This year our focus has been strengthening foundations and building long-term relations with key stakeholders and organizations. It all paid off in getting closer to our goals and helping animals in India. Here’s how.

Adopt A College Virtual Tour in Two States

We collaborated with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, an entity of the Indian government, early last quarter to conduct nationwide webinars in association with the National Service Scheme (NSS).
We leveraged this collaboration to organize two virtual tours with universities in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Highlights include:

13 webinars with 106 colleges

Reached 7,000+ students

6,631 students signed up for 10 Weeks to Vegan

Our Journey with Tech Mahindra

Our journey with Tech Mahindra, a tech giant in India, started in August 2021 with one campus in Hyderabad. We have continued to engage with their teams across India and expanded the Green Tuesday Initiative to 18 campuses in 7 locations so far.

Highlights include:

0.5 Mn kgs/1.1 Mn pounds of animal products prevented from being served. 18 campuses of Tech Mahindra joined Green Tuesday Initiative

Organized 2 awareness workshops for India and global facility teams

Senior Campaigns Manager Part of Government Sustainability Committee

Bhavya Vatrapu from our India team is now part of the Telangana government’s strategy team for sustainability initiatives. It’s a core working group set up by the IT department to promote sustainability initiatives in the state. Other members in the core group include sustainability team members from HSBC, Microsoft, HYSEA, CCI, and other government officials.
This will open up opportunities for Bhavya to interact with industry leaders and key companies and introduce them to food sustainability.

Thank you for believing in a better future for animals and enabling this important work.
We can inspire more vegans and end animal agriculture with your support.

Donate Today

With gratitude,

Richa Mehta,
Director of Programs, India

I’m excited to tell you that our Green Tuesday Initiative reduced 529,109 pounds/ 240,000 kgs of animal products so far in 2022 from getting served. Halfway through 2022, we’ve already reached 60% of our annual goal.

Recent Campaign Successes

VDart Technologies, a tech and business consulting firm based out of Tiruchirappalli, has implemented the Green Tuesday initiative. On 4th May 2022, their sustainability and admin teams came together along with Sidd Ahmed–CEO and Oliver Sam–Vice President, for the virtual accreditation event.
VDart pledged to reduce their weekly milk and egg consumption. This change will reduce 11,700 eggs and 3,510 liters of milk annually.

Tech Mahindra’s new campus joined the Green Tuesday Initiative. This quarter, on World Environment Day, June 5th, Bahadurpally campus started serving meat-free meals to all the employees on Tuesdays.

This change will reduce 67,600 kgs/ 149,032 pounds of Chicken and 676,000 eggs annually. With this addition, 16 Tech Mahindra campuses are part of the Green Tuesday Initiative.

Highlights of the Bangalore Tour



After two years of not traveling due to the pandemic, we did a tour in Bangalore to visit companies and institutions. The tour was indeed very successful. Here are the highlights of the tour:

• We renewed the Green Tuesday partnership with REVA University, one of the largest universities in India with 15,000+ students. They will now serve meat-free meals 5 days a week. This change will reduce 62,160 kgs/ 137,039 pounds of chicken annually.
• Carl Zeiss, a Germany-based optoelectronics manufacturing company, joined Green Tuesday Initiative. They now serve meat-free meals on all days of the week to all their employees. This change will reduce 11,700 kgs/ 25,794 pounds of chicken annually.
  
  Along with visiting the partners, Bhavya and Sowndarya also got a chance to brainstorm, unwind, do team-building activities, and explore vegan food in Bangalore.

  

  “I joined Vegan Outreach during the pandemic and never got a chance to meet our partners in person. Bangalore Tour was an excellent opportunity to meet them, visit their cafeterias, understand their perspectives, and position the Green Tuesday Initiative.”

  -Sowndarya Ganesan, Campaigns Specialist

  A Big Thank You

  Thank you for making #TeamVeganMonth a success! With the help of supporters like you, we raised over $137,000 for animals. Each dollar up to our $125,000 goal was matched, which means we can continue to roll out programs to spread veganism to make the world a better place for animals. in India.

