Home
Stories
A Voice of Her Own

A Voice of Her Own

16th May 2025

In the village of Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, now 15-year-old Nithya once lived in a world without words. She could not hear or see clearly. Hence, her early years were shaped by silence. Diagnosed with deafblindness before her first birthday, her attempts to engage with the world were marked by frustration. Nithya struggled without a special education teacher. She was isolated, misunderstood, and left behind.

A routine eye check-up in 2024 in Madurai became a life-altering moment for Nithya when a doctor referred the family to the National Charitable Trust. They are partners with Sense India, which runs the Sparsh Programme. Mukul Madhav Foundation is its keen supporter. The volunteers here finally acknowledged Nithya’s needs.

Through the Sparsh Centre’s direct service programme, Nithya was introduced to total communication, a personalised blend of touch cues, gestures, and symbols. Slowly, a new world opened up. She began recognising place names. She could identify vegetables on the family’s farm and read simple words. Each breakthrough was a quiet revolution. A child who was once unable to ask for water could now express her needs.

Her parents, who once believed specialised care was only for those in big cities, now saw their daughter blossoming. Through the programme, they gained access to essential government schemes. It helped ease the financial strain they had carried alone for years.

With the guidance of her special educator, Mrs Mahalakshmi, Nithya’s journey continues. She started her journey with acquiring sign language skills and is now preparing for her Class 10 exams. There are several charities supporting education and NGO success stories, but wholesome support has the power to transform lives.

Finding His Voice in Silence

Mrs. Ritu Prakash Chhabria honoured at the NRI World Summit 2022 held in the UK; accepts the esteemed Shiromani Award in recognition of her philanthropic initiatives

Managing Trustee of Mukul Madhav Foundation and Director of Finolex Industries Limited, Mrs. Ritu Prakash Chhabria, received the prestigious Shiromani Award from Mr. Manu Jagmohan Singhji, International Chairman of NRI Institute, at the NRI World Summit 2022 held in the United Kingdom on 23^rd June 2022.

Mrs. Chhabria has been conferred the Shiromani Award in the presence of eminent members of the British Parliament, other distinguished dignitaries and award winners in recognition of her philanthropic service to the Indian community across the world. Other attendees included Mr. G P Hinduja, Co-chairman of Hinduja Group and Chief Guest of the function, Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Mrs. Amruta Fadnavis, Mrs. Michelle Poonawalla, Lord Swraj Paul, Member of House of Lords of the United Kingdom, fashion designers- Shane and Falguni Peacock, and members of her family.

On 24th June 2022, Mrs. Chhabria was the keynote speaker at the NRI World Summit, where she shared her views on the confluence of culture, people and ideas between India and the UK. The two-day event celebrated many achievements, showcased charitable initiatives and innovation, facilitated business networking, and served as a platform to showcase the impact we make through MMF.

Instituted in 1977, previous recipients of the Shiromani Award include Mother Teresa, Chief Marshal Manekshaw, Justice Hidayatullah, Justice Nagendra Singh, Mr. Ramkrishna Bajaj, Mr. H P Nanda, Ustad Bismillah Khan, Raj Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, P T Usha, Leander Paes, Vishwanathan Anand, Nani Palkhivala, Ram Jethmalani, The Dalai Lama. A proud moment indeed for all of us at MMF, and we wish Mrs. Chhabria more success in the years to come in these initiatives.

Ritu Prakash Chhabria

Co-founder & Managing Trustee - Mukul Madhav Foundation

Ritu Prakash Chhabria is the Founder member and Managing Trustee of the Mukul Madhav Foundation (MMF). Working ceaselessly with MMF over the past 25 years to transform the way charity is done in India, she has constantly worked to support the under-served with dignity and not dole outs. Personally involved in impacting numerous lives and livelihoods through initiatives in education, healthcare, self-employment, women empowerment, sanitation, water conservation and every other genuine need that remains unfulfilled, and comes to her attention. Supporting and furthering the under-served across geographies, ages, gender, occupations, and religions. Her every action is powered by a deep spirituality, and her active practice of meditation and gratitude.

With a Masters in International Relations, she majored in Economics from Richmond College, London, with a minor in Marketing. This has held her in good stead when liaising with local government bodies, benevolent corporates and international collaborators. Finding global support for MMF, with the establishment of MMF UK in 2018, and collaborations with Princess Trust, BAPIO, Caudwell, and Action Aid.

With the association of MMF with Finolex Industries Limited (FIL) in 2014 as their official CSR partner, today Mrs. Chhabria sits on the Board of Directors at FIL as the Chairperson for CSR activities.

Board of Trustees at Make A Wish Foundation, India 2014 to 2019
Committee member of The Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India - Empress Botanical Garden.
Patron of the Kochi Biennale
Member of the Steering Committee of the Hinduja Foundation
Member of the Governing and Executive Council of NHES (National Health and Education Society), of the Hinduja Hospital
Nominee of Hinduja Foundation on the Board of Management of the P D Hinduja Sindhi Hospital, Bangalore.
Trustee at Karachi Education Society
Managing Committee Member at the Indian Red Cross Society, Pune
Member with the Inner Wheel Club, Pune
Honorary Member, Rotary Club of Parvati
General Body Member, Society of Friends of Sassoon Hospitals (SOFOSH)
Honorary Member, Rotary Club of SOBO (South Mumbai) .
Chairperson FLO Pune 2019- 2020.
National Head for Farming and Agriculture of FICCI FLO in 2021-2022, 2022-2023.
National head of Rural Livelihood / Entrepreneurship – 2024-2025
Governing Body Member of FICCI FLO National 2021-2022, 2022 – 2023, 2024-2025
Member of the Advisory Board for the Johns Hopkins Gupta-Klinsky India Institute since 2022

Prakash Pralhad Chhabria

Co-founder - Mukul Madhav Foundation & Executive Chairman of Finolex Industries Ltd.

Prakash Pralhad Chhabria is the Executive Chairman of Finolex Industries Limited (FIL) since 2012. With over three decades of hands-on experience, he was inducted as a Board Director in 1992, before he took over as Executive Chairman.

Over recent years, he has earned himself the reputation of being a sound and visionary industrialist. Skillfully steering FIL and its reputation by strategically restructuring business and finance. Putting it on a growth trajectory that has seen it establish its dominance as a reputed national brand, with a turnover of INR 3,463 crores in FY 21.

His innate strengths and real-world experience have been further honed by a Bachelor of Science degree in International Business from the University of Evansville, Indiana; an Advanced Management Programme from Wharton Business School; and an Executive Program from Stanford University.

At FIL, his focus has been on attaining business prosperity in a sustainable manner. Forward integrating and backward integrating, not just to impact the business and its stakeholders, but the community and the environment that extend beyond. Taking on responsibility for society at large, not just as a government mandate of Corporate Social Responsibility, but with the foresight and bigger picture perspective that everything and everybody is connected. This personal belief has brought FIL and MMF together. Giving back to the community, and completing the circle. Amongst other awards and recognitions, he was recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters (D. Litt.) degree by Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune, for his notable contribution to society.

This larger order view of the world could be attributed to Mr. Chhabria's upbringing, his love for reading, and his interest in philosophy, history, spiritualism and culture. A keen photographer, the world always looks interesting through his lens.