Udaan Maharashtra 2026: Strengthening Early Childhood Care and Education

Marked by discussions which strengthened the foundation of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Maharashtra.

Mumbai, March 26: The state-level conference – “Udaan Maharashtra 2026”, was successfully organised today at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre, Mumbai, leading to multi-stakeholder alignment for strengthening early childhood care and education in the state. The conference was jointly organised by the Department of Women & Child Development, Government of Maharashtra, and Rocket Learning, India’s largest not-for-profit working in Early Child Education.

The conference was held in the esteemed presence of Hon’ble Minister for Women and Child Development of Maharashtra – Smt. Aditi Tatkare, and the Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra – Shri Rajesh Aggarwal. The convening brought together key policymakers, government officials, development sector leaders, and practitioners working in the early childhood ecosystem. Smt. Madhavi Sardeshmukh, Commissioner, Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS), also graced the conference with her presence.

<img decoding='async' src='https://api.newsinpics.com/uploads/zjoow205hl.jpeg' alt='' width='786' height='522'>

The keynote address was delivered by Smt. Aditi Tatkare, who emphasised the importance of strengthening ECCE systems in the state. A special address was delivered by Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, who reinforced the government’s focus on systemic strengthening and convergence.

While Maharashtra leads on many economic indicators, we must confront the reality of persistent gaps in women’s nutrition and early childhood development. Strengthening early identification and intervention, through better-trained frontline workers, streamlined systems, and effective use of technology, is critical to improving outcomes. If we act in the first 1,000 days, we can significantly reduce developmental gaps and ensure every child has a fair start, he stated.

Smt. Madhavi Sardeshmukh stressed upon the importance of initiatives like Udaan in aligning stakeholders and accelerating impact at scale.

The conference featured a series of focused discussions on key priorities in the ECCE ecosystem. The first session, “Foundations First: The Golden 1000 Days Mission,” highlighted the critical importance of early childhood development in the first 1000 days and the need for integrated interventions.

Siddhant Sachdeva – Co-Founder, Rocket Learning added, “At Rocket Learning, we are committed to supporting the government in driving large-scale impact by leveraging technology and community engagement. Our partnership with ICDS continues to enable stronger learning outcomes for children and parents across Maharashtra.”

A key highlight of the event was the launch of the Maharashtra Divyang Protocol, marking an important step towards strengthening inclusive early childhood systems. Subsequent sessions such as “From Policy to Practice: ECCE Best Practices Across States,” showcased successful implementation models, and “Scaling Impact with AI: The Role of Technology in Strengthening Anganwadi Systems,” explored the role of digital tools in improving service delivery and system efficiency.

The conference concluded with a panel discussion on “Collaborative Models for Impact: Aligning CSR Action with Government ECCE Priorities,” highlighting the importance of partnerships between government and the private sector to drive sustainable, large-scale impact. The conference witnessed participation from district program officers, child development project officers, supervisors, Anganwadi educators, and other key stakeholders from across Maharashtra, reflecting a strong, collective commitment to advancing early childhood care and education in the state.