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About us

In 2008, we formed the PwC India Foundation (PwCIF) with one vision: To do good. We came from different backgrounds and cultures and were bound by our shared values, the core of which was to solve important problems and touch people’s lives.

Over the years, our projects have explored many areas where we can make a positive impact. These are as follows:

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With the help of our stakeholders – both internal and external – we have consistently turned intent into impact through our interventions which are continually focused on the most vulnerable communities.

Watch our film, ‘The PwCIF journey: From commitment to action’, to know more about our key projects across the country.

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We are supporting and building resilience amongst India’s most vulnerable communities in 19 States and Union Territories and 13 Aspirational Districts

Our thematic areas

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Additional COVID-19 data (FY20-21)

additional covid-19-data 1

During the period from April 2020 to March 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on communities across India. As the virus spread, vulnerable populations faced unprecedented challenges, grappling with health crises, economic hardships and food shortages.

In response to this crisis, PwCIF extended its support to vulnerable communities – 942 families of salt pan workers, migrant workers, slum dwellers, police personnel, LGBTQ+ community members, 295 families from tribal and nomadic tribes and daily-wage earners. PwCIF launched a series of initiatives aimed at providing immediate relief and support. A total of 6,296 families received dry ration kits, while we ensured that essential items reached those in dire need. In addition, 434 meals were served to migrant workers, offering crucial support to the most marginalised groups.

Recognising the importance of hygiene, PwCIF distributed 1,937 litres of hand sanitisers, 2,961 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) and 2,961 hazmat suits to frontline workers, including health professionals and law enforcement personnel. The foundation further donated 1,11,757 safety kits and medical equipment, fortifying the defences of those at the forefront of the battle against the pandemic.

Acknowledging the diverse needs of the communities, PwCIF also addressed the nutritional requirements of the LGBTQ+ community, providing nutrition supplies for one month to 200 transgender individuals. Moreover, the foundation partnered with 26 NGOs to amplify its reach, collaborating to extend aid to the farthest corners of the affected regions.

In the face of adversity, PwCIF reaffirmed its commitment to reach out and build resilient communities.

additional covid-19 data

Milestones

Our thematic areas

PwCIF’s initiatives for providing access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 has set a target to eliminate open defecation and ensure that everyone has access to sustainable sanitation facilities by 2030. The goal focuses on paying special attention to the sanitary needs of women and girls, and those in vulnerable conditions.

There is acute inequality in access to safe and sustainable sanitation facilities in India. Over 90% of the country’s urban residents have access to sanitation facilities compared to 39% of the rural residents. Additionally, 44% of the population continues to defecate in the open.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)

PwCIF has been collaborating with several NGOs to expand access to safe WASH facilities as they are a critical focus area impacting the well-being of vulnerable and at-risk communities. We contribute by upgrading WASH facilities, conducting awareness trainings, providing sanitary napkins and helping rebuild toilets for communities affected by natural disasters. Our efforts have benefited school children, adolescent girls and both urban and rural communities across India. The infrastructural support we provide includes gender-segregated toilets with running water and handwashing facilities.

Click here how PwCIF is supporting WASH programmes across different states

The importance of driving inclusive education has never been more crucial, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic which has disrupted the education of students from socioeconomically vulnerable backgrounds. PwCIF is committed to ensuring that students are not left behind or forced to drop out of educational institutions due to the lack of access to quality education. Providing non-formal education to underprivileged children, funding online education, awarding scholarships, mentoring students to complete their secondary and higher secondary education through bridge schools, linking students with appropriate career choices, developing leadership capacities in schoolchildren, and providing after-school learning support are all part of our work. Given our firm belief in inclusion, our education programmes include the rehabilitation of differently abled children.

Education and Skill Development

We also support skill development initiatives for the youth and adults, with a special focus on capacity building of women to increase their employability, and work on locally relevant alternative livelihood options.

Click here for a glimpse of the education and skill development projects we have supported.

The impact of humanitarian disasters such as floods and droughts on communities is multifaceted and causes destruction, trauma and irrevocable loss. A central part of PwCIF’s work consists of responding to the critical and immediate needs of affected communities. We work towards relief, recovery and rehabilitation with the support of local institutions. – beginning with a need assessment, identifying the most vulnerable amongst prospective beneficiaries, consulting local governments and community-based organisations, and finally, carrying out restoration work. Our work also involves capacity building of people and supporting infrastructure to enhance resilience to future challenges.

