The first episode of the television series India Inc Invests in Nutrition was telecast on September 4, 3.30 pm on CNN-News18 with a repeat on CNBC TV18 on September 5, 5.30 pm. Featuring thought leaders from the public and private sectors, the episode highlighted the need for public-private partnerships to address India’s malnutrition emergency.

“The effort to address undernutrition and malnutrition in India has to be comprehensive and well rounded. If we can take information on nutrition to the workplace, we can educate not only employees but their family on good nutrition,” said Vinita Bali, Chairperson, National Nutrition Committee, CII (FACE).

Expanding on why the private sector should invest in nutrition, Arjan de Wagt, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF India said: “If employees are not feeling strong and feel tired because of, say, anemia, then their productivity suffers too. Companies should use their ACE card – assets, CSR and employee engagement and education in nutrition.” He underlined that apart from a human and social cause, investment in nutrition is also an economic cause. 

Ashi Kohli Kathuria, Senior Nutrition Specialist, World Bank commented on how “there is an increasing realization among the private sector that there is a need to invest in nutrition and many businesses are funding nutrition initiatives through CSR”, but also highlighted the fact that we are far from fully tapping the potential here. “We need to bring in more and more non-state actors to support nutrition,” she said.

Joining in with the government’s perspective, Neena Bhatia, Senior Specialist (Joint Advisor), NITI Aayog said, “Food industry can play a very active role in creating a Jan Andolan for POSHAN Abhiyaan by providing access to indigenous and nutritious foods. We need to be sensitive to the nutrition realities and innovate accordingly.”

You can catch the episode on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs7iVGTzEdA

#IMPAct4Nutrition (I4N) is celebrating #POSHANMaah2021 with the India Inc Invests in Nutrition television series that will focus on India’s nutritional goals – and the path to meeting them. The four-part series will feature key stakeholders and thought leaders from across sectors in India, as well as international scientists and experts. It will be telecast on CNN-News18 every Saturday of September with the first and fourth episode repeated on CNBC-TV18 on the first and last Sunday of September. 

Look out for the next episode Nutrition Incorporated Saturday afternoon on CNN News18 (time TBA). Featuring Neeraj Lal, Head CSR, Arvind Limited, Anagha Mahajani, Vice President, Ambuja Cement Foundation, Ashwini Saxena, CEO, JSW Foundation and Geetanjali Master, UNICEF India, the episode will discuss possible avenues to enable and facilitate private sector action in nutrition.
 

About IMPAct4Nutrition

Founded in March 2019 by UNICEF India, Sight and Life, CSR Box, Tata Trusts, Confederation of Indian Industry, and supported by DSM, IMPAct4Nutrition (I4N) is India’s first collective commitment-based platform in the public space for public-private engagement on nutrition. I4N has aligned its goals towards achieving India’s nutrition targets through encouraging Workplace Nutrition and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to work towards Government of India’s POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) goals. I4N works with corporations who take the ‘I4N pledge’, an ethical commitment to work towards better nutrition at the workplace and communities. I4N transforms the workplace landscape and implements roadmaps for employee engagement programmes, nutrition literacy, and capacity development. As of August 2021, I4N has 200 pledged partners, reaching 2.5 million employees and at least 10 million customer-base, family and community members.

Initiative Partners: NASSCOM Foundation, IPE Global, United Nations Global Compact, PATH, United Way, IIT Delhi Alumni Association (IITDAA), the World Bank Group, NITI Aayog, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

“Poshan Maah is absolutely the right time to amplify the essential work we’ve been doing at IMPAct4Nutrition with our 200 pledged corporate partners. The India Inc Invests in Nutrition series will hopefully drive home the message that private sector companies need to join the social movement towards better nutrition – not just for the benefit of the country but for their businesses as well! I am really excited at the range and profile of our panellists and am confident that the series will start new conversations around nutrition in India. We at IMPAct4Nutrition are looking forward to working with more and more corporate partners in the coming months.”

Madhavika Bajoria, Manager – Policy & Engagement and India Program Manager, Sight and Life 

“Today, malnutrition is an emergency in India. Success in tackling it in all its forms would have a multiplier effect at both household and economy level, improving health, boosting incomes and stimulating economic development. There are a lot of torchbearers in the private sector who have identified nutrition as a key investment, and have co-created good models with IMPAct4Nutrition. Investing in nutrition for children today is empowering the consumers, employees and business leaders of tomorrow. This series will help to take this message to a larger audience and provide exposure on the multifaceted areas that businesses can work upon for accelerating positive nutrition in India.”

Geetanjali Master, Partnerships Specialist – Private and Public Sector Engagement, UNICEF India 

“Corporate sector plays a key role when it comes to demonstrating solutions for the social problems in India. Given India’s mandatory CSR provisions for companies, we have seen almost 40% of India’s CSR fund going towards education and healthcare projects. If companies tweak their projects and go for nutri-sensitive CSR projects in education and healthcare, they will be able to get better social return on investments (SROI) for their projects. Our TV series is all about communicating this message to businesses via businesses.”

Bhomik Shah, Founder & CEO, CSR Box

Be part of the social movement for a malnutrition-free India!

TAKE THE PLEDGE @ https://impact4nutrition.in/pledge 

secretariat@impact4nutrition.in

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