CSR Dashboard

Category: Sectors

  • Tata Chemicals’ initiative saves over 850 whale shark in Gujarat

    Tata Chemicals’ initiative saves over 850 whale shark in Gujarat

    The initiative has garnered extensive support from the fishing communities of Gujarat resulting in a decline in cases of poaching from around 600 in 1999-2000 to zero in 2021.

    Tata Chemicals through its ‘Save Whale Shark Campaign’ has saved over 850 of these endangered species till date in the Saurashtra region along the coastline of Gujarat.

      This initiative of Tata Chemicals, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the Gujarat Forest Department has garnered extensive support from the fishing communities of Gujarat resulting in a decline in cases of poaching from around 600 in 1999-2000 to zero in 2021.

      For effective implementation of this project, migration research studies of Whale Sharks from Gujarat Waters have been conducted. So far eight satellite transmitters on rescued Whale Sharks have been deployed. The results were analysed in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and published in the International Journal of Frontiers in Marine Science.

      About 18 Genetic study samples have been collected and analysed from rescued Whale Sharks in Gujarat waters.

      Talking about this initiative, Tata Chemicals Head HR and CSR R Nanda said, “Corporates through CSR can do a lot for our environment. This campaign is a reflection of Tata Chemicals’ commitment to environmental conservation. Designed to make the community a stakeholder in our endeavor to save this Whale Shark, this initiative has ushered a significant behavioral change.”

      The concerted efforts of the company and the partners have resulted in the whale shark becoming the second wildlife pride in Gujarat, after the Asiatic lions and seven coastal cities in Gujarat, including a non-coastal city, Ahmedabad, have adopted the whale shark as their city mascot.

      The Whale Shark conservation project has sensitized over 50,000 fishers and 100,000 coastal students through campaign awareness drive to inculcate the message of conservation.

      The project has been represented in the International Whale Shark conferences held globally, including the ones in Doha in 2016 and Australia in 2019. It has won the India Biodiversity Award by UNDP for the conservation of the whale shark, under the co-management category in 2014; the Green Governance Award by BNHS in 2005.

  • Piramal Foundation to bet on six areas to accelerate change in India

    Piramal Foundation to bet on six areas to accelerate change in India

    Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal said, “We remain committed to our goal of ‘leaving no one behind”.

    On completion of 15 years of its establishment, Piramala Foundation today announced that its CSR activities will focus on six areas through partnership approach to accelerate change in India.

    These six areas are:

    1. Anamaya, The Tribal Health Collaborative aims to end preventable deaths in tribal communities by enabling over 100 mn tribal people with the lowest Human Development Index bridge access to health by strengthening communities and public delivery systems alike. Partnerships include Ministry of Tribal Affairs, National TB Elimination Program, USAID, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Centre for Policy Research and Ekjut Foundation.

    2. Aspirational Districts Collaborative aims to uplift the lives of 100 million people living in abject poverty in 112 Aspirational Districts by 2030 through hyperlocal collaboration and last mile convergence.

    Key Partners are NITI Aayog, District Governments of 112 Aspirational Districts, Edelgive Foundation, Tata Communications Limited and Deloitte.

    3. Digital Bharat Collaborative aims to transform the healthcare system by building a Robust Digital Public Health Delivery Platform. National Aids Control Organisation, 5 State Governments, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, CISCO, Genpact, Wipro are key partners.

    4. Piramal University builds future-ready and ‘Sewa-Bhaav’ oriented public system leaders who drive innovation and learning. It also strengthens institutional processes, practices & governance averting delays, inaccuracies and wasteful expenditure of government time. Strategic partnerships are with 7 State governments, Harvard University, Emory University, Boston Consulting Group, UNICEF, Google, Genpact, Porticus, Sofina and Children’s Investment Fund Foundation.

      5. The Piramal Academy of Sewa leverages the power of youth and builds future leaders engaged in nation building through a full time immersive, experiential fellowship with self-transformation at the core. Partnerships have been forged with leading academic institutions across the country, Edelgive Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

      6. Piramal Centre for Children with Special Needs addresses wide structural gaps and absence of adequate, quality care for children with special needs by building a lighthouse of excellence with state-of-the-art design and amenities, world class curriculum, specialised applications and tools to accelerate learning, skill building for employability for persons with disabilities. Collaborations have been forged with experts on PwDs (persons with disabilities) Curriculum development, and government.

      Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal said, “The journey thus far has been enriching as well as inspiring. Our efforts to touch the lives of the most underserved Indian citizens is guided by our spirit of Sewa Bhaav. We believe in doing well and doing good, which essentially means that our success is intrinsically connected to society also doing well.”

    The real transformation of Bharat will happen when we are able to reach millions of Indians and include them as a part of India’s growth journey, he said, and added, “We remain committed to our goal of ‘leaving no one behind’ and are confident that this will be achieved through greater collaboration between Government, civil society and NGO partners.”

      The Foundation said its initiatives have reached the most underserved people across India and has impacted 113 million lives in last 15 years. The CSR initiatives were taken in the field of education, health, water and the social sector ecosystem.

  • Aequs Foundation launches Hamara Gaon Project

    Aequs Foundation launches Hamara Gaon Project

    CSR arm of Aequs rolls out an early education support programme in 25 villages in Koppal District in Karnataka Synopsis

    Aequs Foundation has launched the Hamara Gaon Project to impart education to children in the age group of 3-14 years in the Koppal District of Karnataka to create community ownership in early schooling.

    In partnership with Pratham Education Foundation, Hamara Gaon will reach 5000 children over the next three years by supporting in-school and in-community components for early education. The programme will cover twenty-five villages in the Koppal District, where India’s first toy manufacturing cluster, the Koppal Toy Cluster (KTC), is located.

    The Hamara Gaon Project is implemented to support children in their early years (3- 6 years) by training children with Anganwadi workers and volunteers on early-learning activities for children. The programme will also set up Mother’s Groups to increase their participation.

    The primary objective of the programme is to build age-appropriate skills in children. The in-school component for children in grades 1-5 addresses learning loss and focuses on foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

    “In a rapidly transforming world, we believe education is the key. We at Aequs Foundation have introduced several programs that aim to help students excel in academics and extra-curricular activities for overall development. Research has shown that the Pandemic has proved the importance of the mother’s role in building foundational skills in numeric and reading skills. This program seeks to involve them more closely in this process along with teachers and Anganwadi workers,” said Ms Akkamahadevi Melligeri, Chairperson, Aequs Foundation.

    Aequs Foundation and Pratham intend to create an environment that encourages self-learning and group learning. Hence, Pratham team members conduct learning camps (short bursts of intense activities) in school for children in grades 3 to 5 using Pratham’s Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology.

    As part of the early schooling interventions, several mother’s groups in villages get trained in teaching their children. These groups meet weekly to share experiences and discuss activities they can take up with children. Pratham team members support the Lead Mothers and the groups by periodically visiting them.

    In addition, engagement kits are given to mothers as an engagement tool to support the mother-child duo. The kit comprises three components- an individual pouch with materials for every child, a kit for every mother’s group at the Mohalla level, and a village-level kit. The kits contain various teaching-learning materials that help children acquire age-appropriate skills. During the Inauguration of the programme on July 9 at Koppal, several Engagement Kits were distributed to the mothers.

  • PEPSICO Foundation aims to build global food security

    PEPSICO Foundation aims to build global food security

    PEPSICO to respond to the growing hunger crisis by boosting its food security initiatives

    The PEPSICO Foundation hopes to respond to the growing hunger crisis by boosting its food security initiatives. The Foundation will double its effort to increase equitable access to nutritious food by increasing its investments and offering three new ways to engage people in fighting hunger.

    This will directly or indirectly help many of the 345 million people globally who face severe hunger. This number is expected to rise due to climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and global conflicts impacting the food chain.

    In response to the growing hunger crisis, in 2021, PepsiCo and the Foundation announced Food for Good’s expansion to 28 countries worldwide to provide access to nutritious food to 50 million people by 2030 (against a 2021 baseline). Through Food for Good, PepsiCo has delivered more than 245 million meals since 2009, reached 41 million people worldwide since 2016, and partnered with more than 60 non-profits across 28 countries to ensure the company implements local solutions that meet the unique challenges of each community.

