WHEELS India Niswarth (WIN) Foundation Hosts Inauguration - WHEELS Global Foundation

WHEELS India Niswarth (WIN) Foundation Hosts Inauguration Following
$2 Million Donation from the Niswarth International Foundation

WIN to Fund Research and Innovation for Water Quality and Sanitation and Maternal and Child Health issues

Reston, VA – January 25, 2018 – On Tuesday, January 30^th, local and international dignitaries, will come together to inaugurate a newly formed 501(c)3: the WHEELS India Niswarth (WIN) Foundation (www.winfoundations.org) . The event is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. with a tour of the facility, followed by a panel discussion on Maternal & Child Health and Water & Sanitation issues at the Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar. The main event is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. at the WIN Foundation’s main office located at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) Research Park.

The Foundation’s activities will focus on two tracks: Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) and Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and will be housed at the campuses of IIT Gandhinagar (IITGN) and the Indian Institute of Public Health – Gandhinagar (IIPHG) respectively. The WATSAN program will focus on developing new, cost-effective ways to treat water, reduce water contamination in rivers, and work to improve policies related to drinking water. The WATSAN program will work toward finding the most cost-effective method to bring clean drinking water to rural communities and will work with international governing bodies to form public-private partnerships. It will also champion and develop water purification devices that will bring clean drinking water to rural communities by using technologies such as slow sand filters. Finally, the WATSAN program will research ways to reduce the costs of delivering potable water, applying technologies such as; reverse osmosis and desalination.

A generous donation of $2 million was made by the Niswarth International Foundation, a charitable vehicle for Mr. Chirag Patel, co-CEO and chairman, of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, and his family, to find new ways to improve water quality and health outcomes for mothers and children. At the announcement of the donation, Mr. Patel said, “Our vision is that the WIN Foundation will serve as an India-based incubator for technology-based ideas that can be tested and put into action to improve the daily lives of people living in underdeveloped areas around the world.”           

The MCH program will house a research lab that will focus on priorities such as prevention, diagnoses, using data analytics, and the use of women’s self-help groups to deliver messages.  The program will support a field testing site to analyze public health interventions in a community setting. Additionally, the MCH program will serve as a hub to link together resources for improving health outcomes for women and children and serve as an evidence-based testing facility to advise policymakers.

After official remarks, Chairman of WHEELS Global Foundation (WGF) Rajat Gupta will moderate a panel discussion featuring Dr. Thakor Patel from The Sevak Foundation, Mr. Ruyintan (Ron) Mehta, the Co-Director for the “water” track of WGF, and Dr. Kranti Vora, the newly appointed Director for Maternal and Child Health (MCH) at the WIN Foundation. The panel will also be joined by the Director of IIPHG, Dr. Dileep Mavalankar.

The formal inauguration will be held at IIT Gandhinagar starting with high tea and concluding with an address by Mr. Chirag Patel on his commitment to giving back to India and the goals for the WIN Foundation.

About WHEELS Global Foundation (WGF): Founded by the alumni of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) WHEELS Global Foundation (WGF) is an independent 501c3, a non-profit organization that is a pioneer in applying technology to provide solutions to issues related to water, health, energy, education, livelihood, and sustainability. The organization partners with other national and international NGOs and non-profit organizations, working in collaboration to aid a larger rural population globally. Visit: www.WHEELSGlobal.org

About Niswarth International Foundation: Niswarth International Foundation is a 501c3, non-profit organization that focuses on providing solutions to issues related to maternal and child health, water and sanitation, education, and general hygiene in India, with the intention to expand in underprivileged countries globally. The foundation also provides education to women on the importance of nutrition during pregnancy, including early childhood development; from newborn to age five. Visit: www.NiswarthFoundation.org
www.winfoundations.org