It’s already July, and we’ve reached the six-month mark with so much progress behind us. I have lots of exciting updates to share with you. As always, thank you for being such a dedicated supporter of our work. None of this would be possible without you.

Doubling Down on Progress

Thanks to donors like you, we scaled up the Green Tuesday Initiative to double its impact this year. This means we are on track to reduce 2.2 million pounds of animal products and spare twice as many animal lives.

Here are some of the major updates:

• 41% of goals achieved
• 4,47,748 kg/987,115 lb of animal products reduced
• 65 Green Tuesday Initiative partners obtained

That’s one animal life spared every 3.5 minutes so far this year.*

*Calculated using our impact data from the past 6 months.

Our Newest Partner

Our biggest recent victory was partnering with Carelon. Through this collaboration, Carelon will reduce 59,520 kg/131,219 lb of animal products annually. They’ve also introduced vegan milk alternatives in their cafeteria.

16,354 Students joined the 10 Weeks to Vegan program

As you may have heard, recent tensions between India and Pakistan brought us dangerously close to conflict. Thankfully, it didn’t escalate into a full-scale war, but the impact was deeply felt, especially by communities in India’s border states. Our Food-Planet-Health program was not untouched. Many colleges and universities remained closed for over two months, significantly disrupting our outreach efforts.

But we’re not backing down. We remain committed to our mission, and we’re determined to make up for lost ground in the months ahead, with even more urgency, heart, and resilience. Here’s what we achieved in the last six months:

• 16,581 people, including students, joined the 10 Weeks to Vegan challenge
• 117 webinars were organized
• 282 colleges participated in webinars

Raising the Bar for Plant-Based Culinary Education

Our Vegan Culinary Advancement Program partner, SRM Institute of Hotel Management (SRM IHM), made history by setting a Nova World Record with its “Fueling 2025 with 2,025 Plant-Powered Kathi Rolls” event. At the Ekkatuthangal campus, 160 students prepared 2,025 plant-based multigrain kathi rolls in record time, a world first in plant-based culinary innovation.

Read about this delicious record-breaking moment!

Meet Our New Staff Member

We’re thrilled to welcome Kalpana Gupta to the Vegan Outreach team! With a strong background in outreach and community building, Kalpana will play a critical role in scaling up the Green Tuesday Initiative, bringing sustainable food choices to more institutions across the region.

 

“It’s a fulfilling experience to enable tangible changes, like a campus reducing its carbon footprint or a company introducing plant-based meals. I’m proud to be part of a mission and a purpose-driven team that helps animals and promotes environmental responsibility. Every small step we take feels like progress toward a better future.”

– Kalpana Gupta
Project Specialist (Outreach and Engagement), Vegan Outreach

 

Your support means the world. Have feedback, questions, or an idea you’d like us to explore in the Asia-Pacific region? Just drop us a line. I love staying connected with the people who make this work possible.

Every reply helps us do better. Tell us what you think!

 

Thank you for being part of this journey,

Richa Mehta

Director of Programs, Asia-Pacific

Every choice we make leaves something behind. A shift in thinking, a conversation, a ripple we don’t notice.

This month, I want to share the kind of impact that doesn’t usually make it to the headlines. The kind that starts quietly, asking a decision-maker a difficult question, starting a dialogue about speciesism in a classroom, or inspiring journalists to write a small article about plant-based eating in a regional newspaper.

It’s the kind of work that moves slowly but steadily. And you’ve been part of it all along.

Changing Menus, Shifting Mindsets

The Green Tuesday Initiative is one of the quiet ways we create profound change. It starts with a simple shift: making plant-based food easier to choose at work. And that’s where the conversation about what’s on our plates begins.

