NITI Aayog, UNICEF India Sign Pact to Strengthen Nutrition and Health Outcomes in Aspirational Regions

The collaboration aims to improve maternal and child nutrition in Aspirational Districts and Blocks by strengthening programme implementation and mobilising CSR partnerships.

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India’s policy think tank NITI Aayog and UNICEF India have signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to strengthen nutrition and health outcomes in the country’s Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks, with a focus on underserved regions where development indicators continue to lag behind national averages.

The agreement was signed on March 5, 2026 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. The partnership is intended to support targeted efforts to improve maternal and child nutrition while strengthening implementation systems for health and nutrition programmes at the local level.

Focus on improving last-mile service delivery

Officials said the collaboration will emphasise improved delivery of nutrition and health services in high-priority regions and encourage greater coordination between public institutions, development organisations and private sector partners.

Rohit Kumar said the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme has demonstrated how convergence, collaboration and data-driven governance can accelerate development outcomes. He noted that partnerships with organisations such as UNICEF India would further strengthen efforts to address critical health and nutrition challenges while improving last-mile service delivery in priority districts and blocks.

CSR partnerships to support nutrition interventions

As part of the agreement, UNICEF India will provide technical support through its IMPAct4Nutrition (I4N) platform, which works with businesses, public sector enterprises and industry associations to improve nutrition outcomes.

Through this platform, the collaboration aims to mobilise corporate social responsibility (CSR) resources to support nutrition and health programmes in aspirational regions. The partnership is expected to help strengthen Anganwadi infrastructure, improve nutrition awareness, support the implementation of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and build the capacity of frontline health and nutrition workers.

Emphasis on knowledge sharing and community engagement

Officials said the partnership will also focus on promoting community participation and identifying best practices that can be scaled across different districts and blocks.

Arjan de Wagt, Deputy Representative of UNICEF India, said the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to improving child and maternal nutrition outcomes in vulnerable regions of the country. He added that partnerships across government institutions, development organisations and the private sector are essential to accelerate progress in addressing nutrition challenges.

The Statement of Intent marks a step toward strengthening cooperation between NITI Aayog and UNICEF India as part of broader efforts to improve health and nutrition outcomes in India’s most underserved districts and blocks.