Mphasis, a prominent Information Technology (IT) solutions provider specializing in cloud and cognitive services, is making significant strides in bridging the educational gap for students from low-income communities. Through strategic partnerships with various institutions and organizations, Mphasis is empowering students with essential technical education, inclusive infrastructure and fundamental skills, creating a pathway to unlock their untapped potential.
Notably, Mphasis has made a tangible impact on the lives of over 20,000 students through various comprehensive development initiatives, including providing holistic support and empowerment. Leveraging their technological expertise, Mphasis equips students with crucial digital skills, ensuring their readiness for the demands of the modern era such as data analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and even quantum technology research.
In an interview with TheCSRUniverse, Mr. Srikanth Karra, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), Mphasis, discusses Mphasis' multifaceted approach to educational empowerment. He emphasizes the importance of holistic support and education for underprivileged students, highlighting the company's efforts to enhance academic skills and socio-emotional development. He also touches upon aspects such as program success measurement, community engagement, scalability plans, and the organization's adaptive approach to meet changing educational and technological needs.
Read the full interview below to learn about Mphasis's commitment to inclusive education and positive societal change.
Q&A
Q. How is Mphasis effectively bridging the educational gap for students from low-income communities and empowering them with tech education and fundamental skills?
A. Our commitment to narrowing the educational divide for students from low-income communities has been unchanged since Mphasis' CSR wing was established in 2004. We firmly believe in the transformative potential of technology to uplift communities and foster a more sustainable future. Through targeted social interventions, particularly in the realm of education, we actively contribute to positive change in the lives of individuals, with a special focus on those grappling with socio-economic challenges.
To empower students with tech education, we have developed strategic partnerships with multiple educational institutions. For instance, collaborating with the Nudge Foundation has led to the implementation of the "Future Perfect" cloud-based skilling program and the Nudge ‘Gurukul’ initiative, a 100-day residential program providing holistic learning and support for underprivileged young women and men.
Over the past three years, this program has successfully trained approximately 600 students from less privileged backgrounds with pre-planned training cycles encompassing English language learning, digital literacy, and life skills for students from government and low-income private colleges.
Our collaborations extend beyond educational institutions, including partnerships with organizations such as the Akanksha Foundation, resulting in a lasting impact on more than 1,500 students from two schools, boasting a 100% retention and passing rate.
Additionally, our collaboration with SOS Children's Villages has also helped aid less-privileged students with their educational needs. As a pioneer in technological innovation, our commitment to education is facilitated through technological advancements, promoting accessibility and contributing to a more inclusive and equitable society. These collaborations underscore our ongoing commitment to making a tangible and lasting difference in society.
Q. How does Mphasis identify and select the communities or regions in which to focus its educational initiatives, and what criteria are considered when choosing partner institutions
A. To identify and select the communities or regions in which to focus educational initiatives, several criteria is considered. These include the socio-economic status of the community, demographics, geographical location, educational infrastructure, and local needs. When choosing partner institutions, we consider their capacity to deliver the expected outputs, including their ability to apply innovative strategies to meet our priorities and strategic direction in the most efficient and cost-effective manner. The implementing partner is chosen through proposals or recommendations. Interested organizations will submit information including legal status, mandate, established expertise in the relevant area, and proven track record. We will then undertake a screening of the applicants, and those meeting our requirements will be placed on a short list of potential implementing partners. Existing partners are also thoroughly re-assessed through quarterly reports and monthly status calls.
As front-runners in technology-led solutions, Mphasis' corporate social responsibility (CSR) works for socially excluded and economically disadvantaged groups through disruptive and tech-based solutions in the areas of education (improving learning outcomes), livelihood (improving employability and income generation), inclusion (empowering people belonging to the target group) and sustainability (engineering climate sustainability). We have partnered with higher educational institutes to work on fundamental and applied research, we have developed programs with IIT-M, IIIT-B, etc. Within this, we aid scholarships to students in need.
We identify partners who have expertise in pedagogy like Akanksha in socio-economic well-being; they have experience working with local state governments and hence complement our strengths. We also try to align with partners who are open to innovatively harness the power of technology for good.
Q. Could you provide specific examples of how Mphasis is contributing to accessible and inclusive infrastructure in the education sector, particularly through its partnership with Plaksha University?
