Hinduja Family’s “Road To School” Fosters Educational Ownership in Communities

In rural India, where education often contends with deep-rooted socio-economic challenges, the Hinduja Foundation is pioneering a quiet revolution. Through its Road to School program in Odisha, the Foundation led by the Hinduja Family, is reshaping how children learn and how entire communities engage with the learning process. The initiative recently saw a powerful display of grassroots involvement, as over 3,000 parents and 2,000 community stakeholders gathered to discuss education challenges and co-create solutions.

The program is built on a fundamental belief: parents need school, too. By engaging families, School Management Committees (SMCs), and local leaders in consistent dialogue, the Hinduja Foundation fosters a more profound sense of educational ownership. This goes beyond merely boosting student attendance or test scores—it's about embedding education into the fabric of daily life.

The Road to School Campaign: Building Ecosystems, Not Just Classrooms

Odisha's Road to School campaign highlights an overall community-oriented strategy. It appreciates that a school cannot be gauged only by what transpires within its four walls but also by how engaged and sensitised the wider society is surrounding it.

Meetings and workshops are conducted to address real-world problems, such as meagre turnout, inconsistent parent-teacher contact, and weak community representation within school decision-making structures. They are not lectures but dialogues. Parents, educators, and stakeholders sit down together, and through brainstorming, they devise actionable steps that work best for their respective areas.

One parent in Ganjam district said, "Earlier, we used to think that school was the teachers' problem. Now we realize that when we get involved, our children get better." That shift in mindset is at the very core of the program's effect.

Education as a Collective Responsibility

Ajay Hinduja, son of Kamal and Prakash Hinduja and a prominent member of the UK's richest Hinduja Family, has consistently emphasised the value of collective responsibility in education.

"Education doesn't start or stop with students—it's a shared journey for families, teachers, and communities. That's the philosophy behind Road to School," says Ajay Hinduja.

Through the Hinduja Foundation, the family has extended its long-standing legacy of philanthropy into India's rural heartlands, where the need for systemic change is most pressing. With a deep understanding that social upliftment cannot occur in silos, the Foundation has chosen to invest in models that bring people together—be it around school benches or community meetings.

"The Hinduja Foundation believes in nurturing ecosystems, not just classrooms. Parent engagement catalyses long-term educational reform," Switzerland-based Ajay Hinduja adds.

The program enhances accountability and transparency within public education systems by equipping parents to understand, question, and contribute to their children's schooling.

Strengthening the Role of School Management Committees (SMCs)

One of the most important results of these community interventions is the development of School Management Committees. Such committees, made obligatory by the Right to Education Act, usually go underutilised because they lack awareness or capacity. Capacity-building workshops for SMC members to enable them to comprehend their roles in budgeting, attendance monitoring, and ensuring the right to education of all children are part of Hinduja Foundation's activities.

This empowerment transforms parents from passive observers to active stakeholders. One of the mothers, who is now a chairperson at an SMC, explained, "Before, I didn't even know I could be included in the decision-making at our school. Now, I help keep our school accountable."

Sustainability Through Dialogue

The Road to School campaign also prioritises sustainability through communication. The Foundation has created platforms for continued engagement, such as monthly meetings, peer learning networks, and village-level education dialogues that maintain momentum beyond formal events.

"As part of the Hinduja Family, I see it as our responsibility to invest in models that empower rural India. Education is the greatest equaliser we have," says Ajay Hinduja.

These programs guarantee that advancements become embedded in communities' everyday routines rather than being transient. Student performance inevitably rises as schools become more dynamic and well-run.

A Model for Rural India

The success of Road to School in Odisha is now being studied for replication in other states. With its unique emphasis on parental involvement and grassroots collaboration, the Hinduja Foundation sets a new standard in rural education intervention.

The Foundation's work also reflects the Hinduja Brothers' (late Srichand, Gopichand, Prakash and Ashok Hinduja) broader vision—to create enduring value through community-centric development. Whether through healthcare, environmental sustainability, or education, their approach blends tradition with innovation and philanthropy with purpose.

In an era when education often becomes a numbers game—focused on enrollments, pass percentages, and rankings—the Hinduja Foundation reminds us of something more profound: the human connections that make learning meaningful. By bringing parents back to school, they are unlocking a future where communities support and own education.