The fastest Indian CSR initiative by GAIL

The fastest Indian CSR initiative designed and developed by Jerry Almeida for GAIL is the "GAIL-The Fastest Indian" talent hunt, launched to identify and nurture young athletic talent in India for national and international competitions. This talent hunt aims to find young sprinters to bring laurels to India at the Olympics and other events by providing them with specialized training and scholarships. GAIL India's "Fastest Indian" initiative was a talent hunt for young Indian athletes in the sprint events, with the goal of producing Olympic-level runners. The program was launched as part of GAIL's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts.
Mentorship: Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh served as the principal mentor for the program, selecting and training potential winners. P.T. Usha was also part of the national selection committee. Besides designing and developing the entire campaign for GAIL, Jerry Almeida also served as the Mindset, Resilience and Performance Coach for the selected children to become word class athletes.

Key aspects of "GAIL-The Fastest Indian":

• Goal: To discover and develop future champions for the country in athletics.
• Participants: Young boys and girls in the age group of 12 to 14 years. The talent hunt focuses on 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters’ sprints.
• Outreach & Selection Process: A national talent hunt identifies the top participants based on their timings, with qualified athletes progressing to national finals. The initiative cast a wide net, holding trials in all cities and districts across India, with the goal of reaching the remotest corners of the country through iCONGO – International Confederation of NGOs. Winners receive specialized training from national and international coaches and comprehensive scholarships to cover their education, allowing them to focus on their sports career.
• Inspiration: The initiative was inspired by the success of Indian athletes and the Prime Minister's call to promote sports in the youth.
• Timeline: The talent hunt was launched in 2014. The program continued for several seasons till Covid lockdown

Results and impact

Global success: Several athletes identified through the "GAIL Indian Speedstar" program went on to win medals at national and international competitions.
Olympic goals: The project was specifically designed to identify potential Olympic medalists, with a long-term vision to build a strong athletics culture in India.
Recognition: The campaign received an "Excellence in Advertising Award" from several industry and government organisations.