Bandhan Bank Limited

This program enables underprivileged children, especially girls, to start and sustain education in a supportive environment. Bandhan Education Centres offer free schooling, school kits, and focus on attendance, learning, and extracurriculars. Additionally, low-cost formal schools, Bandhan Academy and The Bandhan School, provide holistic education, emphasizing academic excellence and overall development. There are total 3,617 learning centres in 1,484 villages having 1,14,391 students.

This program promotes health awareness to reduce healthcare costs for underprivileged families. It focuses on young children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls, covering safe motherhood, child nutrition, and sanitation. Trained health volunteers, Swastha Sahayikas, educate villages through health forums. Key initiatives include health referrals, health kits, safe drinking water via treatment plants, kitchen gardening, rural health centers, and improved water and sanitation facilities. With presence in 6,070 villages with the support of 7,635 health volunteers 3,47,163 women are trained for safe motherhood practices benefiting 13,44,558 households so far in this programme.

This program tackles unemployment in India by setting up Bandhan Skill Development Centres (BSDC) to train unemployed youth in fields like sales, hospitality, IT-BPO, accounting, and appliance repair. Graduates pursue entrepreneurship or secure jobs with reputed companies. So far 11,402 candidates are placed by 18 Bandhan Skill Development Centres (BSDC).

This program promotes financial inclusion by fostering financial literacy in rural communities, especially among disadvantaged women. It empowers them to manage personal finances, access banking services, and utilize insurance and pension schemes, enabling a shift from sustenance to sustainable growth. Total 4,94,749 women are trained so far in 2,174 Villages of two states.

A pilot program was launched to support young entrepreneurs from economically weaker sections, enabling them to become job creators instead of job seekers. Bandhan-Konnagar selected 51 entrepreneurs (including 17 women) out of 113 candidates. Of these, 20 enterprises are MSME-registered, 16 are DIC-approved, and 16 have secured credit lines through financial institutions. There are 2 Incubation Centres in 4 districts and 138 Businesses Incubated.

Water Conservation
The water conservation initiative focuses on ensuring water security and drought-proofing in moisture-stressed regions of India. It supports agriculture and livestock-based livelihoods by empowering communities to manage local water resources. Key measures include constructing and maintaining water-harvesting structures, promoting efficient water use, crop planning, drought-resistant varieties, and cultivating water-efficient, high-value crops. These efforts enhance drought resilience, climate change adaptation, and income generation.

To date, Total 4,17,525 saplings planted and 555.50 Acres of area planted under Afforestation/Agroforestry, 50 water-harvesting structures across three states benefit over 1,500 families by supplying drinking water and enabling participatory irrigation. In 2023-24, 27 farm ponds with a storage capacity of 13,500 kilolitres were constructed, providing critical irrigation support.

Afforestation
Bank’s afforestation initiatives have helped establish a “Bio-shield” to protect mangroves in Bharuch, Gujarat, with 67,540 saplings planted across 20 hectares, sequestering 2,248 tonnes of CO2 annually. The project also created a fodder bank to reduce pressure on mangroves, generated 4,629 person-days of employment, and supported 9,123 beneficiaries through income from fodder and medicinal plants.

This year, agroforestry and mangrove plantations expanded with 82,238 saplings in West Bengal, bringing the cumulative total to 4,17,525 saplings across 41 districts in 7 states.