In India's journey towards Viksit Bharat, can sports evolve from an extracurricular activity to a strategic pillar of Corporate Social Responsibility?

Our latest newsletter delves into updates from the world of #SportForChange, including a CSR leadership roundtable, various success stories from the ground demonstrating the power of sport in shaping health, inclusion and resilience for youth and the best examples of corporate-NGOs partnerships driving notable transformation through sport.

The 1st #SportForChange Round Table hosts 20+ leaders

Sportz Village Foundation, in collaboration with Lakshyaa, successfully hosted its first #SportForChange Round Table on “Game-Changing CSR: The Power of Sports in Shaping a Viksit Bharat.”

The high-impact leadership dialogue brought together 20+ leaders from government, corporate foundations and the sporting ecosystem to explore the strategic integration of sports into CSR initiatives across key SDGs and ways to elevate the disproportionately low investment in sports. With stalwarts like Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee (widely acclaimed as the Father of CSR in India) and Col. N.S. Johal (CEO, TOPS, Sports Authority of India), the dialogue cemented sports as a scalable lever for social transformation and national development.

Carving talent pathways - Evonith Steel's Kabaddi Excellence Program

As a part of its CSR efforts, Evonith Steel has joined forces with Sportz Village Foundation to design and execute the Kabaddi Excellence Program, aimed at promoting rural sports and empowering youth. Out the 100+ student-athletes who participated in the trials, select student-athletes for U-19 boys' and girls' team are now being trained to compete at state and national levels. This program exemplifies how CSR in sports can bridge grassroots participation with elite pathways, fostering empowerment, aspiration and inclusion.

Bringing the 'Joy of Play' to 4,000+ children with Trent Ltd.

Trent Ltd partnered with Sportz Village Foundation to reach 4,000+ children across 10 Mumbai schools through structured play. Designed to enhance children's well-being, encourage positive behavioral shifts and increase girls' participation, the initiative highlights how CSR in sports can directly impact SDG 3 (Good Health), SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

Chambal Fertilisers' Project Udaan: 3rd Annual 5K Marathon lights up Gadepan, Kota

At the 3rd Annual 5K Marathon in Gadepan, Kota, 400+ children from local villages ran as part of Project Udaan - a CSR-led movement for youth empowerment through sport. With ongoing programs across 20 public schools, Project Udaan continues to enrich the lives of young people in rural Rajasthan by providing them access to early and high-quality sports and physical education.

Multi-year CSR for multi-dimensional impact: HCL Foundation & Sportz Village Foundation

On National Sports Day, HCL Foundation celebrated its long-standing partnership in the Sports for Change program - showcasing how sustained CSR investments in children's physical and emotional development lead to deep, lasting impact across communities.

Corporate volunteering through sport: 400+ employees and 2,500+ hours of Yogdaan

Yogdaan has proven to be an innovative way for corporates to integrate employee engagement with CSR impact. Leveraging the employee volunteering program, organizations engage with school children through sports and play, seamlessly integrating their participation into broader CSR and social initiatives, while creating lasting impact in the communities they serve.

Corporate - NGO synergy: MCCI honours LatentView Analytics & Sportz Village Foundation for Chennai Kaalpandhu League

LatentView Analytics and Sportz Village Foundation were recognized under Corporate & NGO Collaboration for Chennai Kaalpandhu League, a flagship initiative nurturing young football talent in Tamil Nadu. Engaging 5,000+ student-athletes across 5 seasons, the program shows how strategic CSR in grassroots sports can unlock both youth development and community pride.

TheCSRUniverse & Education Edge Global spotlight Sportz Village Foundation

The findings from Sportz Village Foundation's Annual Impact Report 2025 have been featured in TheCSRUniverse, reflecting the growing recognition of the organization's work in using sports as an impact tool for CSR. In addition, Education Edge Global published an insightful feature story by our Co-founder, Parminder Gill and Khushboo Awasthi, Co-founder of Mantra4Change, which explores the revival of India's indigenous games.