Torrent Group’s philanthropic arm, UNM Foundation, has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with six civic bodies for the maintenance of 69 lakes across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts, covering over 2 million square metres.

The agreements were formalised at the Startup Conclave 2025 in Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. They mark a major expansion of the foundation’s flagship environmental initiative, PRATITI.

The civic bodies include Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar Jilla Panchayats, and the Kalol and Mansa Nagar Palikas. Torrent Group Director Jinal Mehta signed the MoUs with Ahmedabad Mayor Pratibhaben Jain, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and several state ministers also attending.

UNM Foundation vice-chairperson Sapna Mehta described the agreements as a significant milestone in the foundation’s ecological restoration efforts. “It reaffirms our enduring commitment to restoring, maintaining, and celebrating the natural assets that sustain our communities,” she said, adding that maintaining green and blue spaces is a civic responsibility.

The MoUs aim to restore and sustain urban water bodies, improve biodiversity, and strengthen community participation in environmental stewardship. With this latest commitment, UNM Foundation will oversee the upkeep of 28.44 million square metres of public parks and lakes across Gujarat.

Under the PRATITI initiative, the foundation has already developed and maintained over 0.5 million square metres of green spaces, including 13 public gardens and 2 lakes, which collectively attract around 6 million annual visitors. Expansion of the initiative to other states, including Maharashtra, is also under consideration.