Reckitt and NDTV have launched Season 13 of the Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign with a four-hour live telethon. The event was held on October 2 at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai and was broadcast on NDTV from 9 AM to 1 PM.

According to a Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign press release today, the telethon was anchored by campaign ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana and focused on this year’s theme, ‘Giving Better Health in More Hands, Everyday’. The campaign aims to make better health more accessible and part of everyday life.

Dettol Banega Swasth India has reached more than 400 million people, including 30 million children, over the past 12 years. It has also engaged more than 1 million schools and generated over 43 billion handwashing occasions.

Season 13 will focus on improving health and hygiene across communities. Reckitt said it plans to expand the campaign’s reach to 1.4 million schools across the country.

The telethon also highlighted sanitation worker safety through the SAFER Challenge, developed by Reckitt in partnership with the Administrative Staff College of India under the Harpic World Toilet College programme. The challenge focused on finding technologies that can help prevent deaths caused by toxic gas exposure during sewer and septic tank cleaning.

The event also featured BSI Spark Talks, where health-tech innovators presented solutions related to newborn care, high-risk pregnancy management and early childhood development.

The DBSI Teachers’ Awards 2026 also recognised 17 educators for their contribution to creating healthier communities and promoting health and hygiene awareness.

The telethon brought together educators, innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers and community leaders to discuss ways to make better health more accessible to people across India.