  
  
  With gratitude,

  Richa Mehta,
  Director of Programs, India

In the the first quarter of 2022, Vegan Outreach India has strengthened our foundations for a greater reach. This includes strategizing for long-term collaborations with universities and colleges, working with government regulators for wider access to students, planning virtual tours to organize more Adopt A College Webinars, making solid connections, and setting up a pipeline of companies that will implement the Green Tuesday Initiative this year.
Here are some of the highlights from the past quarter.

New Green Tuesday Partnerships

Kaa’s Kitchen is based in Hyderabad and delivers 15,000 meals every month. We collaborated with them to add vegan options and veganized 90% of their meals.

Tech Mahindra, Pune joined the Green Tuesday Initiative. Last year, 14 campuses of Tech Mahindra implemented Green Tuesday Initiative in their cafeterias. This change will reduce 15,860 kgs/ 34,965 pounds of meat and 7,930 eggs annually in addition to 249,600 kgs/ 550,274 pounds of meat and 7,800 eggs of reduction from last year.

Mission Compassion Virtual Tour with Mangalore University Colleges



Mission Compassion has always been our most successful flagship program to organize Adopt A College Webinars. Our first virtual tour this year was with Mangalore University, and here are some highlights:

• Organized 15 Webinars for students from 93 colleges
• Reached out to 9,000+ students and inspired them to choose a compassionate lifestyle
• 7,956 students joined the 10 Weeks to Vegan program who are now considering going vegan
  
  

  10 Weeks Subscriber’s Testimony

  Ramya joined the 10 Weeks to Vegan program and went vegan. She didn’t stop there. She went a step ahead and became a volunteer at Vegan Outreach. Here she shares her experience:
  

  Thank you for believing in a better future for animals and enabling our work. Together we will inspire more new vegans and help animals with your support.
  Please donate today to support our work in India.

  
  
  With gratitude,

  Richa Mehta,
  Director of Programs, India

Tech Mahindra, a global IT giant, has partnered with Vegan Outreach to implement their Green Tuesday Initiative at their Hitech City, Hyderabad campus. On August 15th, Mr. C P Gurnani, MD and CEO, Tech Mahindra, launched the Green Tuesday booklet and announced the collaboration. By implementing the Green Tuesday Initiative in their cafeterias, Tech Mahindra will cut down meat consumption by 20% to reduce their food-related carbon footprint.

“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. In the next year, we will be working with Vegan Outreach to implement this initiative in 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.

What we eat is rapidly becoming an issue of global concern—multiple reports have identified meat and dairy as one of the leading causes of climate change. One such example is the recent report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on climate change, which emphasized a shift towards plant-based diets as a significant opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Worldwide, meat and dairy production uses 83% of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions.
“Companies around the world are seeing the urgency of fighting climate change through food choices. As a Green Tuesday partner and one of the leading IT companies to implement this program, Tech Mahindra is leading the way to a sustainable future. India is the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change according to the 2020 global climate index, and policies like this will truly create an impact. There is a growing awareness among organizations in this regard.” -Bhavya Vatrapu, campaigns and social media manager at Vegan Outreach.

Tech Mahindra’s Hitech City campus has 15,000 employees and once fully rolled out, this initiative will benefit approx. 200,000 employees working at Tech Mahindra offices at various India locations.
Richa Mehta, Director of Programs India at Vegan Outreach thanked Tech Mahindra for implementing the Green Tuesday Initiative saying, “Their support and commitment to serve more plant-based food will have a significant impact. This initiative will help fight climate change, promote a healthier future, and save millions of lives. I am grateful to Tech Mahindra for setting an example for other companies to follow the path towards sustainability and carbon neutrality by implementing sustainable food policies.”

