Category: News

The six-pack budget proposed by the Finance Minister encompasses the true spirit of sustainable and equal growth. The push for the health sector and the skilling space with tie-ups with UAE and Japan, to begin with, will go a long way

“The six-pack budget proposed by the Finance Minister encompasses the true spirit of sustainable and equal growth. The push for the health sector and the skilling space with tie-ups with UAE and Japan, to begin with, will go a long way. The focus on revamping the health infrastructure, the push for aggressive disinvestment with LIC’s IPOs, Tax holiday for start-up, expansion & strengthening of nameless faceless IT along with the revision of years are something to be applauded. Although tax slab revisions & further involvement of the private sector in the COVID vaccination distribution is something that could have also been looked at. Overall it was a well-balanced budget given the fiscal deficit constraints”

SEED CSR is India’s leading integrated CSR implementing agency offering a range of services to businesses across sectors that include energy, banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI), oil & gas, steel & mines, cement, infrastructure, manufacturing, IT & ITES, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, aviation, healthcare, hospitality and logistics, amongst others.

Set up as a Registered Society in the year 2006, SEED CSR has today grown into a large and trusted brand that specialises in implementing CSR projects for companies, both in the public and private sector. A committed team supports the top leadership to achieve the overall vision of ensuring equitable growth and opportunities for those living in hard-to-reach areas as marginalised and disadvantaged population groups.

As India celebrated its 72nd Republic Day, Harpic Mission Paani hosted its first Waterthon celebrating the country’s water heroes. The 8-Hour long Waterthon brought together leading policymakers, celebrities from all walks of life, the Armed Forces and corporates

As India celebrated its 72nd Republic Day, Harpic Mission Paani hosted its first Waterthon celebrating the country’s water heroes. The 8-Hour long Waterthon brought together leading policymakers, celebrities from all walks of life, the Armed Forces and corporates to address the criticality of water for hygiene and conservation.

India’s largest Waterthon witnessed a series of thought-provoking sessions deliberating on efficient solutions and the need to prioritize efforts towards water conservation. Mission Paani has partnered with WWF-India and Swarovski Waterschool to mobilise their Waterschool curriculum for encouraging early water conservation habits in children.

Laxman Narasimhan, Global CEO, Reckitt Benckiser Group commented, “Hosting India’s largest Waterthon on Republic Day is highly symbolic and a matter of pride for us at RB. People from all walks of life have come together today on the Harpic Mission Paani platform, united towards a common goal of saving water. This day has celebrated India’s water heroes who have selflessly led and addressed the criticality of water for hygiene. We are hopeful that Harpic with its key initiatives will successfully drive behaviour change towards water conservation and hygiene with Mission Paani.”

Speaking on building purpose-led brands, Harold van den Broek, President, RB Hygiene said “At RB, we are pioneers of Health, Hygiene and Nutrition and we deliver our purpose- to protect heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world. Our brands like Harpic, Finish and Lysol have been at the forefront of driving behaviour change. We are committed to building brands with purpose with a clearly defined fight that is linked to key societal issues in line with UN’s defined Sustainability Development Goals.”

Actor and Mission Paani Ambassador, Akshay Kumar said, “Water is a wealth we have to conserve. The demand for water will rise by 40 per cent in the next 9 years, which is something we will not be able to fulfil. Add to that, there are chances of a water crisis taking place in 28% of the country for which we all will be responsible. At the rate that humanity is going, in the next 100 years, we will finish all the water available. Water can be sold at the rate of gold, it can even be costlier. We might even see a war on it. There might come a time where there won’t be rivers, lakes. We will struggle to even find a drop. It is the need of the hour for us to take a pledge to save water so that we can live a life of a better tomorrow.”

At the event, Narasimhan Eswar, Senior Vice President, South Asia, RB Hygiene, said, “Saving water is now more important than ever before. The pandemic has taught us that high levels of sanitation and hygiene are essential for all sections of society. Harpic Mission Paani is a defining people’s movement, aimed at creating a more direct impact on water, hygiene and sanitation. Our aim with Harpic Mission Paani’s ‘Swachhta aur Paani’ campaign is to increase awareness and encourage citizens on the urgency for efficient usage and conservation of water as well as hygienic sanitation.”

