Author: csr-admin

Muthoot CSR has impacted over 4.5 lakh people

For the socio-economic development of society, Muthoot Finance benefits over 4.5 lakh people through various CSR initiatives

Muthoot Finance, India’s largest gold loan NBFC Company has demonstrated its dedication to the socio-economic development of society and touched more than 4.5 lakh beneficiaries under its CSR initiatives in 2021-2022.

The company reported a total spend of Rs. 81.14 Crores on Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives that spanned the delivery of COVID essentials during the second wave of the pandemic, education, healthcare, livelihood and skilling, and infrastructure initiatives along with sports development projects.

The Muthoot Group and its flagship company Muthoot Finance have always been actively involved in a plethora of CSR initiatives in domains like education, environment, sanitation, healthcare, medical aid, and financial aid for the betterment of society.

Muthoot Finance’s CSR activities helped more than 3.25 lakh underserved and needy people with food distribution and ration support, and around 53 thousand people were positively impacted through the healthcare initiatives alone. Initiatives extended and supported over 5000 unprivileged students by providing basic amenities, aid, and livelihood support to the weaker sections of society.

These initiatives have been implemented in association with many grass root level social organisations, including the National Association of Blind, Center for Blind Women & Disability Studies (New Delhi), Red Cross Society, Delhi Police Foundation for Education, Habitat for Humanity, The Earth Savior Foundation, Think Rise and Act Foundation, YMCA Mumbai amongst others.

In response to the pandemic, Muthoot Finance provided a 16-bedded COVID Hospital set up for Kanpur Police that helped around 7000 people. The Snehasaraya Mobile Medical Van provided COVID testing to more than 7100 individuals. Muthoot also offered a pick and dropped facility for COVID vaccinations to around 7200 people. They supported 15 hospitals in PAN India with medical equipment like beds and wheelchairs and also donated face masks, hand sanitiser, gloves and face shields to 94000 people.

Muthoot Finance supported the Indian Food Banking Network and provided food kits, nutrition kits and drinks packs to around 37000 people. Fifty families uprooted due to the demolition of the Yamuna Bank area in New Delhi were provided ration for three days. In association with ANAMARTIA Foundation, 7000 ready-to-eat food packets were distributed to the needy. More than 2.67 lakh underprivileged people were supported with a cooked and dry ratio.

Under the green initiatives, the company provided the National Association of Blind (NAB) India Centre for Blind Women & Disability Studies with 24 KW Solar Panels. Five hundred fruit saplings were distributed to 50 Tribal Farmers at Asegaon Mokhada, Palgarh District of Maharashtra.

Sponsorship for the education of 40 girls studying at Deepalaya Senior Secondary School, Gusbethi. They also distributed educational kits to 152 children with special needs. Initiatives were undertaken to promote education among slum children in the Delhi Cantt Slum area. Under this, 110 educational kits, including notebooks, geometry boxes, drawing books and 1lt steel water bottles (to reduce plastic bottle usage), were distributed to slum children.

As part of this initiative, 104 people benefitted from the distribution of wheelchairs to support their livelihood, enhance their skill sets and promote sports among differently-abled people.

To promote self-employment practices and sustainable livelihood, 5 Self Help Groups (SHG) were provided scanning machinery, raw material for papad, pickle, namkeen making & e-cart for transportation of SHG’s products. Tricycles and manual cycle rickshaws were donated to weaker sections and migrants across regions in Punjab and Delhi.

Alexander George Muthoot, Joint Managing Director, The Muthoot Group, said, “To reach the marginalised sections of communities across the country, our CSR initiatives in 2021-2022 have been truly successful. We at Muthoot Finance understand our duties and responsibilities towards societal development. From the very start, we have been serving as a helping hand for the development of our society. We will continue to strengthen, empower, and uplift our society by playing our part in the overall development of our country and its people. We remain steadfastly committed to supporting weaker sections of our society through our continuous support.”

