- Global Handwashing Day 2025 celebration in Jaipur highlights the decade-long impact of Reckitt’s flagship public health campaign
- The event brought together over 300 students and featured performances by Ustad Rais Khan, , folk puppet storytelling, and along with along with interactive sessions
- Over the past 11 years, Dettol Banega Swasth India has reached nearly 1 million schools, reduced school absenteeism by 39%, and supported over 38 billion handwashing occasions
Jaipur : Reckitt, a global leader in consumer health and hygiene, in collaboration with Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child (Mamta HIMC) and PVR Nest, through its flagship program “Dettol Banega Swasth India (DBSI)”, today hosted an art and music-led community awareness event to celebrate Global Handwashing Day at INOX Crystal Palm, Jaipur. The event featured a mesmerising performance by renowned Rajasthani folk musician Ustad Rais Khan, who created India’s first hygiene-focused music album ‘Folk Music for a Swasth India’ in partnership with DBSI back in 2022.
The event brought together over 300 school students, and key stakeholders from across Rajasthan for a day that seamlessly blended folk music, puppetry, and hygiene awareness into one powerful cultural celebration. Ustad Rais Khan, headlined the event with a stirring performance that reaffirmed how cultural expression can be a potent vehicle for public health change. Complementing his performance was a vibrant puppet show by the Nagauri Gharana, creatively using traditional storytelling to spread the message of hygiene and handwashing among children.
Over the past 11 years, Dettol Banega Swasth India has emerged as one of the nation’s longest-running and most trusted public health initiatives, empowering children and teachers alike with accessible hygiene education. By using folk music and art as a medium to improve awareness, the 12th season of DBSI aims to improve personal hygiene by making it a part of our shared cultural fabric.
During the event, Ustad Rais Khan highlighted that “Music is the straightest path to a person’s heart. Incorporating socially responsible messages in songs, especially hygiene awareness, will go a long way in ensuring children develop and sustain hygienic habits like handwashing. When learning is blended with art and joy, it becomes a lesson that lasts a lifetime. This is the strongest path towards a happy and healthy India.”
Reflecting on hygiene as a key national priority, Ravi Bhatnagar, Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs Director, South Asia, MENARP and Africa, Reckitt, said, “Our mission draws inspiration from the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s call for ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, an India that is healthy, developed, and resilient for the generations to come. We believe that true national progress is built one clean hand at a time, and each act of personal hygiene creates ripples of transformation that support our country’s aspirations. Under the able leadership at the Centre, and empowered by innovative government programs and decentralised action, we are taking steady steps toward the vision of a developed nation by 2047. But none of this is possible without the collaborative commitment of our communities. This campaign stands as a testament to what India can achieve when citizens, leaders, and organisations unite, championing health, hygiene, and dignity at the heart of our journey to Viksit Bharat.”
Esteemed guests at the event included Payal Jangid, Child Rights Activist and Goalkeepers Changemaker Awardee.
Speaking about the collaboration, Sanjeev Dham, Deputy CEO, Mamta Health Institute for Mother and Child, added, “We are delighted to partner with Reckitt’s Dettol Banega Swasth India and PVR Nest for this meaningful celebration of Global Handwashing Day. This collaboration perfectly aligns with Mamta HIMC’s mission to drive community-led change in hygiene and health. Seeing children learn, engage, and lead the #IAmTheChange movement is a ray of hope towards a cleaner, healthier India.”
‘IAmTheChange’ campaign continues to call Indian citizens to take the Hygiene Pledge by adopting their personal and community spaces as part of the larger national mission towards health, cleanliness, and sustainability. The collective impact of personal responsibility and visible action towards hygiene and sanitation is positioned as key to building resilient communities and a thriving nation. Dettol Banega Swasth India continues to garner support from national leaders, influencers, and organisations, amplifying its impact across social and public platforms.
Adding the perspective of India’s cinema community, Deepa Menon, Sr. Vice President, Corporate Communications & CSR, PVR INOX Ltd, & Founder, PVR NEST, said, “We are delighted to be part of this meaningful initiative. At PVR INOX, we believe our cinemas are not just spaces for entertainment– they serve as platforms for awareness, inclusion, and positive social change. Collaborating on Global Handwashing Day reinforces our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly good health and well-being. Through sustained action across key SDG areas such as sanitation, road safety, gender equality, and quality education, we continue to use the power of the big screen to inspire responsible behaviour and contribute to a healthier, safer, and more equitable society.”
Collective impact for national transformation
Every clean hand builds a stronger India. Every sanitised space contributes to our developed nation dream. From your Dus Gaz to Viksit Bharat 2047, the journey begins with you, your family, your school, your street, and your city. Together, our healthy actions ripple outward, creating resilient communities and a thriving planet. When India cares for every hand, every heart, every habitat, we don’t just build Viksit Bharat, we build a model for the world to follow.
Register your household, community, or organisation for the Hygiene Pledge at www.banegaswasthindia.com and become part of India’s clean revolution – #IAmTheChange.
This Global Handwashing Day, let your actions speak louder than words. Let your clean space be your badge of honour. Let your commitment be the spark that ignites a national movement.
