An interview with Priyadarshini Nigam, Director and Head – CSR, Newgen Corporate Social Responsibility
In this insightful interview, Priyadarshini Nigam, Director and Head of CSR at Newgen, shares her passion for corporate social responsibility.
She discusses the company’s initiatives aimed at fostering community development, sustainability, and social impact, highlighting the importance of integrating CSR into the core business strategy.
Can you share your vision for Newgen’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and how they align with the company’s overall mission?
Priyadarshini Nigam: Newgen’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vision is to be a socially responsible organization that actively contributes to the social and economic advancement of the communities in which we operate.
Our programs are designed to improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable segments of society, ultimately aiming to enhance the nation’s Human Development Index (HDI).
Our CSR efforts are deeply rooted in the core values of transformation, innovation, and sustainability, and follow a lifecycle approach. We support our beneficiaries through education, life skills, personality development, mental well-being, and nutritional support.
The Samarth Saarthi Samuh program focuses on empowering community women. What inspired this initiative?
Priyadarshini Nigam: Mothers have always been key stakeholders in Newgen CSR’s digital education initiative—Newgen Digital Discovery Paathshala (NDDP). Two years ago, during our annual interactions with them, we sensed their aspiration to explore more opportunities.
Through community engagement, such as interviews, home visits, and group discussions, we identified their needs and understood how addressing those could also support the NDDP girl students.
This led to the formation of the Samarth Saarthi Samuh group, which now empowers women through skill development, digital and financial literacy, and mental health support.
Can you elaborate on the Skill Development Centre inaugurated for NDDP mothers and community women? What types of skills are being taught, and how do you measure the success of this program?
Priyadarshini Nigam: At the Skill Development Centre, women are trained in stitching, embroidery, crocheting, and related skills. They are also introduced to digital tools for daily tasks, educated regarding financial management, and counseled on mental and physical wellness.
Each woman has a unique story, and her progress throughout the program reflects its impact. Indicators such as improved confidence in handcraft skills, regular attendance, and openness in expressing emotions help us assess success.
How important are financial literacy and digital proficiency in empowering women?
Priyadarshini Nigam: Today, financial and digital literacy go hand in hand and are crucial to holistic empowerment. Hence, both aspects are integrated into our programs.
The digital world is no longer alien; even the elderly now use smartphones to meet their daily needs. Our financial literacy sessions help mothers understand concepts like budgeting, distinguishing between needs and wants, and government financial schemes for women.
When combined with digital proficiency, such as using online banking or search engines, these sessions provide women with tools for self-reliance and growth.
The mental health well-being sessions are a unique aspect of your program. How do you integrate mental health support into your CSR initiatives, and what impact has it had on the beneficiaries?
Priyadarshini Nigam: Mental health is an essential component of holistic development. Both students and mothers benefit from our mental health and personality development initiatives, led by professional counsellors.
The positive impact of the sessions has been evident from the feedback from beneficiaries, who express how they’ve learned techniques like tapping to manage emotions, recognizing emotional triggers, and using art-based methods to reduce stress. These practices have helped improve their emotional well-being and self-awareness.
How does the NDDP initiative contribute to the goals of ‘Digital India’ and ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’?
Priyadarshini Nigam: Newgen’s flagship CSR program—Newgen Digital Discovery Paathshala (NDDP), closely aligns with the goals of Digital India and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.
The program promotes quality education for underprivileged girls by enhancing digital literacy and bridging the technology divide.
Every year, the initiative reaches over 3,800 girl students from government schools (grades 6–12). Since the pandemic, we have adopted a hybrid approach to strengthen digital connectivity.
Newgen also provides students with digital devices, including iPads, tablets, and smartphones, with recharged SIMs. To date, over 2,900 students have received tablets.
NDDP is a unique initiative that fosters digital literacy and nurtures the overall personality development of beneficiaries, supporting inclusive growth and gender equality.
Newgen has partnered with various organizations as its implementation partners. How do these partnerships enhance the effectiveness of your CSR initiatives?
Priyadarshini Nigam: Partnering with NGOs and grassroots organizations helps us extend our reach to remote communities and ensures the last-mile implementation of our programs.
Over the years, we’ve partnered with KHUSHII, Akshaya Patra, KK Academy, and Computer Shiksha, allowing us to deliver digital education, remedial support, and nutrition to underserved students across India.
These partners have established strong local networks, making it easier for us to reach communities and build sustainable models.
Together, KHUSHII, KK Academy and Computer Shiksha have supported over 1.2 lakh students in FY 2024–25.
Our Mid-Day Meal collaboration with the Akshaya Patra Foundation has served 17 lakh meals to 12,000 students in a single year.
How does Newgen CSR encourage the employees to participate in social development activities?
Priyadarshini Nigam: Newgen CSR has a structured framework for involving employees in its social development efforts. Employees can participate in NDDP sessions as role models, judges in debates or quizzes, and during celebrations and camps.
Under the mothers’ program, they can visit the Skill Development Centre and attend exhibitions to encourage women.
Our annual CSR Week is a major volunteer-driven event. Through different online and offline activities, the volunteers get the chance to interact with various project beneficiaries and encourage them.
Recently, we also had a new batch of young joiners who visited the CSR’s Skill Development Centre and interacted with the women beneficiaries. Discussions are ongoing to make such visits a regular part of the new joiners’ orientation program.
In FY 2025–26, we’ve also planned monthly CSR days, starting with STEM summer camps, where volunteers will be invited for in-person engagement. These immersive activities foster a personal connection and a sense of ownership among employees.
What are your plans for expanding or enhancing Newgen’s CSR initiatives? Are there any new projects or areas of focus on the horizon?
Priyadarshini Nigam: Newgen’s CSR programs are adapted each year based on beneficiary needs. We continuously update course materials and curriculum in line with current trends. Tablet distribution will continue, ensuring more students have access to digital learning.
We are placing greater emphasis on STEM education, particularly during summer camps and mentoring sessions, to help girls overcome their fear of science and recognize their potential.
Activities like debates, declamations, news reading, and quizzes remain at the core of our model. We’ve also launched a Communication in English program for students from Class 6 onwards to enhance language skills.
The Skill Development Centre will continue to train women in income-generating skills. A new batch of around 70 women will be inducted this year, while the previous cohort will move toward entrepreneurship training.
Mental health will remain a key focus area this year, for both students and women, to ensure holistic well-being.
We will also continue to expand our reach through implementation partners. Our recent partner, Computer Shiksha, is providing computer literacy to 1.2 lakh students across India.
What Newgen CSR is doing is just a drop in the ocean, but every drop counts. We remain committed to scaling our efforts, driven by the pressing need to support the social and economic advancement of our youth, with a special focus on empowering the girl child.
Priyadarshini Nigam’s commitment to CSR at Newgen exemplifies the transformative power of corporate responsibility.
Her vision not only enhances community welfare but also reinforces the idea that businesses can thrive while making a positive impact, paving the way for a more sustainable and equitable future.
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