In a significant step towards improving public health outcomes, the Aarogyasampanna programme by Tata Motors Foundation has achieved an impressive 85 percent reduction in severe and moderate child malnutrition across marginalised settlements in the Mumbai region. The initiative has positively impacted over 1,000 children in FY 2025–26, particularly in areas like Chembur and Vashinaka, where access to healthcare remains limited.
Implemented in some of the most vulnerable urban pockets of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the programme highlights the power of sustained, community-based interventions in addressing deep-rooted health challenges. Developed in partnership with Nirmaya Foundation, Aarogyasampanna focuses on improving maternal and child health while encouraging long-term behavioural change within communities.
Since its launch in 2021, the initiative has extended its reach to more than one lakh households, many of which are inhabited by migrant families facing unstable incomes and limited access to quality healthcare services. In areas like Chembur, where densely populated neighbourhoods often struggle with basic health awareness, the programme has addressed critical issues affecting newborns and young mothers.
Lack of awareness around proper infant care has historically led to unsafe practices, such as irregular breastfeeding and feeding sugar water to newborns. Aarogyasampanna has worked to bridge these gaps by promoting safe and informed healthcare practices among mothers and caregivers. The programme adopts a preventive and community-centric approach, combining one-on-one counselling with group sessions focused on child nutrition, antenatal care, and postnatal health.
In addition to awareness-building, the initiative strengthens last-mile healthcare delivery. It organises children’s outpatient clinics, establishes community health libraries, and actively connects families with government healthcare systems. These efforts ensure that beneficiaries not only receive immediate support but also become part of a sustainable healthcare ecosystem.
The impact of Aarogyasampanna extends beyond child health. In the current year alone, the programme has reached nearly 10,000 community members through healthcare camps and nutrition-focused interventions. It encourages pregnant women to enrol in government health schemes and ensures that partially immunised children are guided towards complete immunisation.
A key strength of the programme lies in its Peer Group Development model, which trains community-based leaders to raise awareness and foster a sense of ownership among residents. By empowering local individuals, the initiative ensures that health awareness and positive practices continue even beyond direct intervention.
Commenting on the initiative, Vinod Kulkarni, CEO of Tata Motors Foundation, emphasised that urban health challenges are deeply interconnected, involving issues of nutrition, access, and awareness. He noted that Aarogyasampanna was designed to address these challenges holistically by combining community engagement with collaboration across public healthcare systems.
The success of Aarogyasampanna in regions like Trombay and Vashi demonstrates that meaningful behavioural change is possible when interventions are consistent, localised, and community-driven. As cities continue to grapple with healthcare inequalities, such models offer a scalable blueprint for improving child nutrition and maternal health across India.