So far, in India, we have collaborated with twenty-six institutes and corporations including BITS Pilani Goa,Lovely Professional University and Hetero drugs . Some have implemented meatless days, while others have reduced the number of eggs and dairy products served in their canteens.

Our work is possible because of generous supporters. Help us reach even more institutions. Please donate today to support our work in India.

By Kassy Ortega, Outreach Coordinator

You may be thinking: “Dogs are carnivores and need meat!” “Dogs wouldn’t eat just plants in the wild.” “Forcing your beliefs on your dog is wrong.” “You are killing your dog.”

Let me respond with the following: Dogs are omnivores. Dogs have been domesticated over thousands and thousands of years – the ones in our homes are no longer “wild” animals. If forcing a healthy lifestyle on my dog is wrong, I don’t want to be right. My dog is happy, healthy, and thriving.

Meet Paco. Paco is an adopted American Staffordshire Terrier, weighs approximately 55lbs and turned 4 years old in February (yes, I threw him a birthday party). His story is similar to most vegans: he was not raised vegan, and became plant-based later on in life.

Image By GuideYourPet

(Patróna on the left. Paco on the right.)

I always had Paco’s well being in mind, so I fed him a high-quality meat-based kibble. Soon after going vegan, I learned that dogs could survive, even possibly live longer, on a nutritionally complete vegan diet. My little guy has been vegan for 2 years, and he is just as healthy as he was on a high-quality meat diet.

Paco lives with my roommate’s dog, Patróna, who is also vegan! These pups will give you the scoop on what they eat, play with, and munch on when they aren’t taking a nap.

Paco’s Faves

Favorite Kibble: V-Dog Dry Kibble

V-dog is the perfect kibble for my little dude. Skin allergies are common for his breed, so the hypoallergenic formula makes this the perfect fit.

Where to buy: Online and in some stores

Favorite Toy: Nylabone DuraChew Double-Action “Bacon” Flavor

For a powerful chewer like Paco, rawhides and femur bones aren’t going to cut it because 1) We know the many hazards that come with “real” bones and 2) Ew. Not all Nylabones are vegan, but the company states: “Dura Chew Bacon flavored bones contain non-meat based flavoring. The ‘Bended Bone’ and ‘Stick’ also contain a non-meat based bacon flavoring. All of these products are flavored with a vegetarian (plant-derived) natural flavoring that does not contain any meat protein. Similar to ‘Tofurky’ and ‘veggie-burgers,’ they have the meat flavor without the meat.”

Where to buy: Any pet store or online.

Favorite Treat: Fruits, Veggies, and Chickpeas

Why buy overpriced treats when Paco is just as happy eating baby carrots? I typically slip the pups a brussel sprout or an apple slice here or there while cooking or making smoothies. Giving Paco fruits and vegetables as treats gives me peace of mind around with all the dog treat recalls, and is much better for my wallet. Note: Some fruits and veggies can be poisonous. Ask Google if a new fruit or veggie is okay to give to your furry friend.

Where to buy: No need to buy, peek in your fridge!

Patróna’s Faves

Favorite Kibble: Nature’s Recipe Vegetarian Formula

Patróna has been fed Nature’s Recipe Vegetarian Formula since day one in her adopted life. It’s an affordable vegan kibble that can be found at most major retailers.

Where to buy: Any pet store or online.

Favorite Toy: Squeaky or Crunchy Stuffed Animals

This little girl loves snuggling and chewing on her stuffed animals! You can buy stuffed animals online or at pet stores. For an eco- and wallet- friendly option, you can always buy stuffed animals at thrift stores (just be cautious of the filling and other hazards).
Where to buy: Any pet store or online.

Favorite Treat: Old Mother Hubbard’s Just Vegg’N Biscuits

Ingredients you recognize at an affordable price ($10 for a 3lb bag!). Who can argue with that?
Where to buy: Any pet store or online.

Read more about vegan dogs from a veterinarian here.

