Cairn Oil & Gas: How Maru Mangala is narrating the story of transformation in Barmer

The barren land of Barmer in Rajasthan, India, was once feared to be the "kalapani'' of the country, has experienced a rapid transformation with a decadal growth of 650% per capita income and newfound hope and riches. In 2004, Cairn made India's most significant onshore hydrocarbon field discovery in the past two decades, the Mangala field in Barmer. With a vision of producing 50% of India's domestic crude, Cairn is not only dedicated to making India energy aatmanirbhar but also to upholding its responsibility towards the environment and society.

To spread awareness about Barmer's transformation and pave the way for the future, Cairn Oil and Gas, Vedanta Limited initiated a socio-economic campaign. The first campaign began in 2021 named ‘Badalta Barmer’ which focused on driving community awareness towards welcoming and  embracing change, while building a positive connection with the local communities. The first edition won many accolades, and appeared to become an award winning campaign. In October 2022, we begin the second edition of our campaign called the Maru Mangla, which is a year-long campaign and a testimony to the commitment that benchmarks both the company’s and India’s goals in achieving energy security in tandem with holistic socioeconomic development.

The campaign's core is to integrate Rajasthani traditions and culture with traditional and digital media to narrate the transformational journey of Barmer. The Maru Mangala campaign aims to reinforce a positive attitude amongst the communities living in Barmer, by increasing the relevance of various on-ground CSR interventions and projects Cairn is undertaking as well as convey the socio-economic development the city has undergone in the last decade.

During the campaign, a range of CSR initiatives were highlighted and discussed to enhance community awareness on the future of people, planet, and prosperity. The campaign uses a  storytelling narrative which involves the popular folk characters – Bhopa and Bhopi, further incorporating the Yellow Rice tradition – a decades old tradition to invite people to special events in Rajasthan and disseminating the stories of transformation via various digital collaborations such as All India Radio (AIR), local cable TV and video series to showcase CSR interventions.

The Yellow Rice Campaign was launched as a traditional gesture where yellow rice was offered to the households as an invitation to the Bhopa-Bhopi puppet show, which are the very relatable folk and theatre characters in Rajasthan. Radio, a well-liked form of entertainment in rural Rajasthan, was used to tell tales of the numerous CSR initiatives that are being implemented throughout its operational areas via a collaboration with the All-India Radio Show. Leveraging the popularity of local television in rural regions, the transformational stories, testimonials, and interventions were shown on the regional Barmer cable network. A video series highlighting the ongoing CSR projects were produced and amplified across platforms, along with community testimonials.

Using a traditional yet digital approach, the Maru Mangala campaign reached every single person in Barmer. The communication of CSR efforts influenced more than 12,500 lives of the community members living there. The campaign has covered 40 villages so far till the second phase, with puppet shows and theatre acts being performed in each village. The targeted villages involved the regions which have already been impacted as well as the ones where transformation has just begun. The All India Radio show called Maru Mangala itself was aired in more than 18,000 villages across Rajasthan where Dadaji and Munni took the listeners on Barmer’s transformational journey, discussing each CSR intervention and spreading awareness about its relevance and impact. 

The Maru Mangala campaign has aided Cairn in gaining support from the public and enhancing its standing as a CSR-driven company. The initiative demonstrates Cairn's dedication to transforming lives through investments in health, education, skills, capacity-building, and creating opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. By integrating Bhopa-Bhopi characters and infusing the yellow rice tradition into this campaign, it represents the traditional approach while communicating via digital means like radio, television, and social media.

Barmer has received immense support from the locals, and in return, the company must support the people and act as a catalyst for change in the area. Maru Mangala tells the stories of transformation and provides the communities with the necessary awareness about Cairn's varied initiatives and activities, which will further the socioeconomic development of the society. As a result, the initiative has been a huge success overall, with lasting impacts on the people of Barmer.