Finolex, MMF support upgraded human milk bank for newborns in Pune

Supported by Finolex Industries Ltd and the Mukul Madhav Foundation, the facility features advanced pasteurisation and milk-banking equipment to supply safe donor breast milk to neonatal intensive care units.

For hundreds of premature and critically ill newborns in Pune, the difference between survival and struggle often begins with a few precious millilitres of safe human milk. That lifeline was strengthened today with the inauguration of an upgraded Human Milk Bank at Bharati Hospital and Research Centre, supported by Finolex Industries Ltd and the Mukul Madhav Foundation (MMF).

The upgraded facility, equipped with advanced pasteurisation and milk-banking equipment, enhances the hospital’s ability to provide screened and pasteurised donor breast milk to infants in neonatal intensive care units, especially those born too early or too fragile to be fed by their mothers.

Since becoming operational in March 2022, the Bharati Hospital milk bank has supported more than 2,200 vulnerable infants, distributing over 1,500 litres of donor milk collected from nearly 1,900 mothers. The latest upgrade is expected to improve processing efficiency and expand access during the critical first days of life, when nutrition plays a decisive role in recovery and survival.

CSR Initiative

As part of Finolex Industries’ CSR initiative, MMF and Finolex Pipes have donated critical equipment to the Human Milk Bank. Expressing gratitude for the contribution, Dr Asmita Jagtap and Dr Sanjay Lalwani noted that the donation reflects the corporate partners’ deep commitment to maternal and child health and will have a lasting impact on neonatal care services at the hospital.

Speaking about the initiative, Ritu Chhabria, Managing Trustee, Mukul Madhav Foundation, said: “Every drop of donated milk represents a mother’s compassion reaching beyond her own child. By strengthening human milk banks across Pune, we are not only providing essential nutrition to premature and medically fragile infants but also offering families reassurance during an incredibly vulnerable time”

Published on December 24, 2025