CSR Dashboard

Author: csr-admin

  • SBI, Bisleri partner to boost plastic waste management

    SBI, Bisleri partner to boost plastic waste management

    State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has signed a Letter of Association with Bisleri International to boost plastic waste management across its branches and offices nationwide.

    Under the agreement, Bisleri will conduct training and awareness sessions for SBI employees and housekeeping staff, and will collect used plastic waste from SBI premises for recycling, the companies said in a joint statement.

    The tie-up falls under Bisleri’s “Bottles for Change” programme, through which the packaged water maker works with institutions, housing societies, corporates and communities to encourage responsible plastic waste management.

    The companies said the partnership is intended to support India’s shift toward a circular economy and aid the country’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

    Ravi Ranjan, SBI’s Managing Director for Risk, Compliance and Stressed Assets Resolution, said the collaboration was a step toward embedding sustainable practices into the bank’s workplace culture.

    “We believe that when employees are empowered to make responsible choices, that awareness extends well beyond our offices and into the communities that we serve and are a part of,” Ranjan said, adding that such partnerships support India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

    Bisleri International Chief Executive Angelo George said the partnership combines SBI’s institutional reach with Bisleri’s experience in plastic waste management.

    “By engaging employees across SBI offices, we aim to build responsible practices at the workplace that can extend into homes and communities,” George said, describing the initiative as a potential model for corporate participation in the circular economy.

    SBI said the collaboration reinforces its broader commitment to environmental stewardship as it works toward a Scope 1, 2 and 3 net-zero target by 2055, the year the bank marks its centenary.

  • Maharashtra govt, Project Mumbai sign MoU for climate week

    Maharashtra govt, Project Mumbai sign MoU for climate week

    Maharasthra government and Project Mumbai have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen institutional coordination ahead of the second edition of Mumbai Climate Week, scheduled for February 23-26, 2027, at the Jio Convention Centre.

    Under the Mumbai Climate Week MoU, the state’s Environment and Climate Change Department will act as the nodal partner agency and knowledge partner for MCW 2027, supporting Project Mumbai in organising the event and coordinating with government bodies including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

    The agreement commits the Department to facilitating time-bound meetings between MCW 2027 theme leads and senior officials, including ministries, commissioners and secretaries of the Maharashtra government. Organisers said the partnership aims to build a stronger link between thematic discussions at the event — spanning urban resilience, food systems, energy transition, biodiversity and circularity — and government institutions implementing related policy on the ground. This year’s edition will also examine climate’s intersections with literature, food, sports, cinema and healthcare.

    Pankaja Munde, state Minister of Environment & Climate Change, called the platform significant for bringing together governments, businesses, civil society and citizens to advance climate action, adding that the Department hopes to build on the momentum of the previous edition to strengthen climate leadership across the state.

    Shishir Joshi, CEO and Founder of Project Mumbai and Chief Convenor of Mumbai Climate Week, said the partnership with the state department would help translate discussions at the event into lasting solutions.

    Organisers said the MoU reinforces the institutional framework behind MCW 2027 as Mumbai grapples with climate impacts across infrastructure, mobility, water, waste management, energy and urban resilience.

  • Swiggy, Hero MotoCorp ink exclusive mobility partnership

    Swiggy, Hero MotoCorp ink exclusive mobility partnership

    Swiggy Ltd and Hero MotoCorp on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership giving delivery partners on Swiggy Food Marketplace and Instamart preferential access to two-wheelers, financing and road safety training.

    Under the Swiggy Hero MotoCorp partnership, riders will be able to select a preferred Hero model directly on the Swiggy app and receive exclusive pricing at Hero dealerships. The deal also unlocks customised financing, including loans covering up to 90% of the vehicle’s value at competitive interest rates.

    The companies kicked off the tie-up with a road safety training session at Hero MotoCorp’s Traffic Training Park in Gurugram, part of the automaker’s “Ride Safe India” CSR programme.

    Participants received safety kits containing a full-face helmet, a medical kit and a reflective vest. Hero MotoCorp said the training — combining digital modules with instructor-led sessions — will now be extended to Swiggy riders nationwide, covering hazard anticipation, traffic rule compliance and emergency response.

    Saurav Goyal, Chief Operating Officer of Swiggy’s Food Marketplace, said the initiative reflects the company’s push to make vehicle ownership more accessible for delivery partners through curated pricing and flexible financing.

    Ashutosh Varma, Chief Business Officer at Hero MotoCorp, said the partnership underscores the company’s commitment to affordable mobility and safer roads for India’s gig workforce.

