban and rural), and districts of Hassan, Tumkur, Maddur, and Kolar in Karnataka. The focus is on providing quality maternal, child health, and nutrition care in Anganwadi and primary health centers in the targeted regions.
This capacity-building program allows accountability and engagement of local governments and communities to improve the use and quality of MCHN services. It addresses issues between pregnancy and a child’s second birthday, as this 1000-day period is a critical time to impact a child’s cognitive and physical development positively.
Education & School Infrastructure Improvement
Shahi launched the STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning project in association with STEM Learning Pvt. Ltd and Kamakshi Trust. Under this initiative, 5 mini science centers have been established in schools for 8th-10th grade students, and 180 modules have been provided for teacher training in science, engineering, technology, and math. The project also supports children in preparing for state and national level exhibition competitive programs.
With Janodaya Trust, a social service organization working on social and community development, we provided free coaching classes and counseling sessions for 10th-standard students from economically weaker sections, including dropouts and failed students. More than 462 students have enrolled in the coaching program. Further, the school infrastructure development fund was utilized to construct toilet and water filter facilities, along with the provision of school bags and smart tablets for students.
[vcex_spacing size=”20px”]Covid Support
At the peak of the pandemic, Shahi provided oxygen cylinders, beds, medicines, and first-aid boxes to primary health care centers and government hospitals in the regions of Kuppam, Mysore, and Hassan.
Many migrant workers were able to comfortably stay in Shahi’s residence halls during the first lockdown. Shahi provided food, sanitizers, masks, and round-the-clock medical assistance from Janodaya. Shahi distributed covid relief kits to front-line workers, including nurses, the local police force, and residents, to help maintain social distance. A ‘Doctor on Call’ program was also set up to curb misinformation and provide counseling for symptoms.
Rural Development
Shahi built infrastructural development in rural Karnataka by creating bus shelters in the rural areas of Maddur and Tumkur. Further WASH facilities, infrastructural development, and painting of government schools and Solar Street Lights were provided at Bydagi, Hassan, and Maddur in Shivamogga.
The Next Step
As a forward-thinking organization, we are proud of the community and environment-driven initiatives we have led so far. As we progress, we shall strive for our CSR efforts to be pertinent locally and nationally and guided by the principles of sustainable development. We are keen to scale our initiatives through like-minded collaboration.
Read Shahi’s CSR Policy-2022-23 vulnerable communities (largely women from low-income backgrounds), children, farmers, and migrant workers. It supports local government authorities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to build communities for the better. With over 22,867 beneficiaries benefitted, Shahi has progressed towards making its CSR approach more resourceful, ethical, and sustainable.
The Potential for Lasting Impact
The Government of India’s Census Data states that India has a population of 1.38 billion people, 67% of whom live in rural areas, most of which lack infrastructure and essential services. In this light, CSR has the power to change, alleviate, and even eliminate many common challenges faced by communities in India. CSR works to address the needs and aspirations of communities by building commitment to the development and upliftment of communities.
In the India Philanthropy Report 2022, Poverty Alleviation, Healthcare & WASH, Education & Skills, and Rural Development emerged as the highlighted theme areas that account for 70% of India’s overall CSR budget. Compliant and accountable CSR has ensured that rural development and other facets of our society have made considerable strides in the right direction.
Our Engagement this Past Year
In the past year, Shahi has undertaken a variety of projects in the areas of Environmental Protection, The Welfare of Migrants, Health, Education and School Infrastructure, Covid Support along with Rural Development.
Environmental Protection
Environmental sustainability at Shahi is committed to the responsible use of natural resources and environmental protection.
Shahi has conducted a tree plantation drive with Give Me Trees Trust (GMTT) to increase green cover and improve local air quality. GMTT is India’s largest community-based voluntary tree planting and conservation movement in India. The environmental charity strongly believes in planting native species of trees (like Peepal, Neem, Pilkhan, and more) as they are the most beneficial trees suited for the environment and provide additional medicinal benefits.
Shahi has partnered with GMTT to plant trees on barren land in Delhi and convert it into a dense forest. The plantation drive is based on the Miyawaki Method, involving planting two trees per square meter to make a biodiversity hotspot in the city.
Shahi partnered with Saahas on the Sada Suchittva Arekere Program, within which Shahi established a sustainable Solid Waste Management (SWM) model in an identified area near Arekere Lake Bengaluru to reduce dumping waste into the lake. This initiative aligns with the Clean India Campaign’s goal to build a cleaner and healthier environment for local communities.