July 8, 2022
Coca Cola’s CSR initiative in high density farming can make India self-sufficient in apple production

India imports about 4 lakh tonnes of apple annually. Bringing 5,000 to 8,000 hectare under the HDP model is sufficient to make import substitute in the next five years.

Like many farmers in Uttarakhand, 35 year-old woman farmer from Champawat district Devaki Devi was sceptical of adopting a high density plantation of new apple varieties in mid-altitude range of 1,000-1,500 metres above sea level and that too in just five nali (10,800 square feet) area.

For years, Devi had been growing vegetables in her small piece of land but decided to shift to apple cultivation after seeing fellow farmers getting better yields and returns.

She took training in HDP (High Density Plantation) from the ‘Unnati apple project’, a CSR intervention of Coca Cola India along with Bhimtal-based Indo Dutch Horticulture Technologies and G B Pant University Of Agriculture and Technology.

With technical and financial support from the Unnati project, Devi planted 250 apple saplings of ‘Gala mema’ and ‘Red Delicious’ varieties in five nali areas in 2021.

In the traditional method, apple trees are planted at a distance of 5-7 metres, whereas in the HDP method it is done at every one metre.

“Apple fruits are typically ready for harvest in August. But much to my surprise in HDP, the varieties that I planted the fruits were ready for picking in July itself. I got 5-6 kg yield per tree in the first year itself,” Devi said.

Devi sold apples at Rs 150 per kilogram and got a better price as her crop hit the market a month in advance. She earned nearly Rs 1.80 lakh in the first year itself. Devi is now waiting to harvest next month with a yield as high as 10-15 kilogram per tree.

For 57-year-old Madan Singh, a traditional apple farmer, growing apple trees at mid-altitude and getting the crop in 12 months after the planting was unbelievable until he tried his hands on five nali areas under the Unnati project.

In traditional methods, it is difficult to get a crop for harvesting even after six years but in HDP method it was possible to get the crop from second year onwards with yields expected to go up to 50 kg per tree from fifth year, which is unimaginable, he added.

Due to early maturity and better returns, many farmers in Uttarakhand are taking up this new method of apple cultivation.

About 700-odd acres of apple orchards have already been developed since the launch of the Unnati apple project in 2018 in the state, Coca-Cola INSWA, CSR and Sustainability Senior Manager Aditya Panda said.

Not only in Uttarakhand, the new method is also being promoted in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, where 300 acres of apple orchards have come up under the Unnati project, he said.

The target is to achieve 20,000 acres in three states.

The Unnati apple project was initiated in Uttarakhand solely because the productivity in the state was low at 3-4 tonnes per hectare per annum, half the nation’s average productivity, despite favourable climate and vast available land for greenfield apple cultivation,” Panda said.

Since farmers were shy of making upfront investment required to establish modern HDP apple orchards of highest global standards, the company subsidised and set up demo farms at their places. Along with planting material, drip irrigation, trellis support structure with four wire support, perforated weed mulching, hail net and fencing material are being provided at subsidised rates.

To ensure well-being of farmer communities, improve yields and propagate judicious use of natural resources, Coca Cola India partnered with Indo Dutch Horticulture Technologies (IDHT) as its implementation partner in Uttarakhand.

IDHT is the biggest and leading producer of high density apple plant nursery in India. It has been key in supplying the right planting material to farmers.

“With a five times increase in yield expected from HDP apple orchards, there is potential to make the country self-sufficient in apple production. This will also help in reverse migration and provide employment to youth in hilly states,” Indo-Dutch Horticulture Technologies (IDHT) Director Sudhir Chadha said.

A total of 2 lakh hectare is under apple cultivation in India, out of which 10,000 hectare in Uttarakhand.

“We import about 4 lakh tonnes annually. Bringing 5,000 to 8,000 hectare under the HDP model is sufficient to make import substitute in the next five years,” he said.