    Registration will run through an API integration linking the Swiggy app to Hero MotoCorp’s systems, with riders able to complete purchases online or at participating dealerships, supported by dedicated customer service.

  • AWL transforms recycled plastic into park benches

    AWL transforms recycled plastic into park benches

    AWL Agri Business Ltd, formerly Adani Wilmar Limited, has adopted and revamped a public park opposite ICB Flora Apartment in Gota, Ahmedabad, under a five-year maintenance agreement with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).

    As part of the initiative, the company transforms 1,100 kg of recycled plastic from Fortune packaging into 43 benches installed across the park, in a move it says reflects its focus on circularity and responsible resource utilisation.

    Senior leaders from AWL Agri Business, along with AMC officials and local corporators, conducted a “Green Walk” through the park, planting trees and distributing saplings to visitors to encourage community participation in sustainability efforts.

    “We, at AWL Agri Business, believe that sustainability is not limited to our operations and products. It is also about creating meaningful impact in the communities where we operate,” said Shrikant Kanhere, Managing Director and CEO, AWL Agri Business Ltd.

    “The benches, made using recycled Fortune packaging material, further reflect our commitment to circularity and responsible resource utilisation.”

    Spread across 19,000 square metres, the park has been developed as a recreational space featuring green landscaping, a children’s play area, a jogging track, gazebos and drinking water facilities, while contributing to local biodiversity.

    The company said the initiative demonstrates how recycled plastic and packaging waste can be given a second life within everyday community infrastructure, forming part of its broader corporate social responsibility strategy in urban environments.

    AWL Agri Business, whose flagship brand is Fortune, operates more than 80 manufacturing facilities across 11 states, including India’s largest single-location refinery in Mundra with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per day. The company serves more than 135 million households through a network of over 10,000 distributors and 2.6 million retail outlets.

  • NABARD-IMD sign MoU to boost farmer weather data

    NABARD-IMD sign MoU to boost farmer weather data

    National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) signed an MoU on Monday to integrate IMD’s agro-meteorological data products into DiCRA (Data in Climate Resilient Agriculture), an open-source digital platform backed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and NABARD.

    The agreement aims to make weather and climate data freely accessible to farmers, financial institutions, policymakers and researchers across the country, an official statement said.

    The MoU was signed by Sanjeev D Rohilla, Chief General Manager, Department of Climate Action and Sustainability at NABARD, and Bikram Singh, Scientist-G and Head of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Mumbai.

    NABARD Chairman Shaji Krishnan V, IMD Director General of Meteorology Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, and senior officials from both organisations were present at the ceremony.

    Under the deal, IMD will supply district and block-level weather forecasts, agromet advisories, in-situ observations and weather alerts through a dedicated Weather Portal on DiCRA. The data will sit alongside DiCRA’s existing geospatial datasets on soil moisture, vegetation health, crop conditions and climate vulnerability, giving users decision-ready insights at the local level.

    “Climate risk cannot be treated as a standalone issue; it has to be integrated into our development and financing decisions,” Krishnan said, adding that the partnership would help “forewarn both the farmer and the bank.”

    Mohapatra said Indian weather forecasting accuracy has improved by 40 to 50 percent over the past decade, with forecasts now reaching the panchayat level, but that reaching every farmer in a usable format remained the next challenge.

    NABARD will use DiCRA’s open APIs to distribute district-level advisories, seasonal risk alerts and weather-linked vulnerability assessments to credit officers, field staff, researchers and farmers via web, mobile and API channels. The Weather Portal integration also supports NABARD’s own weather portal on DiCRA, which is currently under development.

    NABARD, India’s apex rural development bank, was established in 1982. IMD, founded in 1875, is India’s national meteorological service under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. DiCRA, recognized as a Digital Public Good in 2022, is jointly maintained by NABARD with technical support from UNDP.

  • Piramal Foundation, Gates Foundation launch Sangam Collaborative to fight poverty in five states

    Piramal Foundation, Gates Foundation launch Sangam Collaborative to fight poverty in five states

    A group of philanthropic organisations led by the Piramal Foundation and the Gates Foundation on Wednesday launched the Sangam Collaborative, an initiative aimed at improving health, education and nutrition outcomes across five states where an estimated 70 million people live in multidimensional poverty.

    The Sangam Collaborative brings together the Piramal Foundation, Gates Foundation, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation, Dhanam Foundation, Surgo Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, and will work with government agencies to strengthen public service delivery in Jharkhand, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar.

    The initiative was unveiled at the AVPN Global Conference 2026 in New Delhi, a joint statement said.