Sukhleen Aneja, CMO & Marketing Director, RB Hygiene, South Asia said, “Children hold the key to our future and are hence the best evangelists for Mission Paani. With Harpic’s Mission Paani we wish to bring about a lasting behaviour change. Last year, we released the Water anthem co-created with legendary AR Rahman and rendered by an all children’s choir urging India on the need for using water responsibly. This year Mission Paani has partnered with WWF and Swarovski School of Water to launch and has mobilised the water curriculum focused on teaching children the importance of water conservation from an early stage.”

Yellow Class, India’s largest hobby class platform for kids, embarked on a new journey of Corporate Social Responsibility and has announced the launch of its first campaign – ‘Joy of Giving’. Committed to contributing to the kids’ learning and growth outside

Yellow Class, India’s largest hobby class platform for kids, embarked on a new journey of Corporate Social Responsibility and has announced the launch of its first campaign – ‘Joy of Giving’. Committed to contributing to the kids’ learning and growth outside the school ecosystem, the campaign inculcates the right values in young children by making them understand the value of food and sharing it with the underprivileged.

Yellow Class has collaborated with Dipannita Sharma – a renowned Indian actress and model, and Donate A Meal NGO. The campaign began with a flameless cooking session organized by Yellow Class on the eve of 26th January 2021. The kids participated in the session donated the prepared meal to those in need.

Delighted with the announcement of the CSR initiative, Mr Anshul Gupta, CEO of Yellow Class said, “We are a doers’ platform. We just don’t only teach kids to do good, but also create opportunities to instil the right values in them. We are excited about the encouraging response to our Republic Day Campaign from kids & parents across the country. We are overwhelmed with such kind of support from the parents. Kids experienced the joy of giving.”

An estimated 5,000 kids from across the country participated in the campaign. Each participant donated one or more meal portions as a gesture of care for society.

While donating the meal, all safety precautions were taken by the kids and social distancing norms were followed. Furthermore, the kids participated in the campaign received an appreciation certificate from Yellow Class.

Commvault, a global enterprise software leader in data management and data protection, has partnered with Akshaya Patra Foundation, India’s largest mid-day meal implementation partner, to provide nutritious meals to school children studying in Government

Commvault, a global enterprise software leader in data management and data protection, has partnered with Akshaya Patra Foundation, India’s largest mid-day meal implementation partner, to provide nutritious meals to school children studying in Government and Government-aided schools across India. The food distribution vehicle, called The Blue Bus, donated by Commvault, will help Akshaya Patra to feed 2,000 students across 25 schools every day, located in and around Vrindavan (Mathura) in Uttar Pradesh.

The partnership underlines Commvault’s commitment to give back to the communities we work and live in, by supporting numerous causes such as, reducing global hunger, promoting education, providing technological resources and championing equality.

“Our goal is to eliminate classroom hunger and attract more children to schools by feeding a filling, nutritious mid-day meal, every school day. The food distribution vehicle enables us to deliver hopes, dreams and of course, smiles with the meals that it carries to numerous schools across the country,” said Shri Madhu Pandit Das, Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation.

The blue bus is a customised transport vehicle specially designed to deliver food that is packed in stainless steel 304 Grade vessels, which can keep food hot and fresh even when the distance between the source and destination is over 40 kilometres. Vessels are designed to avoid spillage and the design of the vehicle ensures optimum use of space for carrying sufficient quantities of all the items on the menu.

“We, at Commvault, are intentional about real-life priorities and take nothing for granted. The pandemic has impacted millions, especially children, causing severe hunger and malnutrition, to the most vulnerable. Given this we are proud to support Akshaya Patra as they deliver essential nutrition for our childrens’ overall growth and development as they go back to school,” said Ramesh Kalanje, Vice President, Center of Excellence, Commvault.

“We make conscious and collaborative decisions to reinvest in our communities. Only by taking the opportunities– from healthcare or education to sustainability or sanitation – can we really do this. It is the embodiment of what our values mean in reality,” said Ramesh Mamgain, Country Manager-India & SAARC, Commvault.