‘Gala mema’, ‘Gala Schinico Red’ , ‘King Roat and ‘Golden Parsi Da Rosa’ are some of the high yielding varieties which Chadha has developed by grafting apple trees on rootstock imported from The Netherlands and Italy.

These apple varieties can be grown in mid-altitude range and the research is underway to grow HDP apples in plains as well, he said.

Chadha, a pioneer in the high density apple plantation in India, is conducting research in HDP apples at an experimental field of 10,000 acres given on lease for 10 years by G B Pant University Of Agriculture and Technology, which is a knowledge partner of Unnati Apple Project.

According to Shivendra Kashyap, Dean, College of Agriculture at G B Pant University Of Agriculture and Technology, “We are doing research in some fruits, not in apples. Chadha’ HDP method has potential to change the way apples are cultivated not only in Uttarakhand but in other hilly states.”

Coca Cola India has capped the subsidy for setting up an HDP apple orchard in five nali areas. The subsidy varies for three states. Farmers, however, can expand their orchards at their own cost.

Besides apples, the company is working with farmers to boost production of mango, orange, grapes, litchi and priority commodities like sugarcane in 11 states under the Unnati project, which is part of the company’s ‘Fruit Circular Economy’.

June 26, 2022
National CSR Exchange Portal to become a reality

Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the National CSR Exchange Portal

National CSR Exchange Portal has become a reality in India. It aims at enhancing and aiding the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. As Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) became mandatory under the Companies Act 2013, more and more companies have to abide by the legislation making it essential to direct companies with relevant resources and expertise towards the same.

To manage their CSR projects effectively, the government launched the National CSR Exchange Portal earlier this month to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The National CSR Exchange Portal is a digital initiative that will enable stakeholders to list, search, interact, engage and manage their CSR projects voluntarily, according to an official release.

This National CSR Exchange Portal will serve as an e-marketplace hosting PAN India social welfare projects where stakeholders such as Implementing agencies can put up their ongoing projects, and companies can select projects for CSR Spending per their preferences and vice versa.

The Exchange Portal has been developed based on recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility 2018. An Advisory cum Technical Committee was formed for the development of the portal. The Committee was represented by different CSR Stakeholders – CSR Practitioners, Technical Experts, and Civil Society Organizations. The Committee apprised of BSE Sammaan, an initiative of MCA Think Tank: Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Confederation of Indian Industry, and Bombay Stock Exchange, which offered similar functionalities as envisaged for the National CSR Exchange Portal.

The exchange was launched by the Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who is in charge of the finance and corporate affairs ministries, in the presence of Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh and senior officials.

June 25, 2022
Byju’s to teach English to 35 lakh students under CSR

Byju’s education will impart English language skills to 35 lakh students

Andhra Pradesh Government has signed an MoU with Byju’s to impart spoken English training to students of class 4 to class 8 in state-run schools. Byju’s education will impart English language skills to 35 lakh students under its CSR initiative, state Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana has announced.

The minister said the government would launch 884 new junior colleges in the state from the current academic year, adding that it may review its decision to convert 25 junior colleges into girls only if technical problems arise.

AP government proposes to upgrade schools up to class 10 as junior colleges in line with the government’s decision to have two junior colleges in each Mandal. There are 679 mandals in the state.

June 25, 2022
Adani group commits Rs 60,000 crore for CSR

The donation will be used for charitable activities related to healthcare, education, and skill development.

The Adani Family has announced a donation of Rs 60,000 crore for social causes on the occasion of Gautam Adani’s 60th birthday and the centenary birth anniversary of Gautam Adani’s father Shantilal Adani.

The donation will be used for charitable activities related to healthcare, education, and skill development. Gautam Adani is estimated to be worth about $ 91.7 billion, adding more wealth in the recent past than any other billionaire in the world.

The amount of Rs 60,000 crore towards CSR activity is higher than the amount generally spent on CSR activities. According to law, a company must spend 2 per cent of its total profit on CSR initiatives, which is done through the Adani Foundation for the Adani Group.

Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Group, announced, “This contribution from the Adani Family intends to draw upon some of the brightest minds that have a passion for making a difference in the Adani Foundation’s journey to do more towards fulfilling our ‘Growth with Goodness’ philosophy.”

Gautam Adani and his family’s commitment to philanthropy is an example for all. Chairman of Azim Premji Foundation and founder-chairman of Wipro Limited, a great philanthropist, has commented on the announcement as being laudable.

June 25, 2022
UP Govt and Vedanta join forces to address malnourishment

The five-month project aims to improve nutritional and health status of the targeted children through nutritious food

Vedanta Ltd has joined hands with the Uttar Pradesh government reaffirming its commitment to combat and eradicate malnourishment from the state by the year 2024.

Vedanta’s philanthropic arm, The Anil Agarwal Foundation plans to end all forms of malnutrition, including stunting and wasting in children under five years of age, and address the nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women through its flagship CSR Project Nand Ghar, an official statement said.

Nand Ghar has partnered with Mealmile Nutrients, as a part of its thematic interventions on the right nutrition. Initiating a pilot project, the partnership is targeting to improvise the nutritional levels of 3000 malnourished children in the Araji line block of Varanasi.

Under the pilot, a Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) in the form of a paste, manufactured by Mealmile Nutrients is being distributed by the district administration to each of the household having malnourished children in Varanasi.

The project aims to potentially improve the nutritional and health status of the targeted children by ensuring access to nutritious food. The ongoing pilot project is five months long and should be eventually assessed by the district administration.

On the occasion, Vedanta Resources Director Priya Agarwal said: “Project Nand Ghar is committed towards PM’s vision of a malnourishment-free India. It is our chairman’s dream to see no child goes to bed hungry. This partnership with the Government of Uttar Pradesh will strengthen our commitment to combat malnourishment among children and ensure a healthy future for them.”

The District Magistrate of Varanasi, Kaushal Raj Sharma said: “Malnourishment suppresses the development and growth of children. Our primary focus is to provide the necessary nourishment to the children so that they get the opportunity to grow to their full potential. With this partnership we shall ensure proper nourishment for the holistic development of the children, hence the nation.”

Currently, there are 950 Nand Ghars in the state of Uttar Pradesh, directly impacting the lives of 40,000 children and 30,000 women.

June 25, 2022
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India kickstarts week-long national environment campaign

As part of this campaign, the company will undertake plantation of over 44,000 saplings across its dealerships and office premises in India along with other activities.

Reaffirming the need for sustainable existence in harmony with nature through transformative on-ground changes, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI)on Sunday on the occasion of World Environment Day kickstarted its week-long National Environment Campaign.

The campaign, which will end on June 11, was kicked off by the company’s Managing Director, President and CEO Atsushi Ogata with a tree-plantation ceremony organised at Future Honda, Bhiwadi (Rajasthan) dealership.

Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Ogata said Honda aims for a circular society to achieve zero environmental impact by year 2050. In this direction, the company’s three key pillars of carbon neutrality, clean energy and resource circulation will enable Honda’s vision to realize carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities Honda is involved in by 2050.

“Therefore, reinforcing these goals each year through our week-long sensitization campaign, we come together to strengthen our commitment towards conservation of our one & only – Mother Earth,” he added.

Takeshi Kobayashi, Director, Sales & Marketing and other senior officials were present at the event.

As part of this campaign, the company will undertake plantation of over 44000 saplings across its dealerships and office premises in India along with other activities.

Also, during the week free of cost PUC check-ups will be conducted in collaboration with Society of Indian Automobile Manufactures (SIAM) for all the customers visiting HMSI authorized dealership network, among other activities.

With an aim to bring a holistic understanding on environment protection, Honda will engage customer groups & personnel at over 6000 dealership network including HMSI associates at all its office locations and manufacturing plants in Manesar (Haryana), Tapukara (Rajasthan) Narsapura (Karnataka) and Vithalapur (Gujarat).

