NITI Aayog, UNICEF India Partner to Strengthen Nutrition and Health in Aspirational Regions

In a move aimed at improving maternal and child nutrition outcomes, NITI Aayog and UNICEF India have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to collaborate on strategic interventions in Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks across the country.

The agreement was signed by Rohit Kumar, Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme at NITI Aayog, and Arjan de Wagt, Deputy Representative of UNICEF India.

Focus on Underserved Regions

The partnership seeks to strengthen nutrition and health interventions in underserved areas by combining the institutional strengths of NITI Aayog and UNICEF.

The initiative will focus on improving maternal and child nutrition, enhancing service delivery systems and promoting multi-stakeholder engagement at the block level.

Rohit Kumar noted that the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme has already demonstrated the impact of convergence, collaboration and data-driven governance in accelerating development outcomes.

He said partnerships with organisations like UNICEF can further strengthen efforts to address critical health and nutrition challenges, particularly in high-priority regions.

Role of UNICEF's IMPAct4Nutrition Platform

As part of the collaboration, UNICEF India will leverage the IMPAct4Nutrition (I4N) platform to provide technical expertise and engage businesses, public sector enterprises and industry associations.

Through this platform, corporate social responsibility (CSR) investments will be directed toward nutrition-focused initiatives.

Key Areas of Collaboration

The partnership will focus on several priority areas, including:

• Strengthening Anganwadi infrastructure

• Promoting nutrition awareness and literacy

• Improving the uptake of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)

• Building the capacity of frontline health and nutrition workers

Mobilising Partnerships and Best Practices

Key activities under the initiative will include:

• Mobilising CSR partners to support health and nutrition programmes

• Encouraging community engagement in nutrition initiatives

• Supporting knowledge-sharing platforms to identify and scale best practices across Aspirational Districts and Blocks

Commitment to Better Nutrition Outcomes

The Statement of Intent reflects a shared commitment between NITI Aayog and UNICEF India to improve health and nutrition outcomes through coordinated action.

Officials said the collaboration will promote evidence-based strategies, stronger partnerships and enhanced last-mile delivery of services, helping accelerate progress in some of India's most vulnerable regions.