A. At Mphasis, we are dedicated to driving impactful change through strategic partnerships in education and skilling. Education is not just a means of empowerment; it's a catalyst for societal progress. Our collaboration with Plaksha University, founded in 2021 with the Reimagining Higher Education Foundation (RHEF), reflects our commitment to accessible and inclusive education infrastructure.
One of our primary areas of focus has been ensuring the accessibility of the campus itself. We have made significant investments to create a physical environment that caters to the diverse needs of all students. Ramps and strategically placed railings have been incorporated across the campus to enhance mobility and navigation, ensuring that every student, regardless of their physical abilities, can move around comfortably.
Moreover, our dedication extends to providing scholarships to students in need, breaking down financial barriers to higher education, and fostering a diverse and inclusive student body. Furthermore, we have invested substantially in research facilities at the campus, particularly in AI and machine learning. These cutting-edge facilities not only support academic pursuits but also drive innovation and knowledge creation.
As of today, the outcomes of our partnership with Plaksha University have been truly remarkable. We have reimagined undergraduate education with an interdisciplinary curriculum that prepares students for the challenges of the future. Plaksha University has also actively fostered global partnerships, enriching students' academic experiences and research opportunities.
Our scholarship program has empowered students, leading to remarkable career outcomes. Notably, Vaishnavi Jaiswal, one of the scholars, was honored with the Diana Award in 2022, impacting over 55,000 students across 45 countries. She is a dedicated activist, focused on promoting gender equality and providing education for all through her nonprofit 'Salubrious,' which has offered educational courses, vocational training, and workshops to empower them to pursue their dreams. Noyonica Chatterjee, another Mphasis scholar, was selected as the Program Coordinator for the prestigious Millennium Campus Network under the United Nations Academic Impact. Additionally, Rashmi Nagpal, yet another Mphasis scholar, stood out as the only Indian woman selected for the Silicon Valley Internship Program in 2020.
These are just a few examples of the impact that our partnership with Plaksha University had on the lives of students. We are grateful that this partnership has made a positive contribution to building a more accessible and inclusive education system in the country.
Q. In your collaboration with Akanksha Foundation, what strategies have been most effective in enhancing the academic skills and socio-emotional development of children from low-income backgrounds?
A. In our collaboration with the Akanksha Foundation, the objective was to defy the commonly held notion that private schools provide significantly higher-quality education compared to government schools. Mphasis partnered with the foundation to demonstrate that students from low-income communities can excel in their academic skills and benefit from socio-emotional development.
Approximately 1,500 school children associated with the Akanksha Foundation were chosen for a program that leveraged technology to focus on the curriculum and a proprietary play-based learning methodology. Some of the noteworthy strategies that yielded positive outcomes include:
· Activity Clubs for Student Well-being: Implemented activity clubs emphasizing turnaround time, collaborative art, and games, contributing to the development of students through mindfulness. The clubs revolved around the 4Cs: collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication, with 42% of students consciously choosing activity clubs as their most preferred school activity.
· Blended Learning during COVID: In response to the challenges posed by COVID-19, introduced blended learning to prevent learning loss. The approach involved remedial teaching with a focus on numeracy and literacy skills, incorporating technology. Socio-emotional calls and Ethical (SEE) learning addressed emotional well-being, while Quality Circle Time (QCT) guided by the school counselor helped students acknowledge and express their emotions. It was found that over 90% of students continued their learning through WhatsApp worksheets and Zoom meetings.
· Community Engagement: Established community engagement to foster regular meetings with the school's social worker, addressing topics such as personal safety and nutrition. The focus extended beyond students to include their families, with the teachers being actively involved through home visits during the beginning of the academic year to build rapport with parents, understand challenges, and support overall student growth.
These strategies, implemented in collaboration with the Akanksha Foundation, played a pivotal role in enabling students to excel in core academic skills and fostering socio-emotional development.
Q. Can you elaborate on Mphasis' partnership with The/Nudge Foundation and how it supports incubation and accelerator programs for social innovation?
A. The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation is an impact stream at The/Nudge Institute, launched in 2017 to “nudge and nurture top talent to solve India’s toughest development challenges”. The incubator and accelerator program offers hands-on support to early-stage nonprofit founders through grants, deep mentoring by The/Nudge CSI Partners, and access to our network of potential supporters.
Program Highlights:
· 85+ nonprofits incubated and 7.8x funds raised one year after the incubation period and 16+ nonprofits in accelerator and 7.2x funds raised one year after the acceleration period.