The week-long national campaign is a synergy between UNEP’s 2022 global theme of ‘Only One Earth’ and ‘Honda’s vision to realize carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities Honda is involved in by 2050.’

To promote a greener cover around their surroundings, customers visiting the dealerships will be gifted free plant saplings as well. Additionally, as part of HMSI’s responsibility to support our business partners in reducing their environmental footprint, the concept of Green Factory, Green Dealer and Green Supplier aims for a Cleaner, Greener and Brighter outlook.

Further instilling awareness to reinforce the campaign’s message during the environment week celebration, dealership personnel will sensitize the customers via awareness dockets for greener practices to all the customers.

June 5, 2022
Nicktoons Motu & Patlu join UN Earth Champion Afroz Shah for Mumbai beach clean-up

This initiative aims to sensitise children about littering in public spaces, including beaches, and the impact of plastic usage on environment and marine life.

On World Environment Day, Nicktoons Motu Patlu teamed up with Afroz Shah, UNEP Champion of the Earth for a beach cleanup at Versova Beach as part of its ongoing campaign, #OnlyOneEarth with the United Nations in India.

The programme aims to raise awareness on ways individual action can help protect our planet and its ecosystems. The beach cleaning programme, organised by the Afroz Shah Foundation, saw volunteers across age groups collect waste from Versova beach to prevent litter from reaching our oceans and harming marine animals.

The volunteer effort gave young people and children a chance to demonstrate their love and care for the planet Earth, its environment and biodiversity, including oceans and its life, the UN body said in a statement.

Commenting on the participation from Motu & Patlu, Afroz Shah said, “It is important to remember that there is no Planet B, and therefore we must protect the one we have for the future. It’s time we look at our actions and adopt sustainable practices to reduce our carbon footprint. I truly believe children are critical agents of change and can make a difference through everyday actions. And encouragement from their favourite Nickelodeon characters will only inspire them to be the change leaders they are!”

Nickelodeon has consistently strived to instill positive behavioral change amongst children and in shaping their values by leveraging the influence of Nicktoons among kids. This initiative also aims to sensitise children about littering in public spaces, including beaches, and the impact of plastic usage on environment and marine life.

Afroz Shah, the founder of the Afroz Shah Foundation, is a UNEP Champion of the Earth and a young change-maker reclaiming beaches, oceans, rivers, and mangroves from trash and apathy.

June 5, 2022
IndiGo takes innovative step to reduce water concumption in flights

IndiGo has successfully conducted trials with a new water faucet in 200 flights which reduced water consumption by 5.4 litres per hour.

Leading carrier IndiGo on Sunday said it has successfully conducted trials with a new water faucet in 200 flights which reduced water consumption by 5.4 litres per hour.

“For an average length 138 min flight (as per our trials conducted onboard), we saved 12.42 Ltr of water per flight,” the company said in a statement.

IndiGo currently operates 1500 daily flights with an average flight duration of 98 minutes. This new installation will reduce water consumption by 8.82 litres per flight, enabling overall water savings of 13230 litres per day.

The airline is implementing innovative measures to reduce water and fuel consumption on flights on the occasion of world environment day.

According to IndiGo, this modification will also solve the challenge of water quantity in long flights. The reduced need for uplifting water in shorter flights will also contribute to fuel savings during operations, reducing carbon emissions by 930.75 Kg CO2/m3 per year.

The airline has been working towards an integrated sustainable approach which can help them with day- to- day operations. IndiGo will be the first airline globally to make these changes for water conservation on board the aircraft.

IndiGo President and Chief Operating Officer Wolfgang Prock-Schauer said, “As a leading airline, we have a special responsibility towards the environment and ESG is therefore one of our top corporate goals. We are in the process of institutionalising a sustainable approach to operations over the last few years, where-in sustainability is being integrated with day-to-day operations.”

