The actor, television presenter, author and fitness icon honoured changemakers with the prestigious Mina Swaminathan Award for their lifetime contributions to India’s childcare ecosystem.
At the Annual Childcare Champion Awards organised by FORCES (Forum for Creches and Childcare Services) and Bedi, joined the celebration of the International Day of Care & Support. Lending her voice to the national conversation on quality childcare and support for children, Bedi conferred the Mina Swaminathan Award on Nirmala Kunwar for dedicating her life to creating a better care ecosystem for children.
Speaking about the significance of childcare, Bedi said, “Every child deserves intentional care—not luck—that shapes their future. As a mom, I know the first six years of childhood define a person’s life. But millions of parents in India do not have the support systems they need to give their children that nurturing care. Through Mobile Creches and FORCES, I hope to help raise the right kind of awareness about childcare: That it is not a privilege, but a right.”
“Mandira represents the modern Indian parent—aware, compassionate, and willing to use her voice for the next generation,” Sumitra Mishra, CEO, Mobile Creches. “Her association with us on International Day of Care marks a milestone in building public consciousness around nurturing care and shared responsibility for India’s youngest citizens. The only way to protect India’s future and achieve Viksit Bharat by 2047 is to nurture our youngest citizens.”
The care and support that children receive in the first six years of life lay the foundation for learning, health and wellbeing throughout their lives. As a mother and adoptive parent, her journey reflects empathy and resilience—values that align with Mobile Creches’ mission to make care visible, valued and supported.
The Childcare Champions Award, now in its second edition, recognises the contributions of individuals and institutions committed to creating a nurturing ecosystem for children’s growth and development. Rashmi Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, delivered an address emphasised the need for quality childcare and the training and capacity building of childcare workers.
The event also saw the launch of a Policy Brief on “Building a Skilled and Professional Childcare Workforce” by Sambodhi Research and FORCES. The brief highlights the impact of the undervaluation of care work on children’s developmental outcomes and women’s participation in the labour force. It calls for recognising childcare as a public good, increasing public investment, ensuring inter-ministerial coordination, and formalising care work as skilled and dignified employment.
By 2030, India will have an estimated 164.5 million children under the age of six. Despite a wide range of national policies and schemes, childcare continues to be deprioritised. Research from Mobile Creches’ Landscape and Political Economy Study of Childcare, conducted with Sambodhi, a global advisory and research organisation, reveals that less than one in three children in India under the age of three has access to any form of early learning or care.
Childcare is often treated as unpaid domestic work resting solely on women, resulting in low public investment and limited political attention. By 2030, India will require approximately 2.6 million childcare services and an estimated 5.2 million trained childcare workers. Current public spending on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) remains around 0.1% of GDP annually, while international organisations recommend investment of at least 1% of GDP. Alternative projections suggest India needs to allocate between 1.5% and 2.5% of GDP to meet these needs.
Nurturing care—defined by responsive caregiving, early learning, safety, nutrition and health—is an essential component of nation-building. Countries that invest in early childhood care develop stronger human capital, achieve higher female workforce participation, and reduce inequality. Despite global evidence that every ₹1 invested in early childhood yields up to ₹13 in returns through improved education, health and productivity outcomes, funding and policy prioritisation remain limited.
As India looks towards Viksit Bharat 2047, the message from the event was clear: the nation’s progress begins with its youngest citizens.
