Children’s Day: Shaping tomorrow’s generations, the Apollo way

I came across this quote from a simple, homeschooling mother from Oregon, USA, that has stayed with me. Angela Schwindt says, “While we teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”

I am forever grateful for the wisdom and values that I have been instilled with by my parents and the mentors I have had during my formative years. Even in my business journey, I have learned much from my father, seeing him build and grow Apollo Tyres from the ground up.

Being a father of two, a daughter and a son, has given me an entirely different perspective, and they continue to inspire me every day.?

Our future generations have a lot of passion and talent, and they bring with them their thoughts and ideas for the future.?

At Apollo Tyres, we believe in nurturing this talent and providing the best opportunities to foster the growth and development of the children in our families and communities across the globe.

Empowering through education

Education is a gift that keeps on giving, and we value the importance of education right from childhood. We have set up a range of educational initiatives, especially for the underprivileged children in our local communities.?

In India, we have been supporting the education of underprivileged girls in Gurgaon, Haryana, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and Telangana. Our support has helped in promoting girls’ education in the country. Besides equipping the girls with the skills and resources for furthering their schooling, the Apollo Tyres Foundation has also provided young girls with healthcare and sanitation facilities, giving them a safe and comfortable environment to study in.

In the Kanchipuram district, close to our manufacturing plant in Chennai, the Apollo Tyres Foundation initiated a digital literacy programme, donating 60 computers to 6 government schools. In partnership with the Sevalaya group, computer training was facilitated, benefitting over 2000 students.

Close to our Hungary operations, Apollo Tyres organises summer camps for kids from a very young age. These camps are designed to improve children's physical and mental well-being with a series of activities every year.?

United We Play & Soccer School Days?

We have always emphasised the importance of sports in the inclusive development of young children. Sports help in defining character and teach us the values of teamwork and resilience.

Through our decade-long partnership with Manchester United, we initiated United We Play, a grassroots-level football initiative. Renowned professional coaches and former international players from the football club come together every year to organise multiple football trials across India, Nepal, Dubai and Bangkok.?

Young children from all walks of life, united by their passion for football, get a chance to display their skills to the who’s who of the football world, and select winners get an opportunity to play at Old Trafford, the home ground of Manchester United with former legends of the club.

This year, through our Vredestein brand, we also initiated the Soccer School Days programme across Europe, providing young children exclusive coaching sessions that encourage exercise and foster personal development. The programme is being conducted across Italy, Poland and the Netherlands in partnership with a key charity in each region.

The programme offers participants aged 12 to 18 an insight into the importance of attitude, teamwork, skill, strength and listening in the sport, inspiring young people to learn and develop.

Fostering Young Talent and Building Business Leaders of Tomorrow

Attracting new and diverse talent and giving them a platform to grow is at the heart of how we do things at Apollo Tyres. Through the Apollo Summer Internship programme, the company provides the opportunity for students from premier universities to work closely with the leadership team on live projects across their functions such as sales, marketing, supply chain management & finance.

Real-world industry experience supports making our workforce of tomorrow business-ready and is in the true spirit of the industry-academia collaboration that we greatly value at Apollo Tyres.?

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On this Children’s Day, I encourage the youth to question legacy thinking, never stop dreaming, and never stop believing in themselves. You are the changemakers of tomorrow and have the talent and potential to make our world a better place.?