A strong proponent of corporate citizenship, Commvault recognizes the role we can all play in driving our people, communities and planet towards a brighter tomorrow. Through initiatives such as Teach for India, PM Cares Fund, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Wellness Warriors and more, we foster the belief that operating in a fiscally, environmentally, and socially responsible manner is more than a responsibility – it is a priority.

HCL Foundation and Police Department launch the Mobile Education Program, “Nanhe Parinde” initiative in Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar by flagging off two mobile education and protection vans for children living on streets. The CSR initiative

HCL Foundation and Police Department launch the Mobile Education Program, “Nanhe Parinde” initiative in Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar by flagging off two mobile education and protection vans for children living on streets. The CSR initiative has been launched in collaboration with the Police Department, Noida, and NGO partner Chetna.

HCL Foundation (HCLF), the CSR arm of HCL Technologies initiative was flagged off by the Commissioner of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar – Alok Singh along with his wife Akanksha Singh today on the occasion of U.P. Diwas in the presence of Nidhi Pundhir, Director, HCL Foundation along with Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Member of Parliament from Gautam Buddha Nagar, Pankaj Singh, Member of Legislative Assembly, Noida and Dhirendra Singh, Member of Legislative Assembly, Jewar.

Nanhe Parinde Initiative will function to prevent vulnerable children and youth from slipping into a life of crime– and supports them in discovering their voice and passion. A diverse range of services catering to both academic and physical development will be offered through a carefully designed curriculum.

The HCL Foundation aims to provide children living on streets and working children a safe space where the children will receive alternative education, arts and crafts, training in self-defence, gender and inclusion, co-curricular activities, opportunities for sports and nutrition through five mobile vans which will be launched over three years to reach out to 400 to 500 CIDC (children in difficult circumstances) in GB Nagar and mainstream them into the formal education system.

These mobile education vans will be equipped with modern amenities such as LCD screen, sound systems, CCTV cameras and GPS for safety and security, educational material, first aid box, handwashing station and sanitization facilities. Each van will reach out to 50 to 60 children every day with support from the local police stations at pre-determined spots.

HCLF’s NGO partner, Childhood Enhancement through Training and Action (CHETNA), works for empowerment through education of street-connected children since 2002 and will be responsible for the implementation of the program and will provide a team with a female driver, community mobilizer and educator to run the initiative.

Country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), conducted nation-wide Blood Donation Camps. This initiative, led by Stressed Assets Resolution Group (SARG) – a vertical of SBI – was inaugurated virtually by Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman

Country’s largest lender, State Bank of India (SBI), conducted nation-wide Blood Donation Camps. This initiative, led by Stressed Assets Resolution Group (SARG) – a vertical of SBI – was inaugurated virtually by Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman.

The camps setup pan-India at 40 centres in association with Indian Red Cross Society, collected 2360 units of blood. The camps witnessed employees of the bank along with their families and people at large, voluntarily donating blood for a noble cause of saving lives. The Circle Management Committee members of all Circles extended full co-operation to the SARG at their respective Centres.

Ashwani Bhatia, MD (GB&S, CCG, IT & Risk), Shri S. Salee, DMD (SARG), Ms. Shabnam Narayan, CGM (SARG) and Shri Krishan Singh Barguzar, CGM (Non-Infra), SARG were also present at the inauguration of the blood donation camps.

“We are pleased to be associated with Indian Red Cross Society and be a part of this life saving initiative. Organizing blood donation camps is a crucial event and I feel we should conduct such camps on a regular basis. We would also like to thank all the participants across the country who came forward to donate blood specially in these difficult pandemic times.” Dinesh Khara, Chairman SBI said.

During the blood donation camps, the bank staff also ensured that Covid protocols were adhered to.