Disaster Response and Resilience

Since 2013, we have been responding to natural disasters, including the Uttarakhand floods in 2013, the Chennai floods in 2015, the Assam, Bihar and West Bengal floods in 2017, and the Kerala floods in 2018. Our drought mitigation intervention included providing support to drought-stricken areas in Uttar Pradesh in 2016 and Maharashtra in 2017. We have also worked towards relief, recovery and rehabilitation efforts during Cyclone Vardah in Chennai in 2016 and Cyclones Fani (2019) and Amphan (2020) in West Bengal.

Click here to know more.

Climate change, environmental degradation and dwindling resources are some of the world’s most critical issues impacting health, food security and livelihoods. PwC has committed to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. PwCIF is committed to restoring the environment and protecting vulnerable communities who are significantly affected by these challenges. We have carried out several interventions towards environmental sustainability, including projects focusing on afforestation, alternative livelihoods, artificial glacier building, drought mitigation and adaptation, and clean cooking.

Click here to find out more

Environment Sustainability

PwC India introduced the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) model in India with the aim of building the related ecosystem in India by providing support to budding social entrepreneurs in India. School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) India was formally launched in February 2016 to offer its flagship programme, a nine-month Social Start-Up Fellowship which helps passionate individuals from across the country to build entrepreneurial mindset & hone their social purpose to solve some of the most complex social problems in the country.

Social Entrepreneurship

PwC India has been an integral part of SSE India's journey and supports the latter through funding and logistics support. The collaboration also actively engages PwC People in a number of ways to provide volunteering opportunities. These opportunities include review of applications and selection of the final cohort, conducting sessions for the Fellows as action learning facilitators, subject experts and witnesses narrating their own journey, and providing one-on-one mentorship support to the Fellows.

Since inception, over 80 fellows have benefited from the SSE ecosystem to provide solutions to pressing challenges. They have helped generate livelihoods, empower women and vulnerable sections including tribal communities and have contributed to supporting civic systems across Indian states.

Nursing Assistant training for youngsters from slums of Maharashtra

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner in Thane and Mumbai to train 97 youngsters from the slums on vocational training program (Nursing Assistant) at the existing Livelihood Development Centers (LDC) in Thane and Bandra.

Click here to know more.

Social Entrepreneurship
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op volunteering v1

Beach cleanup, Carter Road, Mumbai

1,340 volunteers

18,600 hours of volunteering

Volunteering through PwCIF aligns seamlessly with PwC’s organisational values, as it reflects our commitment to solving important problems in the society by building trust and fostering a sense of responsibility towards the communities we serve.

By encouraging and supporting volunteering initiatives, PwC empowers its employees to live out its values in action, reinforcing its commitment to social responsibility and creating a positive impact beyond their core business operations. In FY22-23, 1,340 volunteers across the firm contributed nearly 18,600 hours of volunteering according to their area of expertise and skillset. They contributed through various in-person, virtual, general volunteering and skilled volunteering initiatives.

Why we volunteer: Volunteering aligns seamlessly with PwC’s values

  • Act with integrity: Volunteering embodies this value by encouraging employees to engage in activities that benefit others even in challenging circumstances, without any expectation of personal gain.
  • Make a difference: Volunteering enables employees to utilise their professional expertise and skills to deliver impactful assistance to non-profit organisations and communities in need, ensuring the highest level of quality in their charitable contributions in an ever-changing environment.
  • Work together: Employees come together to address social challenges, leveraging their collective talents and efforts to achieve meaningful outcomes by integrating a diverse range of perspectives, people and ideas.
  • Care: Volunteering opportunities allow employees to bond and support each other in ways that bring out their best.
  • Reimagine the possible: Employees can apply their creativity and problem-solving skills to tackle social issues in novel ways, driving innovative approaches to address community challenges.

PwC’s commitment to help marginalised communities and advancing access to opportunities towards an equitable future is not limited to the work it takes up for corporate responsibility. We go far and beyond our obligations to ensure that we reach out to our communities to impact their lives positively. We do this by offering pro bono services to those most in need of our services.

In FY22-23, we had six pro bono projects across six states and union territories covering thematic areas, including education, skill development, sustainable livelihood and healthcare.

