How Hilti India and India Is Us Created Lasting Impact Through School Chale Hum

How Hilti India and India Is Us Created Lasting Impact Through School Chale Hum

Introduction

Education has the power to change lives, but true learning extends beyond the classroom. It equips children with confidence, critical thinking, life skills, and the resources they need to shape their future.

Recognising this, Hilti India partnered with India Is Us (i2u Social Foundation) to launch School Chale Hum, a nationwide CSR initiative designed to strengthen government schools while empowering students through education, awareness, employee volunteering, and infrastructure development.

What began as an education-focused intervention evolved into a comprehensive school transformation programme that reached thousands of students across India over consecutive years.

The Challenge

Many students studying in government schools possess tremendous potential but often lack exposure to career guidance, life skills education, modern learning resources, and opportunities to interact with professionals.

Schools also face infrastructure limitations that affect the quality of learning.

Hilti India wanted to create a CSR initiative that went beyond donations by combining employee engagement with meaningful educational impact, while ensuring measurable outcomes for schools and students alike.

India Is Us designed and implemented a scalable model that could be replicated across multiple cities through its network of trusted NGO partners.

The Solution

School Chale Hum was developed as a holistic education programme built around four key pillars.

Student Development

Interactive classroom sessions helped students learn about:

• Career planning

• Child rights

• Substance abuse prevention

• Mental health

• Personal development

• Responsible citizenship

These sessions encouraged students to think beyond academics and prepare for future opportunities.

Employee Volunteering

Hilti employees became mentors, facilitators and role models.

Rather than simply participating in CSR events, they engaged directly with students through:

• Career counselling

• Motivational talks

• Quiz competitions

• STEM activities

• Street plays

• Creative workshops

This created authentic interactions that inspired students while giving employees an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to society.

Infrastructure Enhancement

As the programme evolved, the focus expanded from awareness sessions to strengthening school infrastructure.

Support included:

• Computer laboratories

• Projectors

• Laptops

• CCTV systems

• Educational wall paintings

• Classroom improvements

• Learning materials

These interventions ensured that the impact continued long after the events concluded.

Experiential Learning

School Chale Hum transformed learning into an engaging experience through activities including:

• STEM robot-building workshops

• General knowledge quizzes

• Nukkad Natak performances

• Wall painting

• Kulhad painting

• Student performances

• Group discussions

These activities promoted teamwork, creativity, confidence, and practical problem-solving.

Scaling Impact

Across 2024 and 2025, School Chale Hum expanded its reach across six cities:

• Ahmedabad

• Bengaluru

• Gurugram

• Hyderabad

• Kolkata

• Mumbai

Each location implemented a common framework while tailoring activities to local school requirements through trusted NGO partners coordinated by India Is Us.

Measurable Impact

2024

Students reached: 1,162

Hilti representatives engaged: 334

Key outcomes included:

• Career counselling

• Child rights awareness

• Substance abuse awareness

• Stationery distribution

• Quiz competitions

• Creative learning activities

• School infrastructure support including projectors and computer labs

2025

The programme expanded considerably.

Students reached: 1,430

Hilti employees engaged: 270

Highlights included:

• STEM robot-building workshops

• Mental health discussions

• Digital learning support

• Infrastructure enhancement

• Educational wall painting

• Laptop donations

• CCTV installation

• Projector donations

• Continued employee volunteering

Beyond Numbers

The most significant outcome wasn't simply the number of students reached.

The programme created sustainable value by:

• improving digital learning environments

• encouraging curiosity through STEM education

• increasing awareness of child rights and mental well-being

• supporting teachers with improved infrastructure

• strengthening school-community relationships

• enabling Hilti employees to become active contributors to social change

Schools benefited from lasting assets, while students gained practical knowledge, confidence, and motivation that extended beyond the classroom.

The Role of India Is Us

India Is Us served as the implementation partner responsible for planning, coordination, school engagement, NGO collaboration, programme execution, and impact monitoring.

Leveraging its nationwide network of verified NGOs, the organisation ensured consistent delivery while adapting activities to local community needs. This allowed Hilti India to implement a large-scale CSR programme with measurable outcomes across multiple states.

Conclusion

School Chale Hum demonstrates how corporate social responsibility can create lasting impact when it moves beyond one-day events and focuses on long-term partnerships.

Over two years, Hilti India and India Is Us transformed classrooms into spaces for exploration, dialogue, and innovation. By combining employee volunteering, educational support, life skills, and infrastructure development, the programme has empowered thousands of students while strengthening schools and communities across India.

As the initiative continues to evolve, it stands as a model for how collaborative CSR can deliver measurable outcomes that extend well beyond the duration of a single event.