Shahi further partnered with Tanga Charitable Trust to launch the Biomass Sustainability Project. The program provided livelihood opportunities and extra income to local farmers in the Raichur region for farm waste collection. This effort prevents stubble burning and reduces carbon emissions in the region by extracting and converting crop residue into biomass.
The Welfare of Migrant Workers
At Shahi, we recognize the challenges faced by migrant workers when relocating to new urban environments. Shahi joined hands with Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) to launch the Migrant Support Center.
With 900 registered migrants, this initiative intends to provide migrant workers with social, informational, functional, and psychological support and services to promote their integration into new urban surroundings.
Health
The Swasth Parivaar Project is a health intervention program for the vulnerable population of the Peenya Region in Bangalore, Karnataka. Under this project, Shahi jointly worked with the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) to set up a satellite clinic to provide preventive and curative services for sexual and reproductive health.
The services include Family planning (Intrauterine devices, injectable and oral hormonal contraceptives, male and female condoms, emergency contraception), Maternal and child health services (Antenatal and postnatal care, treatment of minor illness and immunization), Prevention and management of sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections including HIV.
Shahi also launched the Menstrual Health Project to improve knowledge of menstrual hygiene management and promote access and acceptance of menstrual cups as safe sanitary products. In collaboration with Kamakshi Trust and Shakti (Rare Enterprises), the project trained over 1,698 women on menstrual health management and distributed menstrual cups. Over 68% of these women accepted using the menstrual cups provided. Overall, the project created menstrual health awareness for 2,750 migrant women in Karnataka.
Further, Shahi, along with Save the Children, India (Bal Raksha Bharath), launched the program ‘Improving Maternal, Child Health, and Nutrition Services’ (MCHN) in Bengaluru (urban and rural), and districts of Hassan, Tumkur, Maddur, and Kolar in Karnataka. The focus is on providing quality maternal, child health, and nutrition care in Anganwadi and primary health centers in the targeted regions.
This capacity-building program allows accountability and engagement of local governments and communities to improve the use and quality of MCHN services. It addresses issues between pregnancy and a child’s second birthday, as this 1000-day period is a critical time to impact a child’s cognitive and physical development positively.
Education & School Infrastructure Improvement
Shahi launched the STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning project in association with STEM Learning Pvt. Ltd and Kamakshi Trust. Under this initiative, 5 mini science centers have been established in schools for 8th-10th grade students, and 180 modules have been provided for teacher training in science, engineering, technology, and math. The project also supports children in preparing for state and national level exhibition competitive programs.
With Janodaya Trust, a social service organization working on social and community development, we provided free coaching classes and counseling sessions for 10th-standard students from economically weaker sections, including dropouts and failed students. More than 462 students have enrolled in the coaching program. Further, the school infrastructure development fund was utilized to construct toilet and water filter facilities, along with the provision of school bags and smart tablets for students.
[vcex_spacing size=”20px”]Covid Support
At the peak of the pandemic, Shahi provided oxygen cylinders, beds, medicines, and first-aid boxes to primary health care centers and government hospitals in the regions of Kuppam, Mysore, and Hassan.
Many migrant workers were able to comfortably stay in Shahi’s residence halls during the first lockdown. Shahi provided food, sanitizers, masks, and round-the-clock medical assistance from Janodaya. Shahi distributed covid relief kits to front-line workers, including nurses, the local police force, and residents, to help maintain social distance. A ‘Doctor on Call’ program was also set up to curb misinformation and provide counseling for symptoms.
Rural Development
Shahi built infrastructural development in rural Karnataka by creating bus shelters in the rural areas of Maddur and Tumkur. Further WASH facilities, infrastructural development, and painting of government schools and Solar Street Lights were provided at Bydagi, Hassan, and Maddur in Shivamogga.
The Next Step
As a forward-thinking organization, we are proud of the community and environment-driven initiatives we have led so far. As we progress, we shall strive for our CSR efforts to be pertinent locally and nationally and guided by the principles of sustainable development. We are keen to scale our initiatives through like-minded collaboration.
In 2013, India became the first country in the world to legally mandate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with the introduction of Section 135 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013. CSR was introduced to make businesses pay more attention to ways they can positively impact society and the environment. The law requires companies with a certain turnover and profitability to spend 2% of their average net profit for the past three years on CSR. The CSR budget can be invested in specified areas such as promoting education, eradicating hunger, promoting gender equality, and environmental sustainability. Due to its mandatory nature, the CSR regime in India has the potential to greatly support more capital infusion into the social and environmental sector, thus supporting the country in achieving national and global development goals. However some have criticized this mandate, claiming that CSR must be voluntary or else it is effectively a corporate tax. Nonetheless, eight years since it was first introduced, the CSR mandate remains in place and has been further fine tuned and optimized to ensure companies invest in positive impact.