    The Collaborative said it would focus on improving institutional capacity, leadership, talent, processes and data systems in health and education delivery, working alongside local and international technical experts.

    It also said the model draws on Bihar’s experience, where a long-running partnership between the state government, the Gates Foundation, the Piramal Foundation and other partners has helped strengthen public health institutions and data systems.

    “Lasting change comes when we strengthen the public systems that touch people’s everyday lives,” Piramal said, adding that the Sangam Collaborative aimed to contribute to “a stronger, more inclusive and more prosperous Viksit Bharat.”

    Suzman said India had made remarkable progress in reducing multidimensional poverty over the past decade, citing government-led programmes and the application of technology at scale. He said the Gates Foundation remained committed to its partnership with India through initiatives such as the new Collaborative.

    Chandra said poverty at the scale seen in the target states could not be addressed through isolated acts of philanthropy, and called for combining government scale, philanthropic risk capital and the last-mile reach of civil society groups.

    Ram Shriram, President of the Dhanam Foundation, said the initiative reflected the need for collective action and long-term commitment to tackle multidimensional poverty.

    Kate Hampton, CEO of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, said investment in stronger systems and leadership could accelerate pathways out of poverty at scale and offer lessons for communities beyond India.

    The organisations did not disclose the size of funding commitments to the Sangam Collaborative.

  • Sportz Village Foundation launches #SportForChange campaign to engage a million girls

    Sportz Village Foundation launches #SportForChange campaign to engage a million girls

    Sportz Village Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Sportz Village, India’s leading sports education organisation, on Thursday convened the #SportForChange Roundtable in Bengaluru under the theme “Truly Grassroots Global – Building a Global Coalition for India’s #SportForChange Movement.”

    The roundtable was organised with ISCA (International Sport and Culture Association) as knowledge partner and The International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev) as global communications partner. It brought together global and Indian voices to discuss how grassroots sport can tackle youth physical inactivity and drive development outcomes for children.

    Among those present were Mogens Kirkeby, President, ISCA, and Parminder Gill, Co-founder & Head of Foundation, Sportz Village, along with dignitaries and representatives from India’s corporate, state and development sectors.

    The discussions at the #SportForChange roundtable centred on finding actionable ways for state bodies, CSR leaders, foundations and sports organisations to come together and build sustainable, accessible sports ecosystems at the grassroots level.

    While participants acknowledged that medal-focused programmes remain important, they noted that grassroots sport’s real impact lies in scale — through improved health, education and inclusion outcomes for children. The conversation gained urgency in the context of a global physical inactivity crisis among young people, with India’s youthful population seen as a major opportunity to demonstrate impact at scale.

    A major highlight of the event was the launch of the ‘Girls in Sport’ campaign, a joint initiative between Sportz Village Foundation and ISCA aimed at advancing gender equity and widening opportunities for girls to take part in sport across the country. The campaign aims to engage over one million girls in sport over the next five years.

    The roundtable also saw an exchange of global knowledge and best practices in grassroots and community sport, with a focus on adapting international models to India’s local context.

    Speaking at the event, Mr. Parminder Gill, Co-founder & Head of Foundation, Sportz Village, said, “Medals are an important measure of sporting excellence, but the foundation for those achievements is built much earlier, at the grassroots level. By giving children access to quality physical education, exposure to different sports and the right opportunities to develop their potential, we can create a stronger pipeline of athletes while also ensuring that sport contributes to their overall development. With India’s young population, expanding these opportunities, particularly for girls, can help build a more inclusive and sustainable sporting ecosystem.”

    Mogens Kirkeby, President, ISCA, said, “Physical inactivity among young people is a global challenge, and movement through sport is one of the most accessible solutions we have. India, with its young population, is positioned to demonstrate what that looks like at scale. Bringing global experience into this conversation lets us exchange what’s working across countries and adapt it to India’s context — that kind of collaboration is how grassroots sport moves from isolated efforts to real, lasting impact.”

    As India strengthens its presence in the global Sport for Change movement, initiatives like the #SportForChange roundtable and the Girls in Sport campaign underline a shared commitment to using sport as a tool for lasting change in the lives of children.

  • NABARD vigilance seminar strengthens integrity, governance

    NABARD vigilance seminar strengthens integrity, governance

    The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organised a seminar titled “Vigilance: Strengthening Integrity and Good Governance” at its Head Office in Mumbai, part of the Vigilance Awareness Campaign 2026 running from August 17 to November 16 under the theme “Probity for Prosperity.”

    Suresh N. Patel, former Central Vigilance Commissioner of India, attended as chief guest and delivered the keynote address, reinforcing NABARD’s push to strengthen institutional integrity and governance across its operations.

