• Release short film to build awareness about the contribution of women famers to agriculture
• Highlight the role of Prerna in empowering women farmers

Mumbai, March 08, 2019: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd , part of the USD 20.7 billion Mahindra Group and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), a media and entertainment powerhouse today celebrated International Women’s Day with the release of a nationwide campaign on the Prerna initiative.

Designed to bring to light the challenges that women farmers face and empower them as change makers in agriculture, this campaign highlights how Prerna is a strong change catalyst. Conceived by Lowe Lintas and directed by National Award-winning director Paresh Mokashi, the story of this film is rendered through an innocent child and his mother who is a farmer.

Launched in October 2017, the Prerna initiative was shaped with the intention of transforming the lives of women farmers, providing them with a better social status and respect in society. The key constituents of the program include introduction of gender neutral farm tools for reducing farm drudgery, and dissemination of knowledge and capability for increasing farm productivity. The ultimate objective is to increase overall income, resulting in financial independence and empowerment for women farmers.

Link of the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKrxxwusuSQ&feature=youtu.be

Speaking on the campaign, Rajesh Jejurikar, President, Farm Equipment Sector, M&M Ltd. said, "Women farmers are the unsung heroes of our agricultural landscape. They carry a great part of the burden of their family, playing a multidimensional role, despite limited resources and restricted access to knowledge. Through Prerna, we aim to empower them with the necessary opportunities, training and equipment to be better skilled and more productive in farming operations. I am thankful to ZEE for their support in this unique initiative which aims to bring awareness about the role of women farmers through Prerna".

Punit Goenka, MD & CEO, ZEEL said, "Agriculture is one of the most important sectors for the Indian economy and in fact provides employment to almost 50% of the country’s workforce with women being at the forefront. There is an emerging need to recognise their contribution and to bring these women into the mainstream, empowering them with direct access to knowledge of improved agricultural practices. We at ZEE Entertainment are proud to join hands with Mahindra to launch Prerna – an initiative to recognize, appreciate and empower women farmers".

The first phase of Prerna was executed over the last 18 months, in over 40 villages in Odisha positively impacting the lives of over 2,000 women farmers. This phase was executed in partnership with the Central Institution for Women in Agriculture (CIWA), a department of the Government of India's Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the NGO Pradan (Professional Assistance for Development Action), with the introduction of 14 farm implements, reducing drudgery in farming operations.

Currently Prerna has forayed into 60 villages across the key states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka in partnership with the BAIF Institute for Sustainable Livelihoods and Development (BISLD) with the aim of empowering & reaching out to over 6,000 women farmers, as change makers in agriculture. The plan is to work closely with women farmers to improve agricultural practices, introduce farm mechanisation and facilitate peer learning among the women farmer community.

More about Prerna on www.prerna-bymahindra.com; @PrernaForWomen #HarmiPrerna on social media

About Mahindra

The Mahindra Group is a USD 20.7 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity, enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities. It has a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company, by volume. It also enjoys a strong presence in agribusiness, components, commercial vehicles, speedboats, consulting services, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, steel, aerospace, defence and two wheelers. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 240,000 people across 100 countries.

Learn more about Mahindra on www.mahindra.com / Twitter and Facebook: @MahindraRise

About Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL)

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) is a worldwide media brand offering entertainment content to diverse audiences. With a presence in over 173 countries and a reach of more than 1.3 billion people around the globe, ZEEL is among the largest global content companies across genres, languages, and platforms.

With its new brand ideology and purpose - "Extraordinary Together", ZEEL aspires to provide a unified brand experience and to delight consumers across the world by creating extraordinary entertainment and experiences that inspire to transcend the ordinary and become extraordinary.

ZEEL is present across broadcasting, movies, music, digital, live entertainment and theatre businesses, both within India and overseas. ZEEL has more than 260,000 hours of television content and houses the world's largest Hindi film library with rights to more than 4,800 movie titles across various languages. ZEEL has also produced several movies for theatrical release and is the fastest growing music label in India. It has presence in the digital space with ZEE5 and has also ventured into live events. More information about ZEE and its businesses is available on www.zeeentertainment.com.

Twitter  : ZEECorporate/Twitter.com
Facebook : ZEECorporate/Facebook.com
LinkedIn : Linkedin.com/Company/ZEECorporate

Media contact information:

Mahindra & Mahindra Limited
Mohan Nair
Vice President (Communications)
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
Office Direct Line: + 91 22 28468510
Office Email Address: [email protected]

Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd
Parag Darade / Chandni Mathur
Corporate Communications
Mobile: +91 9820085872 / +91 98924 41996
Office Email: [email protected] ;
[email protected]