As an endeavour to do service to the society, the NGO Pararthya Sustainable Development & Environment Conservation Society, supported by Viraaj Ventures and funded by Realty Assistant conducted “Project Rahat”, a Social Development drive for CSR 2020-21

As an endeavour to do service to the society, the NGO Pararthya Sustainable Development & Environment Conservation Society, supported by Viraaj Ventures and funded by Realty Assistant conducted “Project Rahat”, a Social Development drive for CSR 2020-21 in which they distributed clothes, organized donation drive, and did various activities in the different parts of the capital region to help those severely affected by winter season in a pandemic stricken environment.

The initiative themed Rahat was dedicated to bringing relief to the migrants of Delhi and NCR region who lost their jobs succumbing to the deadly blow of COVID-19. The project was aimed at making people aware of the importance of following personal hygiene amidst the winter doubly hit by the life taking impact of COVID-19.

According to the IMD, in the past decade, the country has seen 506 per cent increase in cold waves which accounted for more number of deaths due to cold waves as compared to the heat waves. The major reason for death is the unavailability of shelter and clothing to shield one from the cold waves.

As part of the endeavour, four teams visited areas massively populated by people living on roadside, taking refuge at shelter homes or setting up their own jhuggis during the seven days drive. Soaps, sanitisers, masks and water bottles were distributed that was perfectly complemented by providing them with guidance for proper sanitizing practices, the correct way to wear a mask and how to effectively practice social distancing.

“Continuing the humanitarian legacy, at Pararthya we were determined to extend our support to the suffering working section of the society for which ‘Project Rahat’ was incepted to save the lives lost due to the extreme winters,” said Mr Ankit Aditya Pradhan, Founder & CEO, Realty Assistant.

Along with this, as part of the donation drive, 200+ blankets, 500+ warm clothes, 500+ soaps, 300+ sanitisers, 500+ masks, 100+ bread packets, 2 cartons of 120 biscuit packets and 10 toffee packets were also distributed.

The Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) organized the Fourth CSR Summit in Hyderabad on January 21 with a theme “Volunteer to make a difference” and explored volunteering opportunities for corporate employees in three key areas of Education

The Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA) organized the Fourth CSR Summit in Hyderabad on January 21 with a theme “Volunteer to make a difference” and explored volunteering opportunities for corporate employees in three key areas of Education, Environment and Health and Well-being.

While many corporate employees want to contribute to society, they often do not know where or how to start or are concerned about balancing work, home and society. The summit helped them to understand the different avenues available to volunteer was also an excellent opportunity to interact with several participating NGOs in the EXPO.

Paul Raddon, Head of Operations, Global Service Centers, HSBC delivering the Keynote address said, “Giving back to the society is at the core of HSBC corporate philosophy and a way of life at GSC India”. He also added, “HSBC has launched more than 70 projects benefiting over 2.94M people, and HSBC Skills for Life, an INR 100 crore flagship initiative is benefitting 1.3 M. Over 21400 beneficiaries have got access to WASH facilities across 17 villages in India and more than 3100 youths trained and employed in the last year, despite the pandemic”, he said.

Delivering the mentor note Venkatesh Murthy, Founder and Chief Mentor, Youth for Seva, said, “I truly appreciate HYSEA’s decision to take ‘Volunteering’ as the theme for this conference. Employee volunteering programs, if well designed, can be very impactful. I hope HYSEA will provide a model for collaboration and co-creation of effective volunteering programs in Telangana”.

Bharani K Aroll, President, HYSEA welcomed the participants to the summit and said “HYSEA has been committed to CSR for more than a decade and a half now, with our focus primarily on Education and Environment. Our education initiative DDI (Disruptive Digital Intervention) has now reached more than 12000 students in 30 schools statewide. HYSEA has had tree plantation drives in HITEC City and Gachibowli regularly since 2009 and has been an active partner for Haritha Haram”.

Manisha Saboo, AVP and DC Head, Infosys Pocharam Campus and HYSEA CSR Forum Leader, said, “We aspire to make volunteering as a way to build a cohesive society”. She invited all NGOs, Corporates and Volunteers to make use of HYSEA Volunteering platform https://volunteer.hysea.in, an end-to-end solution for volunteering.

