Mumbai, August 26, 2025: Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, today launched “May A Million Buds Bloom”, a coffee table book that documents the journey and impact of Project Nanhi Kali, one of India’s largest CSR initiatives focused on girls’ education.
Established in 1996 by Anand Mahindra, Project Nanhi Kali is jointly managed by K.C. Mahindra Education Trust and Naandi Foundation. Since its inception, the project has reached nearly nine lakh underprivileged girls across 15 states, with initiatives spanning from rural Maharashtra and the tribal Araku hills in Andhra Pradesh to urban centres like Varanasi. The programme aims to impact one million girls by the end of FY 2026.
Speaking at the launch, Anand Mahindra said, “Our endeavour to empower underprivileged girls through academic support, sports, technology and now skill training is a testament of how Project Nanhi Kali has evolved with changing times. The book ‘May A Million Buds Bloom’, through a combination of storytelling and visual art, offers readers a thought provoking and soul stirring glimpse into what change looks like beyond mere numbers.”
The book, authored by student and photographer Nitya Manoj Kumar, brings together visual and oral narratives collected over three summers spent documenting the lives of Nanhi Kalis across India. Kumar said, “This book focusses on the lived experiences of the girls whose lives have been touched by Nanhi Kali. The stories captured here speak of confidence, hope and transformation. These are changes that cannot always be measured but are deeply felt.”
Over the years, the initiative has expanded from after-school academic support to offering 21st-century skills, digital literacy, financial education, and sports opportunities. Its sports curriculum has created platforms like the Toofaan Games and Toofaan Cup, with over 150,000 girls participating in athletics and 1,000 football teams formed, making it the largest girls’ sports club in India.
Highlighting the programme’s long-term impact, Rohini Mukherjee, Chief of Global Partnerships at Naandi Foundation, said, “For nearly three decades, Project Nanhi Kali has been committed to breaking down the barriers that prevent girls from accessing their right to education, their right to choose and contribute to the India growth story, and we are already seeing a difference.”
Sheetal Mehta, Executive Director of Project Nanhi Kali and Senior Vice President, CSR at Mahindra Group, added, “This coffee table book beautifully captures something we have always known – that the true impact of our work is not just in the number of girls enrolled, but in the confidence in their eyes, the pride in their achievements, and the dreams they now dare to dream. These portraits are a celebration of resilience, and a powerful affirmation of why we do what we do.”
With over 7,600 government schools engaged and more than 18,000 local women tutors, the programme continues to expand its reach, covering rural (70%), urban (22%), and tribal (8%) populations.
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