  • PwCIF, along with Care Today in Kathua and Anantnag, worked on the training and capacity building of students and teachers to enhance teaching–learning processes through e-content and innovative pedagogy.
  • PwCIF (Seeds) phase 1 and 2: Technical advisory support was provided to SEEDS to facilitate and implement the flood-resilient shelter project in Assam. The project included management of the community centre as the flood shelter, community development and livelihood promotion.
  • PwC India Foundation supported Give India in organising background verification of vendors slated for onboarding with Give India to supply COVID-relief materials.
  • PwCIF, along with Starhub (Phase 2), provided entrepreneurship and incubation support to 10 student entrepreneurs and 20 entrepreneurs in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh.
  • PwCIF, along with Madhuram Charitable Trust, prepared an impact assessment report on the Stepathon Programme which provides prosthetic legs to amputees.

PwC India Foundation supported Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Vaidyakiya Pratishthan (BAVP) with the preparation of a detailed project report for setting up of a medical college and hospital in Aurangabad.

Our programmes

Flood resilient agricultural practices in West Champaran, Bihar

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner Gorakhpur Environment Action Group in West Champaran, Bihar to build resilience among the flood affected communities and create livelihood opportunities. This was done by introducing farm based intervention, building capacity among the affected communities through flood resilient agriculture practices and use of early weather communication channels.

flood-resilient agricultural

40 model farmers were trained on climate-smart flood resilient agriculture practices. A wooden boat which could double as a rescue boat was also constructed to be used by the Musahar community for their livelihood.

sustainable livelihood

Sustainable livelihood for displaced communities of Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner Panchsheel Development Trust in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh to build resilience among the flood affected communities and create livelihood opportunities. 50 model farmers from the displaced community were helped with training on riverbed farming and given goats for income generation. A village development plan was developed that focused on making people self-reliant through the creation of sustainable livelihoods. Additionally, communities were helped with opportunities for attaining quality education and connected to government assistance for their overall socio-economic development.

Connecting underserved children to education in Kolkata, West Bengal

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner Hope Kolkata Foundation in Kolkata, West Bengal to reach out to disadvantaged children aged 6-14 from the slums and helped them complete primary education in a child-friendly, inclusive environment. Children with special needs had access to inclusive education in school. As a result of the interventions parents of children with special needs are now able to identify children with disabilities early. Additionally, teachers and community members are made aware of how to identify and support children with special needs.

connecting underserved
making girls self aware

Making girls self-aware and equipping them with life skills in Khammam, Telangana

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner Voice4Girls in Khammam, Telangana to educate 250 adolescent girls with VOICE curriculum. Her VOICE curriculum aims to help marginalized adolescent girls to take informed decisions about their future and plan accordingly. The program focuses on critical knowledge i.e., health, safety, rights and future planning along with life skills i.e., problem solving, independent critical thinking ability, negotiation, decision making and interpersonal skills.

Rainwater harvesting and solid waste management in Yadgir, Karnataka

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner Eco Watch in Yadgir, Karnataka to empower the community to conserve our environment through rainwater harvesting and solid waste management. Nearly 2.0 lac liters water could be harvested through the rainwater harvesting system built to aid groundwater recharge in Adarsha Vidyalaya- Government High School where 386 school children along with 800 people and 250 households in the neighborhood are benefitting from the intervention. About 500 kgs of plastic waste could also be collected through solid waste management at the school.

rainwater harvesting
securing biodiversity

Securing biodiversity in western Arunachal Pradesh

PwCIF partnered with World Wide Fund for nature (WWF India) in western Arunachal Pradesh to establish 3 Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) for conserving forests and creating sustainable economic opportunities for the local communities. In year 2 of our intervention, we provided technical training on cultivation to the farmers, installed 2 storage units, solar fences, distributed Rajma and soyabean seeds and created ‘Mon Harvest’, a platform composed of local SHGs for packaging and distribution of local produce.

Nursing Assistant training for youngsters from slums of Maharashtra

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner Kherwadi Social Welfare Association in Thane and Mumbai to train 97 youngsters from the slums on vocational training program (Nursing Assistant) at the existing Livelihood Development Centers (LDC) in Thane and Bandra.

nursing assistant
connecting beneficiaries

Connecting beneficiaries to the government health schemes in Nandurbar, Maharashtra

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner in Nandurbar, Maharashtra to connect 5000 beneficiaries from 4 villages to government schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, ICDS and NRHM. 10 Health screening camps were organized for 1000 children to contribute towards positive health outcomes.