Focusing on COVID-19 relief in 2021
One of the ways the CSR mandate has been updated is to encourage companies to support their communities through the COVID-19 pandemic. India is currently recovering from a devastating second wave of COVID-19, as the spread continues to have a damaging impact on the health and livelihoods of millions of people across the country. At Shahi, we are leveraging our CSR funds to support our communities by providing ration kits to migrant workers infected with COVID-19 through our Migration Support Center (MSC), donating medical equipment to local hospitals, and other community relief activities based on needs assessments.
Shahi’s approach to CSR
Shahi was established in 1974 by a visionary female entrepreneur Mrs. Sarla Ahuja who started her journey as a sewing machine operator in a local apparel factory in New Delhi. For over 45 years now, we have been serving the communities in which we operate with a special focus on the employment and empowerment of women from low-income backgrounds. Working within the Government guidelines on CSR, our initiatives are guided by the following core commitments:
To contribute to social, economic, and environmental development initiatives in the communities in which we operate and the society at large
To ensure all CSR initiatives undertaken by us have a long-term sustainable and positive impact on marginalized populations
Our initiatives are based on needs assessment and consultation with communities and local governments. We implement our initiatives directly through our internal teams and also partner with expert organizations, specialized non-government organizations, and local implementation agencies.
Our CSR policy has been recently revised as per the provisions of the January 2021 amendment in the Companies Act. This amendment lays greater emphasis on compliance with the law and deeper involvement of businesses in CSR initiatives. Our policy includes the scope and applicability of our CSR initiatives, governance structure, guiding principles of selection, implementation, and monitoring, and expenditure, along with a detailed Annual Action Plan for all the projects undertaken by the company.
Based on the need assessment, we have identified the following focus areas to implement our CSR initiatives:
Education – Good school infrastructure improves the quality of education and the experiences of school learning. We support education in Government schools by focused interventions on infrastructure development, provision for drinking water and sanitation, and repair and renovation of school buildings. Also support undergraduate scholarship programs for students from low-income backgrounds.
“We are thankful to Shahi Exports for providing desks, benches, and sports equipment to our school. Our students are happy with comfortable sitting arrangements, and they are really enjoying their Physical Education classes with new equipment. Many new learning opportunities will also come up with a beautifully created Science Lab under Shahi’s CSR initiatives for our students from Grade 3 to 10.” Mr. Shivappa, Head Master, Government Primary School, Hootagali, Mysore, Karnataka
Community infrastructure – We support community infrastructure development such as public toilets, and bus shelters, etc. As road safety is crucial to saving lives and preventing injuries, our initiatives also focus on tilling roads, construction of skywalks, provision of traffic safety equipment such as barricades, and construction of bus shelters, etc.
Drinking Water – Water is a fundamental human need, yet many people lack access to safe drinking water leading to several water-related ailments. Understanding this need, we provide RO water filtration plants, water coolers, and storage tanks at public places, migrant worker hostels, police stations, and government dispensaries.
The welfare of migrant workers – Migrant workers in urban areas face several challenges. We have partnered with Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society to implement a Migration Support Center project in Bengaluru, Karnataka. H&M and Good Business Lab have extended their support as design partners on this project which aims to support migrant workers with psychological, social, and informational services to help them settle in new urban environments.
Environmental protection – We strive to grow our business whilst reducing the environmental impacts of our operations. Under this focus area, we prioritize efforts such as tree plantation and spreading environmental awareness.
Health – Women from low-income backgrounds often lack access to basic health information and services that affect their overall wellbeing. In partnership with not-for-profit organizations such as Good Business Lab, Family Planning Association of India, Samwada, and Basic Needs India, our community health interventions focus on providing women’s health information and services, including sexual and reproductive health, and psychological wellbeing services.
Supporting Research and Development Projects – Through collaboration with academic institutions such as the National Institute of Fashion Technology and not-for-profit organizations such as Good Business Lab, we support research on technology development under Industry 4.0 and the wellbeing of low-income workers in labor-intensive industries.
The way forward
As a responsible and progressive organization, we will continue to strategically develop our CSR initiatives to benefit the community and the environment. We are open to collaboration with like-minded organizations to scale up our initiatives and add new projects to scale impact.
“ As a leading apparel exporter, our core principles of sustainable business will continue to drive us. Along with exporting apparel, we also intend to export our learnings and ideas from our work in CSR.” Anant Ahuja, Head – Organizational Development, and CSR Committee Member, Shahi Exports
Further, Shahi, along with 
Shahi launched the STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning project in association with 