Our New Partner: Vamsiram BSR Tech Park

At Vamsiram BSR Tech Park in Hyderabad, a single cafeteria shift is expected to drive significant environmental savings. With 7,000 employees, the scale of change is just beginning to unfold:

• 43,680 kg/96,298 lb of chicken reduced annually
• 36,000 kg/79,366 lb of paneer (cottage cheese) reduced annually

This change is expected to spare ~28,803 animal lives. That’s the size of one large commercial poultry farm in India.

What Happens After the Webinar

Each week, students join our Food-Planet-Health webinars looking for answers. This quarter, 145+ teachers joined them too, opening doors to campus partnerships, deeper engagement, and year-round events. Our Food-Planet-Health webinars are creating impact beyond university campuses. Extensive coverage in regional newspapers takes the vegan conversation beyond campuses and into everyday life. Local media speak directly to families and communities in familiar languages, making plant-based eating feel relevant and grounded in local realities and traditions.

Here’s what happened in just the first quarter of 2025:

• 55 webinars conducted
• 5,371 students reached and inspired to try plant-based meals

From Awareness to Action

Attendance numbers tell us how many people showed up to attend the Food-Planet-Health webinar. But the real story begins after the session ends.

This quarter, 1,364 people joined our 10 Weeks to Vegan Facebook group, each one taking a step toward change, like Ajay, who logged on out of curiosity and walked away rethinking his plate.

Your support is what makes every ripple possible. Thank you for everything you do to help animals! Giving each month helps our daily fight for animals. Please join our monthly sustainers now!

We would love to hear from you with any feedback, suggestions, campaign ideas, or maybe a couple of encouraging lines for my team. I will share it with them.

With gratitude for every wave you’ve initiated,

Richa Mehta

Director of Programs, Asia-Pacific

Women’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate the changes women make for animals in India with your support. In our 10 Weeks to Vegan program, women are proving that compassion isn’t just what you say—it’s what you do.

Breaking Old Habits, Building New Futures

 

For Pratishtha, learning about the dairy industry changed everything. She gradually stopped consuming it, but her journey didn’t stop there. “Whenever I meet someone I know, I try to spread awareness about what veganism is.”

 

 

Vaishnavi challenged herself to go dairy-free for ten weeks, saying, “I felt happy and my heart was satisfied after not using any dairy products for 10 weeks.” When she craved ice cream, she found a plant-based version she loved, proving that eating foods that are kinder to animals is also convenient and delicious.

 

Kindness Can Be Delicious

 

For Pallavi, the transition felt overwhelming at first, but exploring new ingredients changed everything—“I have been pleasantly surprised by how delicious and satisfying vegan meals can be.”

 

 

 

Mohini, raised in a non-vegetarian household, thought ditching meat and dairy would be tough. But after trying plant-based alternatives, she realized, “It’s not at all tough for me.” Dairy remains her biggest challenge, but she’s taking it one step at a time.

 

 

 

Divya, a lifelong vegetarian, thought she couldn’t live without paneer and cheese—until she tried cauliflower cheese. “It somehow works its magic,” she said, proving that comfort food doesn’t have to come at a cost.

 

Your Support Changes Everything

56% of our 10 Weeks to Vegan community members are women, showing that more women are choosing veganism for the animals.

This Women’s Day, let’s support them in making the change. Donate to help more women go vegan.

Meet the Females Who Keep Us Going!

Warmly,
Richa Mehta
Director of Programs, Asia-Pacific

 

 

 

 

 

I wish you a healthy and happy new year. Our India programs are now 6 years old, thanks to your support! We started as a three-person team and are now a group of ten, working to create lasting change for animals in India.

On this special occasion, each of us wants to share what your support means to us.

You’re Helping Us Save Animals

“Hi, we’re the newest members of the college outreach team, and we’re so excited to share that in 2024, our team inspired 54,000+ students to try the 10-week challenge through the Food-Planet-Health Awareness Program.

More than 25,000 students participated in our survey after attending the webinars, and 91% said that they would like to adopt a plant-based diet. Over the past 3 years, you’ve helped us double our impact.”