Making healthcare accessible to beneficiaries through medical health van

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner Bal Umang Drishya Sanstha (BUDs) in NCR, Delhi to reach out to the beneficiaries from urban slums of Delhi and rural Mewat. Health check-up, health education and counseling provided to 4069 adults and 1805 children and youth.

making healthcare accessible to beneficiaries through medical health van

Supporting Bamboo artisans with livelihood interventions in Dang, Gujarat

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner BAIF Sustainable Livelihoods & Development in Dang, Gujarat to establish a Common Facility Centre (CFC) to support Bamboo artisans in bulk production, quality, and standardization of bamboo products using modern tools. 200 artisans were sensitized and provided exposure on technology and new product designs through this intervention.

supporting bamboo
sustainable ways

Sustainable ways of NTFP collection in Madhya Pradesh

PwCIF partnered with its NGO partner The Corbett Foundation in Madhya Pradesh to support residents of the Kanha Tiger Reserve to restore the landscape of the Reserve. The local communities are being trained on sustainable ways of procuring NTFPs. In addition, we helped the communities grow Napier Grass which serves as fodder for their cattle while also reducing human-animal conflict by keeping the cattle from venturing into the forest. The residents have been trained on growing saplings in their backyard nurseries.

The community members were also trained on sustainable ways to harvest honey and the flower of Mahua. For harvesting of honey, training and honey extraction kits were provided. 60 bee boxes were given out to 60 households for sustainable honey cultivation. The beneficiaries were also supported with marketing of the honey. Additionally, 5 hectares of land was undertaken for plantation, where 2800 saplings were planted. Lantana was de-weeded from the area.

  • Total number of employees– 24,353
  • Employee participation in volunteering sessions – 1237
  • Employee engagement percentage – 6.4%
  • Total target hours – 18,600
  • Total number of volunteering hours – 16796.55
  • Total Beneficiaries reached – 2200+
  • Average volunteering hours per employee – 13.5

In FY 23 we had 6 pro bono projects across 5 states and union territories covering thematic areas including – education and skill development, livelihood and climate change.

Inspiring with heart and purpose

Approaching Corporate Responsibility the PwC way!

Stories of change
Stories of change

Aspirational Districts

Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu - 97 beneficiaries were taught tailoring. 40 women started their own business and are earning approx. Rs. 3000-Rs. 8000 per month.

Khammam, Telangana - 250 Adolescent Girls were taught life skills such as problem solving, independent critical thinking and decision making etc. Programme focuses on critical knowledge on health, safety and human rights.

Yadgiri, Karnataka - Foundational skills built in in tribal children through 10 learning centers

Dahod, Ahmedabad - 40000 liters of rainwater harvesting and storage system built at KGBV Girls hostel

Gadchiroli, Maharashtra - Honey collectors trained on scientific extraction of honey. 830 kg of honey worth Rs. 1,66,000 extracted.

Gajapati, Odisha - Nearly 87 lakh m3 water will be recharged through the land development initiatives.

Ramgarh, Jharkhand - 250 families were introduced to the SRI technique of rice cultivation, Gobar Gas plants. Among them, 119 families planted 4000+ trees.

Sirohi, Rajasthan - Nutritional and economic status of 100 families was improved as they were introduced to cultivating their farmland twice in a year instead of just once.

Osmanabad - 312 students from nomadic community enrolled in the schools in 10 locations

Panchsheel Development Trust - 50 model farmers from the communities displaced by the changing course of river Ghaghara in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh were helped with training on riverbed farming. 50 other families were given goats for livelihood.

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Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu 

97 beneficiaries were taught tailoring. 40 women started their own business and are earning approx. Rs. 3000-Rs. 8000 per month.

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Khammam, Telangana

250 Adolescent Girls were taught life skills such as problem solving, independent critical thinking and decision making etc. Programme focuses on critical knowledge on health, safety and human rights.

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Yadgir, Karnataka

Foundational skills built in in tribal children through 10 learning centers

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Dahod, Ahmedabad

40000 liters of rainwater harvesting and storage system built at KGBV Girls hostel

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Gadchiroli, Maharashtra

Honey collectors trained on scientific extraction of honey. 830 kg of honey worth Rs. 1,66,000 extracted.

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Ramgarh, Jharkhand

250 families were introduced to the SRI technique of rice cultivation, Gobar Gas plants. Among them, 119 families planted 4000+ trees.

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Sirohi, Rajasthan

Nutritional and economic status of 100 families was improved as they were introduced to cultivating their farmland twice in a year instead of just once.

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Osmanabad, Maharashtra

312 students from nomadic community enrolled in the schools in 10 locations

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Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh

50 model farmers from the communities displaced by the changing course of river Ghaghara in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh were helped with training on riverbed farming. 50 other families were given goats for livelihood.

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Social Start-Up Fellowship Programme in the North East
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