Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil, launched Phase V of ‘Parivartan- Prison to Pride’ and Phase-II of ‘Nayi Disha - Smile for Juvenile’, in the presence of top international IndianOil sportspersons and prison authorities. Phase V of Parivartan will reach out to 7 prisons and Phase II of Nayi Disha will cover 18 children homes covering around 1000 participants covering 17 states.

Inaugurating the next phases of the unique social stewardship programme, Chairman, IndianOil, said, “We are extremely proud of this ‘beyond business’ intervention. Going beyond the physical and mental well-being, it aims for a positive transformation in the lives of prison inmates and juveniles, through sports. Sports has been successful in instilling discipline, teamwork and perseverance and giving a purpose. In fact, the various global recognitions that we have received so far for this endeavour, strengthen our resolve to push the envelope further to make a tangible impact.”

Elaborating on ‘Nayi Disha’, specially tailored for the young inmates in juvenile homes, Vaidya said, “We realize that the formative years are vital and have thus chalked out this initiative to help steer the youth towards a trajectory of positive growth. By coaching them in various sports, we hope to channelize their energies constructively, instilling discipline, resilience, and self-confidence.”

Vaidya also thanked the various prison and government authorities for their contribution and participation in this mission. “Embodying our core value of Care, ‘Parivartan’ and ‘Nayi Disha’ have reached out to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of the society - prison inmates and add joy and health to their lives by inducting them into sports. I am thankful to the various prison authorities and government representatives for joining us in our endeavour build a better life for inmates,” he added.

The participating state government & prison authorities thanked IndianOil for this unique intervention that will help prison inmates and juveniles build a better life and develop a strong, intellectual, and strategic control.

The Phase-I of the Parivartan- Prison to Pride initiative was launched on August 15, 2021, coinciding with India's 75th Year of Independence celebrations known as Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav. Since its inception, the initiative has covered 51 prisons spanning 21 states and five Union Territories, coaching over 2900 inmates in the last four phases.

The Corporation had also launched the first phase of Nayi Disha - Smile for Juvenile on January 26, 2023. This phase focused on coaching inmates in Badminton, Volleyball, Chess, and Carrom at three juvenile observation homes covering 135 inmates. The initiative not only offers coaching facilities but also provides equipment and kits to the participants.

IndianOil's flagship outreach program for jail inmates has gained global recognition for its social impact. The initiative received the SportstarAces Chairperson Award 2023 for sports for social good and the prestigious Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards for Thought Leadership. It was also acknowledged by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) during the Chess Olympiad 2022 in Chennai.

IndianOil, in association with various State prison departments, has also developed Retail Outlets at 44 plus locations across the country which are mostly manned by inmates and ex-inmates. These outlets have set the benchmark of quality and quantities at the highest level of service standards and have gained immense customer confidence / satisfaction, besides earning huge revenue.