“With this new initiative, we to conserve water and significantly reduce carbon emissions through fuel savings. These consistent initiatives will contribute to a healthy ecosystem for our future generations,” he added.

Recently, IndiGo published its first ESG Report, IndiGo Green, to share company’s outlook towards good governance and an overview of the environmental and social performance.

The airline has already registered a reduction of 1,478,359 tonnes of carbon emissions from 2014-15 to 2020-21 fiscal years. In 2022-23, the airline aims to reduce CO2 emission by 18% per ASK when compared to 2015-16, the statement added.

June 5, 2022
India’s efforts to protect environment multi-dimensional: PM

The PM took a jibe at the developed world saying they not only exploited more and more resources of the earth but also contributed to maximum carbon emissions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Sunday that India has achieved the target of 10 per cent ethanol blending in petrol five months before the deadline.

Making the announcement at a programme on the ‘Save Soil Movement’, which coincided with the World Environment Day, Modi cited a number of measures taken by his government to protect the environment, saying its efforts have been multi-dimensional despite the country having a negligible role in climate change.

The rise in ethanol blending in petrol from 1.5 per cent in 2014 to 10 per cent now has reduced carbon emission by 27 lakh tonnes and saved Rs 41,000 crore of forex reserve. This has also brought Rs 40,000 crore of income to farmers, he said, adding the feat was achieved on Sunday.

In his address, the prime minister said India has also achieved its goal of having 40 per cent of its installed power generation from non-fossil fuel-based sources nine years before the deadline.

Modi said India’s forest cover had grown by over 20,000 sq km in the last eight years, with wildlife numbers also seeing a record growth.

Solar energy capacity has increased by 18 times and initiatives like Hydrogen Mission and circular economy and scrappage policy are examples of our commitment to environment protection, he said.

He expressed satisfaction that his government’s key programmes of the last eight years have an angle of environment protection, citing the Swachh Bharat Mission, waste to wealth related programme, reduction of single use plastic, one Sun one earth or ethanol blending programme as examples of multi-dimensional efforts for preservation of environment.

Taking a jibe at the developed world, he said they not only exploited more and more resources of the earth but also contributed to maximum carbon emissions.

While the average carbon footprint of the world is about four tonne per person per annum, it is only 0.5 tonne per person per annum in India.

He said India is working on a long term vision in collaboration with the international community on protecting the environment and established organisations like Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and International Solar Alliance.

He reiterated India’s goal of Net-Zero by 2070.

To save the soil, India has focused on five main things, he said, citing efforts to make the soil chemical free, to save organisms that live in the soil, to maintain soil moisture, to increase the availability of water, to remove the damage that is happening to the soil due to less groundwater, and to stop the continuous erosion of soil due to the reduction of forests.

Farmers earlier lacked information about the type of soil, deficiency in soil and how much water is there, he said, noting that his government launched a huge campaign to give soil health cards to them to overcome the problem.

A campaign to conserve 13 big rivers has also started in the country, and along with reducing pollution in water, work is also being done to plant forests on the banks of rivers, he said, noting that this will add a forest cover of 7,400 sq km.

Praising natural farming, Modi said it offers solution to some of our biggest problems.

The government has decided to encourage natural farming in villages situated on the banks of Ganga which will make it a huge corridor of natural farming, he said.

This will not only make our farms chemical free but the Namami Gange campaign will also gain new strength.

India is working on the goal of making 26 million hectares of barren land fertile by 2030, he added.

Modi said due to the PM National GatiShakti Master plan logistics system and transport system will be strengthened and that will lead to reduction of pollution.

Multi-modal connectivity work on more than 100 waterways will also help in reducing pollution, he said, noting this will create lot of green jobs.

The ‘Save Soil Movement’ is a global initiative to increase awareness about deteriorating soil health and bring about a conscious response to improve it, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had said in a statement.

The movement was started in March by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, who embarked on a 100-day motorcycle journey passing through 27 countries, it said, adding that June 5 marks the 75th day of the journey.

June 5, 2022