Bhubaneswar: The Jindal Foundation, the social arm of Jindal Steel, has been awarded the prestigious CSR TIMES Award in the Gold Category for Sports Promotion.
Ms Jacqueline Mukangira, High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda to India, presented the award to Prashant Hota, President & Group Head (CSR) of Jindal Steel, at the 12th CSR Summit in New Delhi. Nguyen Thanh Hai, Ambassador – Embassy of the Republic of Vietnam to India; Dr Rashmi Singh, Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development; Maj Gen (Dr) Ramesh K Raina (RTD.), Director, Rashtriya Raksha University and Patron, Kakini Building Humanity; Prof. Bejon Mishra, Publisher and Editor, The Aware Consumer; and Air Marshal V.P.S. Rana, Jury Member, CSR Times Awards 2025, were present in the programme.
The award acknowledges the Foundation’s groundbreaking work in nurturing rural sporting talent and transforming the sports ecosystem through structured interventions in wushu, archery, football, cricket, kabaddi, hockey, kho-kho, and other disciplines.
Jindal Foundation’s approach to sports promotion goes beyond infrastructure—it focuses on holistic development, scouting grassroots talent, and providing professional training, nutrition, and mentorship. Over the past decade, the Foundation has developed sports academies and partnered with local communities to provide access to quality coaching in wushu, archery, cricket, kabaddi, kho-kho, hockey, football, and others.
Ms Shallu Jindal, Chairperson, Jindal Foundation, said, “We believe that every youth, regardless of geography, deserves a chance to shine. Sports is not just a platform for physical excellence—it is a powerful medium for empowerment, discipline, and community transformation. We dedicate this award to the relentless spirit of rural India’s youth who dream beyond boundaries.”
Receiving the award, Prashant Hota, President and Group Head, Jindal Steel, said, “Jindal Foundation, pursuing the vision of its iconic role model Naveen Jindal Ji and under the inspiring leadership of Ms Shallu Jindal, is making India future-ready to win the highest number of medals in the Olympics.”
Inspired by the vision of avid sports person Naveen Jindal, Member of Parliament and Chairman, Jindal Steel, the Foundation’s sports initiatives have already reached over 40,000 youth across Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and other regions. Alumni from its sports programmes are representing their states and the country in national and international tournaments, breaking stereotypes, and bringing hope to entire communities. Jindal Steel has supported the development of more than twenty playgrounds, three sporting complexes, and fifteen rural gyms. The Foundation also runs a sports hostel for tribal children at Barbil, Odisha. Several players from this hostel have won medals in national and international wushu tournaments.
