In the heart of Maharashtra’s tribal interiors, Tata Motors has embarked on a transformative mission—the One Million Plantation initiative. This ambitious project aims to sow saplings of hope for local communities in the Palghar district. To date 1.5 million fruit and forest saplings have taken root, covering 13,000 acres across eight blocks, breathing life into once-barren land.
Tata Motors supports sapling costs through a collaborative model, with BAIF Institute for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development (BISLD) providing technical support and training, and the government funding a significant portion through MNREGs for aftercare of saplings. The wages are directly transferred to the farmer’s account, which depends on the survival rate of the saplings.
The company plans to plant an additional one million trees within the next three months to preserve biodiversity and alleviate distressed farmer migration. Vinod Kulkarni, CSR Head at Tata Motors, said, “The One Million Plantation initiative can be viewed as a twin-pronged strategy – to strengthen our economy and ecosystems – by nurturing both the land and the lives.”As part of the Integrated Village Development Programme (IVDP), Tata Motors’ initiative not only curbs distress migration but also generates income for local communities by providing sustainable income; leveraging MNREGs scheme for sapling aftercare, and later through the produce sales.
