Mumbai, Maharashtra, Feb 03: With the March 31 financial year-end approaching, the Centre for Transforming India (CFTI) has rolled out a set of education-focused initiatives across schools in Mumbai and rural regions to support the timely utilisation of unspent CSR funds. These projects are designed for execution within short timelines and aim to address persistent gaps in school infrastructure, access to learning resources, and student mobility—key factors impacting attendance and learning outcomes in government and rural schools.

The initiative spans a wide range of school development and education support interventions that can be implemented within FY-end timelines. These include student mobility support such as bicycle distribution for girls; provision of academic kits and scholarships; digital learning enablement through tablets and computer installations; classroom and furniture upgrades; drinking water and sanitation improvements; and the development of sports and physical education infrastructure in rural schools.

CFTI brings significant on-ground implementation experience, having previously executed similar initiatives across multiple states. This includes the distribution of over 35,000 bicycles, award of more than 1,300 scholarships covering students from early education to postgraduate levels, and deployment of over 800 tablets and 100 computers to improve digital access. Infrastructure interventions have included upgrades to more than 90 classrooms, donation of over 1,200 benches across Maharashtra, Bihar, Vizag, and Pondicherry, installation of 34 RO water purifiers, integrated upgrades across 144 schools, and the development of sports facilities in select rural locations.

Commenting on the initiative, Amit Deshpande, Chief Operating Officer, Centre for Transforming India (CFTI), said,

“As the financial year draws to a close, CSR teams often face time and execution constraints. Having projects that are implementation-ready enables CSR funds to be deployed within the reporting cycle while addressing specific, on-the-ground needs of schools and students.”

Through an approach centred on execution readiness, monitoring, and transparent reporting, CFTI partners with corporates to deliver education projects within the financial year, with the objective of converting CSR allocations into clearly defined and measurable outcomes at the school and community level.