Bengaluru, Apr 30: The Art of Living has been awarded Best NGO of the Year - 2025 at the prestigious Global CSR & ESG Awards organized by Brand Honchos and Indian CSR Awards in New Delhi recently.

"As an organization we are present in over 180 countries today and we inspire people to give back to their communities. When we conducted our programs in villages we would ask them what is it we can do for them and so some would say they needed water, others would say they need education, then some said, they had good youth but no jobs. That’s where we started from. It is the collaborative effort of all the stakeholders, the donors, our community leaders, as well as members of the communities that we serve, that has made this award possible," shared Prasana Prabhu, Chairman, Art of Living Social Projects.

The award recognizes The Art of Living Social Projects - SSRDP’s holistic approach in addressing some of the most pressing challenges in India's remote and underserved regions; from empowering border villages to bringing education in the remotest corners and rehabilitating inmates meaningfully, the organization’s work is creating tangible and lasting impact.

Transforming India's Border Villages

Inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, The Art of Living Social Projects - SSRDP has distributed 66,000 solar lamps , enhancing the lives of 1,65,000+ villagers on boarder areas. Solar Smart Schools have been set up in 190 villages, bringing technology-enabled education to 17,000+ children. More than 20,000 youth have been trained in solar technology.

Collaborating with government agencies, corporates, and educational institutions, the organization has trained over 4,20,000 youth across 48+ job roles at 120+ skill centers across 500+ districts in 23 states. The initiative is bringing back socio-economic growth at the grassroots level.

Free Schools for Lasting Change

The Art of Living has imparted holistic and value-based education to over 100,000 children through its 1262 free schools in 22 states. The schools blend academics, life skills, yoga, and digital learning.

Working with Jail Inmates

“Inside every culprit is a victim crying for help” says Gurudev. Inspired by this, The Art of Living’s Prison Program has turned correctional spaces into centers of healing and progress. Since 1990, 6,700+ inmates in 28 prisons across India have been trained, with a global impact on 8,00,000+ inmates in 65 countries.