Happy new year, 2022. We have had fantastic accomplishments leading to tangible and lasting change this past year only because of our generous supporters.
Vegan Outreach India dedicates this newsletter to all the supporters.

Green Tuesday Initiative Reduced 336,000 Kg of Animal Products

We had our biggest successes last year. We partnered with 10 major entities in India and implemented the Green Tuesday Initiative.
Here are some highlights:

Tech Mahindra, a global IT giant, implemented the Green Tuesday Initiative in 14 campuses across 5 locations. This change reduced 249,600 kgs/ 550,273 pounds of meat and 7,800 eggs.

Reva University, one of the largest private universities in south India, partnered with Green Tuesday to implement meatless Tuesdays. This change reduced 62,160 kgs/ 137039 pounds of meat.

Hetero Limited renewed the pledge to serve meat-free meals to their employees. They also implemented Green Tuesday Initiative in their new locations and raised awareness among employees. They now serve 2.5 million+ meat-free meals every year.

We are now part of the Telangana government advisory group to make the state’s organizations more sustainable. Their IT department will also serve more plant-based food at their official events.

40,000+ Students Joined the 10 Weeks to Vegan India Program



• We organized 150+ Adopt College webinars this year and signed up 40,000 students for the 10 Weeks India program.
• Four colleges, REVA University, Auro University, Sanatan Dharma College, G H Raisoni University, signed the Memorandum of Understanding as part of our Adopt a College Collaborations and pledged to organize animal rights awareness events throughout the year.
• We organized two virtual tours:
  1. Mission Compassion, organized in May, was a huge success. 7000+ students participated in the 5-day event.
  2. Mission Compassion 2.0, organized in November, encouraged 14,000+ students from 240 colleges to consider going vegan!

  Our Team Expansion

  Komal Tehlan is our newest outreach coordinator, spearheading college partnerships and outreach in Delhi, NCR, and other northern regions of India. She’s inspired 2,200 students to join the 10 Weeks to Vegan.

  Sowndarya Ganesan joined the India campaign team in March. She is an environment enthusiast and has been an asset in getting Green Tuesday partnerships.
  

  10 Weeks Testimonial

  Because of you, Praneetha could go vegan. She shared her 10 Weeks to Vegan program experience with us:
  

  We are cherishing all of these accomplishments because of you. Thank you for being there for the animals.

  
  
  With gratitude,

  Richa Mehta,
  Director of Programs, India

I hope you and your loved ones are doing great.

We are in good spirits because we have already achieved and surpassed our yearly Green Tuesday Initiative goals with three months to go. Through the Green Tuesday Initiative, we have reduced 313,536 kgs/691,228 pounds of meat and eggs from institutions in the first 9 months of this year!

Big Update to Tech Mahindra Collaboration

On August 15th, 2021, Mr. C. P. Gurnani, MD and CEO, Tech Mahindra, announced the implementation of the Green Tuesday Initiative and launched the booklet at Tech Mahindra’s Hyderabad campus.

On September 28th, four new Tech Mahindra campuses—Noida, Gurugram, Kolkata, and Chandigarh—joined the Green Tuesday Initiative. Representatives from each campus joined a virtual accreditation ceremony and flagged off the partnership.
Some offices are currently operating with partial staff. Once fully rolled out, around 5,659,000 meat-free meals will be served to the employees.

Adopt a College Collaboration with Nagpur University

Rashtrasant Tukaji Maharaj Nagpur University is one of the oldest public state universities located in Nagpur, Maharashtra. We partnered with them to organize outreach programs at all its affiliated colleges. Here are some of the highlights of the collaboration.

Outreach to 7,000+ students
Webinars with 240 colleges
50+ additional webinars

10 Weeks to Vegan India Series Now in Hindi

We just launched our 10 Weeks to Vegan and 10 Weeks to Vegan for Vegetarians in Hindi! More than 40% of Indians speak Hindi, and we hope this version reaches more people who are comfortable with the Hindi language. As of today, more than 3,000 people have received the Hindi series emails

With the Hindi additions, we now have 40 versions of 10 Weeks to Vegan.
Check out all of our versions here!

