HYDERABAD: At a time when many IT professionals aspire to scale the corporate ladder, Durga Kalyani chose a different path. After 17 years in the IT industry and a promotion to senior director in 2023, she stepped away from her corporate career to dedicate herself fully to social service through her NGO, Jagathi Foundation.
Her decision followed years of engagement with government schools and rural communities as part of her corporate social responsibility work in Hyderabad. Those visits exposed her to the challenges faced by underprivileged children and women, particularly in rural areas — struggles she related to deeply, having grown up in a village herself.
Durga began informally supporting orphanages as early as 2010, funding education and providing essentials. A turning point came in 2015, six months after the birth of her daughter, when she visited an orphanage and saw a newborn girl abandoned at its doorstep. “Holding my own child in my arms while seeing another baby left behind simply because she was a girl broke me emotionally.
The image would not fade away. That day, I decided I had to do something meaningful for such children. What began as individual efforts gradually grew into a collective mission. I formed a small volunteer group with friends and colleagues to take up social activities and, during the pandemic, after witnessing immense loss, I registered the Jagathi Foundation as an NGO,” she tells TNIE.
“Even while managing a demanding corporate role, I continued to lead the foundation. By 2023, the organisation had grown significantly, with an increase in volunteers, beneficiaries and projects across multiple states. Around the same time, I was promoted to senior director — a milestone many aspire to achieve. Despite it being my dream role, I made the life-changing decision to step away from my corporate career. I initially took a three-month break but never looked back. Instead, I chose to dedicate myself fully to social work,” she says.
So far, the foundation has supported more than 100 government schools by upgrading infrastructure, setting up computer and science labs and building classrooms and toilets. Over 5,000 women have been trained in skill development and livelihood programmes, contributing to financial independence.
The organisation reports reaching more than 2 lakh women and 1 lakh government school students across nine states, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.
Its flagship initiatives include Amrut Aahar, a nutrition programme for government school children developed with medical guidance, and Swashakthi, which trains women in stitching and links them to markets. More than 30 batches have been completed. Newer initiatives such as Dvija, which upcycles fabric into cultural attire for schoolgirls, and the 3C Programme, focusing on digital literacy and STEM exposure, have further broadened its scope.
“My IT career gave me knowledge and confidence. But this work gives me purpose,” Durga says.
To create a sustainable funding model, she has also launched an eco-focused e-commerce venture, Climora One, which channels its profits to support the foundation’s activities.