Jindal Steel has received the Rotary India National CSR Award 2025 (Eastern Region) in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Mega Category in recognition of its outstanding commitment to enhancing rural water access and sanitation. In front of Padma Bhushan Usha Uthup, famous actor Rituparna Sengupta, and other dignitaries, Flt. Lt. Rtn. K.P. Nagesh, Director, Rotary International, presented the prestigious award to Prashant Hota, President of Jindal Steel and Group Head (CSR & Education), during a lavish event in Kolkata on October 23, 2025.

The award honours the company’s groundbreaking work through the Jindal Foundation, which has given millions of people in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand access to clean drinking water and sanitary living conditions. Through watershed management and WASH programmes, the company’s sanitation and hygiene initiatives in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand have improved the local communities, all of which are infused with the inclusive development vision of Hon. Member of Parliament and Jindal Steel Chairman Naveen Jindal. Through the implementation of Village Watershed Committees, the watershed development operations greatly improved groundwater recharge, which in turn led to better soil moisture, higher agricultural productivity, and a sustainable water supply in the project region.

“We believe that ensuring access to safe water, proper sanitation, and hygienic living is not just a developmental goal but a shared responsibility—and through our WASH initiatives, we remain committed to transforming lives and building healthier, more resilient communities across India,” said Shallu Jindal, Chairperson of Jindal Foundation, the social arm of Jindal Steel, in her thanking remarks to the members of the Rotary India National CSR Award (eastern region) jury.

The Jindal Foundation, the social arm of Jindal Steel, has provided safe drinking water for 12.5 million residents of rural and tribal communities in more than 3,400 villages in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and other regions of India through various water management initiatives. In order to increase a community’s resilience to climate change, Jindal Steel and NABARD collaborated to develop the Angul Watershed Model, which combines environmental and socioeconomic development. By extending its success to the Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh and the Kasia mining area in Odisha, the business has developed solar-powered, technology-driven safe water systems that support sustainable and climate-resilient access to clean water in underserved areas.

Millions of women and girls have been encouraged to use sanitary napkins as a way to ensure reproductive hygiene, and the Jindal Foundation has constructed over 5000 toilets in partnership with the government to meet the sanitation and multifaceted hygiene needs of the local community.

Through significant social projects, Jindal Steel’s social arm, the Jindal Foundation, is committed to raising the Human Development Index. It provides strategic direction for Jindal Steel’s sustainable KL social development programmes, which are implemented throughout operational areas, and acts as a catalyst for change at the grassroots level. The Jindal Foundation keeps empowering communities and creating a more sustainable, egalitarian, and healthy future for everybody by focusing on sustainability, innovation, and inclusive growth.