We have an opportunity to inspire more people to go vegan, and we need your help!
Become a monthly sustainer.

With gratitude,

Richa Mehta,
Director of Programs, India

We are halfway through 2021, and I’m so glad to say that we reached half of our yearly 10 Weeks to Vegan sign-up goals.

One motivating factor driving us is the feedback and testimonials we get from the people we work with and students. We love seeing our program impact so many people, and I am sharing some of them with you today.

Inspired 18,000+ Students to Go Vegan

In 2021, we have collaborated with 67 colleges and universities in India and organized our Adopt a College webinars. Our outreach team has inspired thousands of students to make more compassionate choices. 18,000+ students signed up for our 10 Weeks to Vegan program in 2021, and they’re considering going vegan.

After every webinar, we receive heartwarming feedback from students that gratifies all the hard work.

Adopt a College Collaborations

Three colleges, REVA University, Auro University, and Sanatan Dharma College, Ambala, signed the Memorandum of Understanding as part of our Adopt a College Collaborations and pledged to organize animal rights awareness events this year. More than 5,000 students will participate in various activities from these colleges and learn about a vegan lifestyle.

Two Companies Joined the Green Tuesday Initiative

TA Digital will now serve meatless meals once a week in their cafeteria and promote a plant-based diet after joining the Green Tuesday Initiative. TA Digital is a technology company based in Hyderabad that delivers artificial intelligence, marketing solutions, and automation services. This change will reduce 3380 kgs/7451 pounds of chicken annually.
Their employees participated in our vegan cooking challenge and shared some interesting vegan recipes.

Check out a glimpse of the vegan cooking challenge here.

Sparks Lifestyle and Living is an event management, catering, and meal subscription firm based in Hyderabad. They will now replace one chicken dish with a delicious plant-based dish in all their buffet services. They also added a full range of vegan options in their selection menus, both for catering and meal subscriptions.

You are a big part of Vegan Outreach’s India program. Thank you so much for enabling this important work!

We would love to have your feedback on the work we are doing in India and feature your feedback in our next edition of the newsletter. Please reply to this email.
Donate today to help animals in India!

With utmost gratitude,

Richa Mehta
Director of Programs, India

TA Digital joined the Green Tuesday Initiative and will now serve meatless meals once a week in their cafeteria. Once the offices reopen after the lockdown, employees will have more plant-based options on Tuesdays, and TA Digital will promote a plant-based diet. Since the employees are currently working from home, they participated in our vegan cooking challenge and shared some interesting vegan recipes.

TA Digital, a technology company that delivers artificial intelligence, marketing solutions, and automation services, joined the Green Tuesday Initiative to fight climate change and promote wellness. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Our first step to reducing food-related carbon footprint is partnering with Vegan Outreach’s Green Tuesday Initiative.
We hope our new partnership will help fight climate change and promote employee wellness,” said Vignesh S – HR and Business partner, TA Digital.

What we eat is rapidly becoming an issue of global concern; multiple reports have identified meat and dairy as one of the leading causes of climate change. One such example is the recent report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2019), which emphasized a shift towards plant-based diets as a significant opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Worldwide, meat and dairy production uses 83% of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions. There is a growing awareness among organizations in India regarding the same, and we are glad to help them reduce their carbon footprint with Green Tuesday Initiative,” said Bhavya Vatrapu, Campaigns and Social Media Manager, Vegan Outreach.

Our Green Tuesday Initiative is a campaign by Vegan Outreach to help institutions reduce their environmental footprint by making small changes in the food they serve. Since 2019, Vegan Outreach has partnered with 25 Institutes and companies in India as part of the Green Tuesday Initiative.
Mail us [email protected] if you’d like these fantastic free recipes or start the Green Tuesday Initiative in your institution. 🙂