IIFL Foundation Partners with Enviro Creators, GSDMA to Plant 12,932 Trees at Smritivan in Memory of 12,932 Bhuj Earthquake Victims

MUMBAI, India, March 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — IIFL Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the diversified financial conglomerate IIFL Group, has partnered with the Enviro Creators Foundation and the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) to plant 12,932 native saplings at the Smritivan Earthquake Memorial Forest in Bhuj. The plantation commemorates the 12,932 lives lost in the Bhuj earthquake of January 26, 2001.

Smritivan is a UNESCO-recognised memorial that combines a world-class museum with a living forest spread across Bhujiyo Hill. The site hosts more than 500,000 trees, making it the world’s largest Miyawaki forest, a method of dense afforestation that enables rapid ecosystem restoration.

Commenting on the initiative, Mrs Madhu Jain, Director, IIFL Foundation, said:

“The IIFL Foundation and the IIFL Group remember the innocent lives lost in the Gujarat earthquake of 2001. We are grateful to GSDMA for giving us the opportunity to contribute to ecological restoration while honouring their memory. We appreciate the efforts of Enviro Creators in planting and nurturing native saplings that have helped transform the once-barren landscape of Bhuj into a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem and a global landmark.”

Dr R. K. Nair , widely known as the ‘Green Hero of India’ and Co-Founder of Enviro Creators Foundation, said:

“The Smritivan project is internationally recognised for its use of the Miyawaki method, a specialised afforestation technique that enables forests to grow up to ten times faster and thirty times denser than conventional plantations. By planting 12,932 saplings, IIFL Foundation is strengthening a landscape that already hosts more than 500,000 trees, reinforcing Smritivan’s position as the world’s largest Miyawaki forest.”

Key Highlights of the Initiative

Ecological restoration:

The project promotes multi-layered native biodiversity, improving soil quality and creating a cooler microclimate in an arid and seismically vulnerable region.

Sustainable impact:

The Miyawaki method enables forests to become largely self-sustaining within two to three years, requiring minimal human intervention while enhancing carbon sequestration.

Community and remembrance:

Beyond its environmental benefits, the forest serves as a space for reflection, learning and community engagement, blending ecological renewal with the spirit of resilience and remembrance.

About IIFL Foundation

IIFL Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of diversified financial services entity – IIFL Group. Recognized as one of India’s largest CSR foundations, IIFL Foundation has consistently worked in areas of education, health, livelihood, and climate change. The Foundation’s initiatives have positively impacted over a million beneficiaries and earned recognition from the Central Government, State Governments, and global entities, including the United Nations. IIFL has pioneered multiple healthcare innovations in partnership with government and non-government organizations across India.

About Enviro Creators Foundation 

Enviro Creators Foundation is a premier non-profit organization dedicated to large-scale reforestation and environmental conservation. Specializing in the Miyawaki technique, the foundation has successfully established millions of trees across India, focusing on urban forestry, coastal restoration, and sustainable ecosystem management.

About Smritivan Earthquake Memorial

Conceived as a tribute to the resilience of the people of Kutch following the 2001 earthquake, Smritivan is a UNESCO-recognized memorial. It seamlessly integrates a world-class museum with a living forest, covering over 500,000 trees across the Bhujiyo Hill.

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