· >9 NPS (Net Promoter Score) across cohorts
· 20+ global awards and recognitions won by the entrepreneurs/organizations by institutions such as MIT, Pierre Faber Foundation, Forbes 30 under 30, Ashoka Fellowship, Fast Company, World Innovation Congress and NASSCOM
· Funding and government partnerships unlocked to scale their work and reach over 16 million individuals across the country.
Our current partnership with The/Nudge has:
· Successfully incubated 14 organizations and supported 7 accelerator organizations.
· Supporting 9 organizations in ongoing incubation/acceleration cohorts, with plans to confirm support for an additional 5 organizations by the 1st week of November.
· Launched the Indian Administrative Fellows of Cohort 2 in Karnataka, with exclusive support from Mphasis.
Apart from the incubation and acceleration program, Mphasis F1 Foundation entered into a partnership with The/Nudge Centre for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (CSDE) to support Future Perfect. The partnership aimed to crack employability for the formal workforce at scale through innovation. Mphasis was one of the first partners to support the online-led model for enabling underprivileged youth come out of poverty and has been an anchor partner since.
Program design:
The Future Perfect design revolves around employability skills (English and 21st century skills), access to employment opportunities and lifelong support to stay employed:
· Youth are empowered to be job-ready for the service sector through English communication and 21st-century skills (life skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, career awareness, workplace and interview etiquette, personality development). These skills are delivered over 240 hours spread across 16 weeks, run entirely on digital platforms to circumvent mobility restrictions and enhance reach significantly.
· While the core program curriculum and content is designed in alignment with employer expectations and requirements, the program also uses behavioral nudges such as a virtual currency and a rewards and recognition system to encourage professional behaviors and good workplace habits.
Q. How does Mphasis measure the success of its partnerships and initiatives in terms of long-term outcomes for students, such as career advancement and continued educational achievement?
A. To measure the success of partnerships and initiatives in terms of long-term outcomes for students, such as career advancement and continued educational achievement, it is important to establish meaningful measures that can be used to track progress and assess the impact of these programs. In most of our training programs, we build in placement/internship support (eg future perfect, magic bus). We track placements, and enrollment into higher studies programs through partners for an established period of time.
· We set goals that are easy to achieve and measurable, and then design a meaningful process to achieve the goal.
· We expect our partners to submit quarterly reports to show progress and implementation.
· We also measure the value of a strategic partnership by assessing the success of the partner program for example, long-term partner relationships can produce great outcomes but require a significant investment of time, money, and other valuable resources.
· We ensure we build engagement and alignment on both sides of partnerships by creating a process stage by stage.
One of our partners, Akanksha Foundation, aims to guide and support students through their journey while in school and after school through The Alumni Support and Engagement Program. We are aware that a graduation degree provides students with various opportunities, but that alone does not equip a student to face life’s challenges. Their alumni support program paves a path for students to embark on their journey through college and help them to make informed life choices and lead empowered lives. Currently, the program covers over 4000 alumni.
Q. Beyond the direct beneficiaries, how does Mphasis engage with the local communities and stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability and impact of its educational programs
A. Engaging with local communities and stakeholders is a critical aspect of ensuring the long-term sustainability and impact of educational programs. We at Mphasis, ensure people have access to skill-building and career opportunities that provide benefits, opportunity for increased wages, career advancement, and more. We work with organizations that work towards the financial stability of every person in every community by bringing together individuals, communities, and organizations to improve lives across India by giving, advocating, and volunteering.
Q. Are there any plans to scale up or expand these educational initiatives to reach even more students and communities in the future? If so, what is the strategic approach for this expansion?
A. At Mphasis we have always believed that Science and Technology are the best tools we can use to build the lives of youth. We have partnered with IIT Madras to setup Mphasis Centre for Quantum Information Communications and Computing (MCQuICC) to enable fundamental and applied research in quantum technologies that address real-world business and societal challenges.
The centre enables the development and attraction of talent to the quantum ecosystem. Apart from this we have collaborated with Ashoka University to open a Laboratory for machine learning and computational thinking that aims to apply ML and design thinking to produce world-class papers, and compelling proof of concepts for systems/prototypes with a potential for large societal impact.