    Senior officials including Deputy Managing Directors G S Rawat and Ajay K Sood, along with Chief Vigilance Officer U Dinesh Shanbhag, joined employees from Head Office, Regional Offices, Training Establishments, Subsidiaries and District Development Managers nationwide.

    Shanbhag welcomed Patel, citing his extensive background in governance, public administration, banking and vigilance, and credited him for advancing transparency and accountability in public institutions.

    Rawat, addressing the gathering, said vigilance must be viewed as a preventive tool rather than a purely punitive mechanism, and urged employees to participate actively in campaign activities that strengthen NABARD’s culture of probity. He said robust systems and procedures remain central to an effective preventive vigilance framework, a message that continues to strengthen the bank’s governance priorities.

    In his keynote, Patel spoke on the role of vigilance in promoting ethical governance and building public trust. He addressed banking frauds, complaint-handling frameworks, and the need for prudent management of non-performing assets, alongside strict adherence to systems and stronger appraisal standards — measures he said strengthen accountability and good governance at financial institutions.

    The seminar closed with NABARD reaffirming its commitment to transparency, accountability and ethical governance as it carries out its developmental mandate.

  • Jindal Stainless launches landmark Parivartan plan

    Jindal Stainless launches landmark Parivartan plan

    Jindal Stainless Foundation (JSF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Jindal Stainless, said on Monday it has launched a landmark initiative called “Parivartan,” an integrated village development programme targeting Ladwa village near the company’s Hisar manufacturing facility in Haryana.

    The programme is expected to benefit approximately 7,500 to 8,000 residents, the foundation said, through a participatory model covering healthcare, education, women’s empowerment, agriculture, livelihood promotion, sanitation, environmental sustainability, community participation and institutional strengthening.

    JSF Chairperson Deepika Jindal said the Parivartan initiative reflects the company’s belief that businesses and communities should grow together. “Through ‘Parivartan,’ we aim to create a sustainable and inclusive development model for Ladwa Village by addressing critical areas such as healthcare, education, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability,” Jindal said, adding the foundation intends to build partnerships that deliver lasting social impact.

    Rather than standalone interventions, the foundation said Parivartan will pursue a comprehensive village development model built around community ownership and local capacity-building, in partnership with the Gram Panchayat, government departments, community-based organisations and NGOs.

    The programme will begin with a baseline survey and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) to assess Ladwa’s socio-economic profile and identify priorities, JSF said. Findings will feed into a Village Development Plan prepared jointly with local stakeholders.

    JSF said it will hold regular Gram Sabha meetings and consultations with youth, women, farmers, teachers, frontline workers and local leaders throughout the programme to maintain transparency and accountability. The foundation described Parivartan as a long-term model for inclusive growth and community empowerment.

  • Binance Charity donates Rs 3.3 crore for urgent Assam floods relief

    Binance Charity donates Rs 3.3 crore for urgent Assam floods relief

    Binance Charity, the philanthropic arm of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, said Thursday it has donated Rs 3.3 crore to Goonj‘s Rahat Initiative to provide urgent Assam floods relief, as the northeastern Indian state grapples with its worst flooding in more than six decades.

    The death toll from the floods has climbed to 105, with more than 1.2 million people across 25 districts and 2,734 villages affected at various stages this year, according to the latest official reports. Earlier in August, 349 villages in Golaghat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Bajali, Dhemaji, Sonitpur and Jorhat districts were reported affected.

    The urgent Assam floods relief funding will go toward essential supplies including household items, hygiene kits and tarpaulins, distributed according to the needs of affected communities.

    In a statement, Binance Charity said the contribution is expected to reach 27,500 families across the flood-hit districts, supporting both immediate relief and longer-term recovery efforts.

    “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the devastating floods,” said SB Seker, Head of APAC at Binance. “In times like these, it is crucial that communities and organizations come together to support those most in need.

    By working with Goonj’s ‘Rahat Initiative,’ we hope our contribution will provide urgent relief on the ground and help families begin the long journey of rebuilding and recovering.”

    Anshu Gupta, founder of Goonj, said the scale of loss across Assam this monsoon season has been staggering, with nonstop rains forcing residents into makeshift shelters and destroying months of stored grain and livelihoods overnight.

    He said the support would help the organization move faster in delivering relief material to hard-to-reach districts while sustaining a longer-term presence during the recovery phase.

    Goonj has also opened a public fundraiser for individuals wishing to contribute directly to the Rahat Initiative’s flood response in Assam.