09, January 2026, Anand: Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, along with Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, and SmtAnnpurna Devi, Hon’ble Union Minister of Women and Child Development, inaugurated the NDDB Foundation for Nutrition’s (NFN) National CSR Conclave titled “Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nutrition Security & Malnutrition Mitigation” on 6 January 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, in the august presence of Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Cooperation; Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj; Shri George Kurian, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Minority Affairs; Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation; Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying; Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB; and other distinguished dignitaries.
The conclave brought together senior Ministers, Secretaries to the Government of India, leaders from corporates and PSUs, dairy cooperatives, development institutions and other key stakeholders to deliberate on collaborative approaches for combating malnutrition through CSR-led initiatives.
On the occasion, the Shishu Sanjeevani Programme under the CSR initiative of IDBI Bank, aimed at supporting 3,000 children at anganwadi centres in rural Nagpur through an energy-dense, fortified nutritional supplement developed by NDDB was launched. The third phase of the Giftmilk Programme under the CSR initiative of SAIL–Bhilai Steel Plant, benefiting around 4,000 government school children in mining-affected areas of Chhattisgarh was also launched. The fortified flavoured milk enriched with Vitamins A and D will be supplied by the NDDB-managed Chhattisgarh Milk Federation. The CSR partners supporting NFN’s nutrition initiatives were felicitated during the event.
Addressing the conclave, Shri Piyush Goyal emphasised that CSR must go beyond statutory obligations and reflect India’s deep-rooted cultural ethos of giving back to society. He highlighted the whole-of-government approach, noting the synergy of multiple Ministries working together with NDDB to address malnutrition, and underscored that investing in nutrition is an investment in India’s future aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh stated that India’s dairy sector plays a pivotal role in ensuring nutritional security. With a per capita milk availability of about 485 grams per day, milk remains a vital source of nutrition for children, and through NFN initiatives such as Giftmilk and Shishu Sanjeevani, nutritional support is being extended to school and anganwadi children across the country.