Our long-term partner, Akanksha Foundation provides high-quality education to children from low-income communities, enabling them to excel in core academic skills and assisting their socio-emotional development. We have just signed a partnership with VigyanShaala to enable the innovators of tomorrow to achieve their dreams by bringing science, technology, and learning to their doorstep today. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to create a better world through science. Program ‘Kalpana’ envisions creating a self-sustaining and uplifting community of women in STEM, where underrepresented young girls find relatable mentors to guide them in their scientific quest and facilitate in breaking traditional access barriers.
We leverage a data-driven approach to identify key barriers and partner with organizations that facilitate bridging the gaps and enable mentoring and nurturing. We identify and support innovative programs that use edtech and assistive tech. Our strategic approach would be to identify models of success and then support the same models in different states/aspirational districts.
Q. In light of the changing landscape of technology and education, how does Mphasis adapt its programs and collaborations to stay relevant and meet the evolving needs of students and the industry?
A. In light of the changing landscape of technology and education, we recognize the dynamic nature of these fields and have taken proactive measures to adapt our programs and collaborations to stay relevant while meeting the evolving needs of students and the industry. We understand the importance of keeping pace with industry trends and emerging technologies to ensure that our educational initiatives align with the demands of the workforce.
Our strategic partnerships aim to leverage technology to drive positive change across various educational domains. Notably, we have established multiple Centers of Excellence (CoE) in collaboration with academic institutions. These CoEs serve as hubs for cutting-edge research and development, where students are given access to the latest advancements in technology, including Quantum Computing and Machine Learning. Our vision is to make these resources readily available, to accelerate the adoption and understanding of these transformative technologies. By providing students with access to these centers, we empower them to be at the forefront of technological innovation and contribute to a brighter and more technologically advanced future.
Additionally, we offer scholarships for higher education, empowering talented individuals who may lack the financial means to pursue their aspirations. These initiatives adapt to the evolving needs of students and the industry, ensuring that our efforts remain impactful and relevant.
Q. The support provided by Mphasis to SOS Children's Village India through the 'VIDYA' project is commendable. Could you share some success stories or outcomes achieved through this initiative?
A. In line with SOS Children's Village India's commitment to supporting parentless and abandoned children while strengthening families and communities, we at Mphasis extended our support to a total of 300 children through the 'VIDYA' project. The project covered essential expenses such as admission fees, school fees, transport, books, uniforms, and other essentials.
Our efforts have been rewarded with heartwarming success stories and outcomes that inspire us greatly. One such remarkable story is that of Priya, a 16-year-old girl who became a part of the SOS Children's Village in Thrissur in 2014.
Priya's journey has been characterized by her likable personality and her profound affection and respect for her SOS mother and siblings. She quickly embraced the love and care she received from her SOS family and the entire village. Her dedication shone through in her commitment to both her studies and assisting her SOS mother with household chores. She took pride in maintaining a clean and organized home and generously shared her belongings with her siblings.
In terms of her academics, Priya consistently excelled in her studies, securing impressive grades in her previous examinations. It is heartening to see that we were fortunate to play a role in her educational journey by providing valuable coaching assistance for all subjects, which significantly contributed to her academic achievements. The results of this tutoring support were truly remarkable, as Priya consistently performed well in her exams.
These outcomes affirm our belief in the power of collaborative initiatives to make a transformative impact on the lives of children. We remain committed to providing educational support and a nurturing environment to empower these children, enabling them to pursue their dreams and secure a brighter future.
Q. To quantify the impact of Mphasis' CSR efforts, could you share some key statistics or numbers, such as the total number of students benefited, the percentage increase in employability, or any other relevant metrics that highlight the tangible outcomes of these initiatives?
A. On the community investment front, Mphasis has dedicated over 320 million towards impactful social projects. This contribution has catalyzed positive outcomes in critical areas such as education, livelihood creation, and equitable development.
Moreover, our CSR collaborations with organizations like the United Way of Bengaluru and educational institutions such as the Nudge Foundation, Akanksha Foundation, and SOS Children's Village India have yielded substantial results. Through these collaborations, Mphasis has positively impacted the lives of over 20,000+ students from low-income communities. Notably, our employees have volunteered over 1500 hours, actively mentoring, and educating these children in diverse areas, including skill development, socio-emotional growth, and communication skills enhancement. This reflects the embodiment of our commitment to making a lasting and meaningful difference in the communities we serve.
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