Tata Group Leads Humanitarian Education Support Initiative with DIMO and ChildFund for Disaster-Affected Schoolchildren in Sri Lanka

The Tata Group, in partnership with ChildFund and DIMO, has successfully implemented a humanitarian education support initiative for disaster-affected schoolchildren in Sri Lanka, reaffirming its commitment to helping communities recover from the impacts of Cyclone Ditwah and the subsequent floods.

Following a formal request for support from Sri Lanka, an on-ground assessment was conducted in December 2025. Recognizing the urgent need, several Tata companies joined forces to implement the response program.

As part of this initiative, the ‘Hope in a Backpack’ programme, which provides disaster-affected children with essential educational supplies, was launched by the Tata Group at Taj Samudra, Colombo, in the presence of the Chief Guest, Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya; the Guest of Honour, Hon. Indian High Commissioner Mr. Santhosh Jha; Mr. Ranjith Pandithage, Chairman of DIMO; Mr. Chacko Thomas, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Tata Sons; and Ms. Aditi Ghosh, Country Director, ChildFund.

This initiative is part of DIMO’s Social and Community Pillar, under the project theme ‘Lassana Hetak,’ which focuses on giving the future generation a helping hand towards a better future.

This collective effort was further strengthened by volunteers from Tata and DIMO, who actively mobilized on the ground to pack, distribute, and support affected communities. During the proceedings, specially invited schoolchildren received the backpacks with essential supplies as well.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Ranjith Pandithage, Chairman of DIMO, said: “DIMO is proud to collaborate on this meaningful initiative alongside the Tata Group and ChildFund as the local implementation and logistics partner. Our relationship with Tata spans more than six decades and has been built on a shared commitment to ethical business practices, trust, and creating lasting value for the communities we serve. These values have shaped our partnership over the years, extending beyond business to initiatives that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. We are honoured to support this humanitarian effort, which helps children affected by disaster return to school with confidence while supporting the continued recovery of communities across Sri Lanka.” 

Mr. Chacko Thomas, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tata Sons, said: “At Tata, we believe that the community is not just another stakeholder in business, but the very purpose of its existence, a philosophy envisioned by our founder, Jamsetji Tata. Guided by this principle, we are honoured to support the people of Sri Lanka, especially children affected by Cyclone Ditwah, as they rebuild their lives. We hope that this initiative will significantly help communities move forward with confidence and renewed hope.”    

The district-wise distribution plan successfully reached its 27,000-student milestone by supporting over 8,000 students across 101 schools in Kandy, nearly 5,000 students across 54 schools in Nuwara Eliya, over 11,000 students across 77 schools in Badulla, alongside additional critical support in the Kegalle district.

This initiative underscores the shared commitment of the Tata Group, DIMO & ChildFund to ensuring educational continuity, protecting vulnerable communities, and contributing meaningfully to Sri Lanka’s ongoing recovery.

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About DIMO

DIMO is a leading diversified conglomerate in Sri Lanka. With its corporate purpose of fuelling dreams and aspirations of the communities it serves, DIMO is committed to creating value responsibly by building partnerships that last generations. Since its inception over eight decades ago, the company has been driven by perfect partnerships, having diversified into wide spectrums of sectors including Agriculture, Building Services, Construction, Education, Healthcare, Home & Garden, Industrial Solutions, Mobility, Power & Energy and Water & Fluid management. DIMO provides world-class solutions and represents the best-engineered brands in the world while adding value and convenience to the lifestyles of consumers in a responsible and ethical manner.