You’re Helping Students in India Go Vegan

Learn more about our work! 

You’re Helping Institutions Implement Plant-Based Food Policies

• Removed 6,32,918 kg/1,395,345 lb of animal products through new partnerships in India and Vietnam
• Partnered with 12 institutions across India and Vietnam
• Secured an 80% renewal rate among previous partners, reducing 16,64,448 kg/3,669,479 lb of animal products
• Supported Sourcebynet Pte. Ltd. in serving and promoting plant-based food across 8 countries

Our Total Impact!

Your unwavering support has driven real change—helping institutions adopt sustainable food practices, empowering students to explore plant-based living, and reducing the demand for high-carbon-footprint foods. None of this would be possible without you. As we step into 2025, we look forward to expanding our reach and deepening our impact together. Thank you for being a part of this journey.

Richa Mehta

Director of Programs, Asia-Pacific

Vegan Outreach

 

As the world becomes more conscious of ethical choices, Tech Mahindra Ltd., a global IT giant, has actively supported the movement to reduce animal suffering. By participating in Vegan Outreach’s campaign, the Green Tuesday Initiative, Tech Mahindra has made significant strides in promoting plant-based food options. Institutions play a crucial role in this mission, as they can make kinder commitments for the planet like reducing their use of animal products. Here’s a look at our shared journey and key milestones from 2021 to 2024.

Timeline of Tech Mahindra Ltd’s Green Tuesday Implementation milestones since the start of the collaboration in 2021. 

2021: The Beginning

August 15, 2021 – Tech Mahindra Hitech City Hyderabad Adopts Green Tuesday Initiative

Our journey with Tech Mahindra commenced in April 2021, with extensive discussions and planning. By August, our collaborative efforts bore fruit. On August 15th, 2021, Mr. C P Gurnani, Former CEO and MD of Tech Mahindra, launched the Green Tuesday Initiative at their Hitech City campus in Hyderabad. This event marked the beginning of a significant shift towards reducing animal product consumption, including meat, dairy, and eggs, in their cafeterias by 20% by introducing “Vegetarian Tuesdays.”

Launch of Green Tuesday Initiative Booklet

During an accreditation event on 15th August 2021 at the Hitech City campus, the Green Tuesday Initiative Booklet was officially launched, outlining the program’s objectives and expected outcomes.

September 28, 2021 – Expansion to North Zone Campuses

Following the successful launch in Hyderabad, the Green Tuesday Initiative quickly expanded. On September 28, representatives from Tech Mahindra’s Noida, Gurgaon, Kolkata, and Chandigarh campuses gathered for a virtual accreditation ceremony, furthering the initiative’s reach. By the end of 2021, 13 campuses had adopted the Green Tuesday Initiative and replaced meat and dairy with plant-based options once a week on their cafeteria menu.

2022: Widening the Impact

Tech Mahindra Noida Campuses Join the Green Tuesday Initiative

In 2022, the Green Tuesday Initiative saw substantial growth. The 14th campus of Tech Mahindra in Noida adopted the initiative, demonstrating its commitment to reducing animal suffering. The Noida campuses were soon joined by the Pune and Bahadurpally campuses, collectively increasing the impact of our efforts to minimize animal exploitation.

2023: Sustained Growth

Tech Mahindra Pune Sharda Campus Comes Onboard

The momentum continued into 2023 with the addition of the Tech Mahindra Pune Sharda Campus. This campus played a crucial role in promoting plant-based food options among employees and reducing the overall consumption of animal products by inviting the Green Tuesday Initiative to conduct awareness sessions and streamline the implementation process.

2024: Reaching New Heights

Commitment Renewed for the 4th Consequent Year and Tech Mahindra Pune Hingewadi Campus Becomes 20th Campus to Come Aboard!

