The First National Changemakers’ Meet was organized from 04th to 07th September 2025 by The National Changemakers’ Meet Network, Banas Dairy, and India Foundation. The event brought together 51 changemakers representing 27 states across India, showcasing grassroots innovations and strategies for social transformation.

Svarnim Puducherry’s initiative Eco Thozhi – Women Empowerment through Livelihood using Water Hyacinth was recognized at the meet. The project empowers rural women by converting the invasive water hyacinth plant into eco-friendly handicraft products, creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, enhancing financial independence, and fostering social empowerment. Additionally, Eco Thozhi plays a crucial role in climate change mitigation and restoring ecological balance.

Sharing their experience, the Svarnim Puducherry team expressed:
“It was a privilege to present our work at this national platform and to learn from the experiences of other changemakers. This meet has opened new opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and expanding our efforts to other regions of India. We remain committed to scaling up Eco Thozhi, and through initiatives such as mental health and behavioural change programs, experiential science education, eco-campus models, water conservation, and low-cost innovations, we strive to create meaningful change at the grassroots and contribute to the nation’s journey towards Vixit Bharat 2047.”

The meet highlighted the impactful contributions of grassroots changemakers and built a strong support network to encourage collaborations, amplify efforts, and strengthen transformative initiatives across the country.