Hyderabad, November 14, 2026: The Confederation of Women Entrepreneurs of India (COWE INDIA) has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to pilot a self-sustaining, workplace-based childcare model for low-income families at two Aveksha day care centres in Telangana.
The pilot centres, located at Pashamailaram and Suraram, will implement a funding model that combines support from industry associations, corporate CSR contributions, and modest payments from parents. The initiative aims to ensure long-term financial sustainability for childcare services catering to working women from underprivileged backgrounds.
Collaboration launched in Hyderabad
The partnership was formally launched at the Aveksha centre in Pashamailaram, attended by Smt. Shruti Ojha, IAS, Special Secretary and Director, Women and Child Welfare and Social Welfare, and Managing Director, Women Development Corporation, Telangana; Mr. Jeya Chandran, Regional Head – Southern India, UNDP; and COWE INDIA Founder Directors Uma Ghurka and Madhu Tyagi, along with National President Neeraja Reddy. Industry representatives and parents were also present at the event, according to a press note issued by Uma Ghurka of COWE INDIA.
Smt. Shruti Ojha commended Aveksha’s role in providing reliable childcare that enables mothers to pursue employment. Mr. Jeya Chandran highlighted the collaboration between COWE INDIA, UNDP, and the government, as well as the use of technology to improve childcare services.
Funding model and services
The two pilot centres will test a shared funding framework, with industry associations supporting operations, corporate CSR partners providing resources, and parents making modest contributions made possible by their employment. Each centre will offer three nutritious meals daily and early learning education for children.
“A day care centre that depends entirely on grants survives only as long as the grant does. We want to demonstrate that centres serving low-income families can stand on their own feet, with industry, CSR and parents sharing the responsibility,” said Uma Ghurka, Founder Director, COWE INDIA. She added that parental contributions are meaningful because mothers are able to earn due to dependable childcare, creating a cycle of empowerment.
Technology and community contributions
The launch event also featured Sajag AI, a CCTV-based safety-alert system developed by Grade 10 students Shloak Bihani of CHIREC International School, Hyderabad, and Aryaman Taparia of Step By Step School, Noida. The system monitors CCTV feeds and sends SMS and email alerts with incident details and snapshots when it detects potentially unsafe situations. Trained staff review each alert before responding. Sajag AI has been successfully piloted at an Aveksha centre and is proposed for wider adoption across the network.
In addition, the DJ Group, made up of children aged 9 to 12, contributed ₹40,000 to Aveksha centres through a Kidspreneur initiative. The group had previously donated part of its earnings to the Gudlapochampally centre.
Aveksha network and expansion plans
Aveksha, COWE INDIA’s day care initiative for children of women industrial workers and underprivileged families, currently operates 18 centres across industrial clusters in Telangana, supported by SIDBI for operating costs and corporate CSR partners for infrastructure. The network is expected to surpass 20 centres shortly.
Each centre accommodates 20–30 children from 9 AM to 6 PM, providing free or highly subsidised childcare. The initiative has enabled hundreds of women, many for the first time, to take up employment. COWE INDIA plans to replicate the Aveksha model in other parts of India.
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