Our collaboration reached new heights in 2024 after the Tech Giant renewed its commitment to implement the Green Tuesday Initiative for another year. The Tech Mahindra Pune Hingewadi Campus became the newest campus to adopt the initiative. Now, our joint efforts extend to 20 campuses across seven locations, significantly reducing the consumption of meat and dairy products.

Achievements and Impact

Cumulative Animal Product Reduction:

• Chicken: 3,618,050 lb
• Eggs: 655,200 Nos.
• Paneer: 275,137 lb
• Milk: 9,231,228 fl oz

Events 

Reducing the consumption of animal products is crucial, as animal agriculture directly impacts climate change through greenhouse gas emissions, affects public health, and endangers biodiversity. Producing high-animal-product foods is resource-intensive, consuming significant water and land while contributing to deforestation and habitat loss.

Awareness activities are essential as they help spread critical information about the effects of animal agriculture on climate change, health, and sustainability. By raising awareness, we empower employees to make informed decisions that reduce animal exploitation and create a positive impact on the environment and their well-being.

“Reducing our reliance on animal products is essential for mitigating climate change and preserving biodiversity. Studies show that animal agriculture is responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally,  research from the University of Oxford highlights that shifting towards more plant-based diets can reduce food’s environmental impacts by up to 73%. By adopting policies that reduce animal product consumption, we can take meaningful steps towards a healthier planet and population,” said Bhavya Vatrapu, Senior Campaign Manager, India and Vietnam.

Tech Mahindra facilitated the following Green Tuesday Initiative events to raise awareness among employees: 

“Food Planet Health” Workshop

In September 2021, we organized a virtual “Food Planet Health” workshop for facility teams from Hyderabad, Noida, Gurgaon, Kolkata, and Chandigarh. This workshop addressed the interconnected issues of food, planetary health, and human well-being, promoting discussions on reducing animal exploitation through food choices.

Health Talk Session

In March 2023, Dr. Zeeshan Ali from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine conducted a talk session on “Leading a Disease-Free, Healthy Life and Reversing Lifestyle Diseases through Diet” for employees at the Hitech City campus, emphasizing the health benefits of plant-based diets in March of 2023.

Green Tuesday Implementation Discussions

In June 2023, we organized interactive sessions with the Pune Sharda campus facility head to streamline the Green Tuesday Implementation and address operational challenges. 

Why Green Tuesday Initiative: A Refresher

We organized refresher sessions to ensure smooth implementation even with staff change. In July 2024, we organized a second refresher session with the center and facilities heads to update the new staff.  

Testimonial 

“Tech Mahindra is always at the forefront of taking sustainability and environment-related initiatives. From hosting plastic-free events to organizing the most extensive plantation drives, Tech Mahindra has always encouraged and inspired us to make an impact and keep doing more. By implementing vegetarian Tuesdays, we are taking one step forward in reducing our food-related carbon footprint and creating awareness about the food choices of employees. Next year, we will work with Vegan Outreach to implement this initiative on more campuses in other cities. Our team is also working to create a soulful, delicious alternative menu on Tuesdays.” 

– C V N Varma, Vice President – Corporate Services at Tech Mahindra (2001)

Our collaboration with Tech Mahindra demonstrates the powerful impact organizations can have when they commit to reducing animal suffering. The milestones achieved from 2021 to 2024 set a benchmark for other corporations to follow. As we continue to work towards a future with less animal exploitation, we look forward to achieving even greater milestones in the years to come.

For more information about the Green Tuesday Initiative and how your organization can make a positive impact on reducing animal suffering, please contact Bhavya Vatrapu, Senior Campaign Manager, India and Vietnam.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +91 82910 43901

Join us in creating a compassionate future, one meal at a time.

About Green Tuesday Initiative:

Green Tuesday Initiative is a prolific campaign by Vegan Outreach (501c3 nonprofit in the USA) to help corporations and educational institutions reduce their environmental footprint by making small changes in the food they serve. Visit us at www.greentuesday.org