HCL Foundation signs MoU with Tamil Nadu Government to implement HCL Samuday – an integrated rural development program in 95 Village Panchayats

HCL Foundation, which delivers the corporate social responsibility agenda of global technology company HCLTech in India, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Tamil Nadu to implement one of its flagship programs, HCL Samuday, in 95 village panchayats in the state.

The MoU was signed by Alok Varma, Project Director – HCL Samuday, HCL Foundation, and Tmt P. Amudha, Principal Secretary to Government, in the presence of Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin, Honorable Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Government of Tamil Nadu; Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, Vice President – Global CSR, HCL Foundation; and Shikhar Malhotra, Board Member, HCLTech.

The program, to be implemented across Pudur and Vilathikulam blocks of the Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu, will impact 140,000 beneficiaries and focus on areas such as water resource management, agriculture, health, education, malnutrition management, leading to better income for underserved families.

HCL Samuday has been launched in Thoothukudi district with an extensive and comprehensive needs identification exercise in 95 village panchayats. A baseline survey of 42,000 households has been completed and projects have been identified for each village panchayat, which will be compiled into village development plans. To increase participation of village communities, startup projects were identified early in the program. Some of the key successes of HCL Samuday in Thoothukudi district till date are:

• 132 primary schools equipped with digital smart boards for better learning
• Functioning of 20 Anganwadi centers improved to include digital learning
• Enhanced screening and management of non-communicable diseases in 58 village panchayats
• Provided livelihood opportunity to 100 women in self-help groups with sewing machines in five village-level tailoring centers
• 41 malnourished children provided with nutritional supplements in a pilot camp for malnutrition management

Over the past eight years, HCL Samuday has created a sustainable, scalable, and replicable model of integrated and sustainable village development focused on six core areas – Agriculture, Education, Health, Environment, Livelihood, and WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene). Currently, HCL Samuday is working in eleven blocks of Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh and has delivered a visible, measurable impact on improving the standard of life and livelihood opportunities for 2.4 million people living in 2,136 villages across 524 village panchayats. HCL Samuday follows an immersive approach by engaging deeply with the rural communities to build the most needed assets and infrastructure, and then galvanizing the local communities to take charge.