Leading bread manufacturer Harvest Gold today announced a special edition bread in 700 grams in north India to thank its team members for serving people amid the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. The special edition bread will feature 30

Leading bread manufacturer Harvest Gold today announced a special edition bread in 700 grams in north India to thank its team members for serving people amid the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

The special edition bread will feature 30 photographs and 250 names of team members.
Harvest Gold is the largest manufacturer of bread in north India, and supplies 6 lakh loaves of bread every day, serving equal number of families daily.

“Titled #ThanksTeam, the program acknowledges the selfless and passionate efforts of the Team of Harvest Gold,” the company said in a statement.

The team members have worked hard with dedication and ensuring that the bread is produced under high safety and hygiene standards and delivered fresh every day at all neighbourhood stores, it said.

These represent associates from various departments like from manufacturing, purchase, R&D, sales, marketing, distribution, finance, human resources and information technology.

“Working day and night with production of bakery products and their distribution to the consumers, Team Harvest Gold reinvented safety and hygiene measures to ensure that there were no lapses and only the healthiest and safest product was delivered,” Harvest Gold Executive Director Sales Vikas Gupta said.

Even extra efforts were taken to provide doorstep delivery to the elderly who could not step out.

From working round-the-clock with precision, focus and perseverance, to getting out onto the field to deliver fresh bread to various shops and homes, the Harvest Gold Team has truly proved its mettle beyond doubt, he said.

“Their commitment to quality, safety and hygiene has been universally appreciated and applauded – they are truly Sabki Bread ke secret superstars,” he added.

According to the company, the team members have always put their best foot forward in making Harvest Gold the most loved bread of Delhi NCR, whether they are working from home, from office or on the field.

The last few months have been specially trying, putting everything and everyone to test.
During the lockdown, Harvest Gold served the people of Delhi NCR and other parts of North India with its products that includes breads and buns, flat bread varieties such as roti, kulcha and pizza base, and rusk, it added.

Direct selling FMCG firm Amway India has so far conducted sanitization and disinfection drive in the premises of 12 NGO partners across India, nine Anganwadi centers in Delhi, 15 villages in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu

Direct selling FMCG firm Amway India has so far conducted sanitization and disinfection drive in the premises of 12 NGO partners across India, nine Anganwadi centers in Delhi, 15 villages in Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu.

The drive covered an approximate area of 1,30,000 square feet benefiting the lives of more than 3000 less-privileged children and adults, the company said in a statement.

In Delhi, the sanitization drive was done at nine Anganwadi centrs in North-West Delhi’s Kirari Suleman Nagar covering 5,000 sq.ft. area of their premises under Amway’s Power of Five campaign.

Commenting on the initiatives, Gursharan Cheema, Senior Vice President, North and South, Amway India said: “Amway India has always been committed to supporting the community by coming forward in the face of adversity. These testing times are not just a trial of our strength and resilience, but also an opportunity for us to demonstrate the might of collective effort.”

During the unprecedented lock-down period, Amway India had stepped up its efforts by supporting its NGO partners in their initiatives towards training, education, skill development and assessments of the beneficiaries through various digital tools to ensure consistency in their learning and development.

Amway facilitated MAMTA-Health Institute for Mother and Child and conducted bulk message service to spread awareness, counter myths and misconceptions among the community members of the project area. Over 10,000 beneficiaries are receiving the health and nutrition related advice every week.

The company also has identified and trained over 170 individuals from the targeted community called ‘Poshan Mitras’ who are sustaining the program on-ground. They are playing a critical role in sensitizing and educating the community.

MAMTA Executive Director Sunil Mehra said, “With this support we could integrate hygiene and sanitation along with addressing malnutrition in the intervention area – these two are the most evident determinants of COVID-19.”

Amway India also contributed Rs 2.36 crores towards the PM CARES FUND, Tamil Nadu CM’s public relief fund, Kerala, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh CM’s public relief funds and support for government’s on-ground health and sanitation services.

Additionally, the funds also provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, gowns, shoe covers, head covers, masks, respirators, and eye protection gear to public health service workers through the company’s NGO partners.

Further as part of the fight against COVID-19, Amway India also developed ‘Personal Hand Sanitizer Gel’ to support the frontline workers, it added.