During a routine school visit, Savita Mundhe witnessed a moment that perfectly captured the impact of her work. A young student from the JSW Green School Project confidently explained to her family how to conduct a water audit and conserve resources, transforming classroom learning into everyday household practice.
Such moments reflect how children are evolving into confident problem-solvers, effective communicators, collaborative team players, and aspirational individuals, equipped with essential life skills and clarity about their future pathways.
An Unplanned Path to Purpose
Savita’s entry into CSR was entirely unplanned. Her academic background lay in a completely different discipline, far removed from social development. However, an unexpected opportunity introduced her to the world of CSR. Over time, she consciously upgraded her education and skills to align with her growing responsibilities.
“Looking back, nothing about my career was planned,” she reflects. “But I was fortunate to enter CSR. Over time, I realized this is where my purpose lies. My journey has been shaped by opportunities, learning, and a deep inclination toward creating social impact.”
Pioneering CSR at JSW Foundation Since 2007
Savita joined JSW Foundation in 2007, much before CSR became mandatory in India. Under the leadership of Mrs. Sangita Jindal, JSW Foundation had already embarked on its philanthropic journey, which later evolved into a structured CSR framework aligned with Schedule VII of the Companies Act post-2014.
As JSW expanded across geographies, JSW Foundation adopted a comprehensive and holistic approach across multiple development sectors including education, health, livelihood, skills, water, sanitation, environment, agriculture, and art & culture. With the introduction of the CSR mandate, all programmes were realigned to ensure statutory compliance, strategic focus, and measurable impact.
Today, Savita leads the Education Vertical at JSW Foundation, driving large-scale, sustainable education transformation across India.
From One-Time Donations to Strategic Transformation
In the early years, community expectations often translated into long “wish lists,” resulting in ad-hoc and one-time donations. Over time, this approach evolved into a structured project-based model, driven by defined outcomes, expert partnerships, logical frameworks, and systematic monitoring.
This strategic shift over the past five to six years has enabled JSW Foundation to focus on long-term, high-impact educational initiatives, supported through four to five-year partnerships. Key interventions include school infrastructure transformation, early childhood education, model schools, and higher education scholarships, ensuring sustained and measurable outcomes.
Covering the Entire Learning Continuum
JSW Foundation’s education interventions now span the entire learning lifecycle—from Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) to secondary schooling and higher education.
JSW Foundation’s education programs create an integrated ecosystem from Early Childhood (ECCE) through Grade 10. Five-year ECCE programmes strengthen Anganwadi centres with teacher training aligned with NEP 2020, infrastructure enhancement, and ISO certification, focusing on school readiness and quality benchmarks. Model Schools (Primary to Grade 10) feature infrastructure transformation and WASH facilities, teacher training and TLM integration, student learning enhancement programmes, career guidance, STEM labs, libraries, ICT, and digital classrooms, with continuous monitoring of academic progress and life skills. This integrated ecosystem enables self-sustaining, high-performing schools embedded deeply within their communities.
Building Trust Before Making Promises
Savita emphasizes that rural communities often remain cautious due to past experiences of unfulfilled promises. To address this, JSW Foundation adopts a pre-engagement model, entering communities one year prior to plant establishment.
During this period, teams invest in building relationships, understanding community needs, and co-creating solutions. “We don’t arrive with ready-made plans. We listen first and gradually build trust through presence and consistency,” she explains.
Over four to five years, communities witness tangible transformation—stronger schools, confident children, and empowered parents. Students naturally become ambassadors, carrying learnings back to their homes.
Children as Change-Makers
Projects like JSW Aspire strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy while building life skills such as problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and aspiration-building. The JSW Green School Programme trains students in environmental education, water audits, waste management, and sustainability practices, which they actively apply within their households.
The Room to Read programme cultivates a culture of reading, engaging not just children but also parents through cluster libraries, reading calendars, and joint activities. Meanwhile, the Model School Programme delivers holistic school transformation—covering infrastructure, WASH, teaching resources, teacher development, foundational learning, career guidance, entrepreneurship, and 21st-century skills.
“Over time, parents gain confidence, communities develop faith, and sustainability becomes organic,” Savita observes.
JSW Aspire delivered 60% improvement in learning and life skills, while Room to Read achieved 93% of children now reading for pleasure. The Model School Programme showed mathematics proficiency increased from 38% to 52%, early English reading improved from 22% to 46%, Kannada reading proficiency rose from 42% to 58%, higher education aspirations increased from 67% to 80%, gender bias reduced from 34% to 16%, and 52% of irregular students re-enrolled.
Parents report noticeable improvements in their children’s study habits, emotional expression, confidence, and responsibility. For Savita, the most fulfilling moments come when scholarship alumni return and share their success stories.
“When students say that JSW Foundation enabled access to quality education and higher education opportunities, those moments are deeply emotional and immensely rewarding,” she says.
Strengthening Inclusive Education
JSW Foundation also operates Tamanna School in Vijayanagar, Karnataka, dedicated to children with special needs. In addition, departmental partnerships have enabled the training of over 1,400 government teachers in inclusive education methodologies.
Together, these efforts reflect JSW Foundation’s deep commitment to equitable and inclusive education.
CSR’s Robust Evolution
The CSR mandate of 2014 professionalised the sector by introducing accountability, compliance, and impact measurement. Corporates are now required to demonstrate long-term outcomes, partner with credible organisations, and maintain strict financial governance.
This shift has moved CSR beyond symbolic philanthropy toward sustainable, community-led development.
Savita strongly advocates for stronger partnerships between corporates, governments, and NGOs:
“When everyone works together, the scale and depth of impact multiply.”
She also highlights the importance of policy-driven mental health interventions, particularly in rural settings, emphasising the need for professional expertise to identify and support vulnerable children early.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Savita Mundhe’s 18-year journey exemplifies the true essence of CSR: sustained commitment creates lasting change. From one-time donations to building comprehensive education ecosystems, her story demonstrates how meaningful transformation unfolds when children become agents of change, parents become partners, and communities emerge as co-creators of progress.
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