    PepsiCo Food for Good has committed more than $35 million since 2021 to increase access to nutritious food and increase the productivity and incomes of small-scale farmers. This year, it’s directing investments to interventions that have shown can build long-term solutions while it continues to address immediate hunger needs.

    Increasing productivity and incomes of small-scale farmers

    With global partners, including World Food Program USA in support of the United Nations (U.N.) World Food Programme and CARE, along with leading local organisations, Food for Good, focus on economically empowering women through regenerative agriculture. To stave off the food crisis, it’s mobilising multiple initiatives in communities with a substantial vulnerability within Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. Through these efforts, it aims to support 3.5 million farmers and their families between 2022 and 2024.

    Increasing access to nutritious food

    Food for Good provides students with increased access to the nutrition needed to learn and grow in multiple countries, including the U.S., and through the Pioneer School Breakfast Nutrition Programme in South Africa, while working to ensure the most vulnerable can access food with dignity through malnutrition interventions in Mexico and Guatemala.

    As part of its Nutrition Enhancement Programme, PepsiCo in India is working to improve the nutritional status of pregnant & lactating women and children in the age group 0-6 years in Sangrur, Punjab, I n partnership with Smile Foundation. PepsiCo also launched the ‘Bowl of Hope’ initiative in India in 2021 with its brand Quaker and Smile Foundation to provide over one lakh nutritious bowls of whole grains to underserved communities across the country. In addition, PepsiCo is inviting corporations, organisations and community members to take action on global hunger.

    C.D. Glin, Vice President, PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Philanthropy, PepsiCo, says, “As one of the largest convenient food companies in the world, PepsiCo plays a critical role in leveraging our resources and capabilities to create and inspire local impact on hunger,”

    “We’re answering the call to address escalating global food insecurity, and we plan to continue with our significant investments. But to make a meaningful impact, everyone with a role to play in our global food systems must be a part of the solution to address the immediate need and work on approaches to prevent us from landing in this place of crisis again.” Glin said.

    Lauren Bush Lauren, Founder of FEED, has collaborated with PepsiCo Food for Good: “The fight against hunger is an issue that knows no borders. In the past few years, the already overwhelming global issue has been exacerbated further. Often people aren’t sure where to begin or how to make a difference, which was my inspiration for founding FEED in 2007″.

  • IIT Madras – JK Fenner developing biodegradable alternative to rubber

    IIT Madras – JK Fenner developing biodegradable alternative to rubber

    Biodegradable rubber to be developed by IIT Madras – JK Fenner will help boost sustainability and environmental degradation

    Indian Institue of Technology (IIT) Madras and JK Fenner (India) Limited have partnered to develop a biodegradable alternative to rubber. As part of its CSR initiative, JK Fenner would fund the project.

    The objective is to make the finished rubber product biodegradable quicker. Synthetic rubbers are also not biodegradable due to their structural feature, which consists of carbon-carbon single bonds in the backbone.

    An IIT Madras research team headed by Prof R Dhamodharan, Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras, will research and develop practical, biodegradable molecular bridges as an alternative. Speaking about this CSR Partnership with IIT Madras, Nagaraju Srirama, President and Director, JK Fenner (India) Limited, said, “JK Fenner India Limited is happy to partner with IIT Madras, the premier research institute in the country for developing the next generation rubber which is going to be biodegradable and the environment- friendly. This research will set a new direction in the rubber industry (belts/hoses), which will be environmentally friendly and support our initiative towards a sustainable future.”

    Elaborating on the scope of their research, Principal Investigator Prof R Dhamodharan, Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras, said, “The structure of the polymer to address these issues should be amenable to the ‘standard curing procedure’ established in the rubber industry. The polymer and the ‘crosslinker’ or the ‘bridge molecule’ used in the curing should also be designed with structural features that would make it suitable for biodegradation.”

  • Byju’s to teach English to 35 lakh students under CSR

    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.

  • UP Govt and Vedanta join forces to address malnourishment

    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.

  • Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India kickstarts week-long national environment campaign

    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.

  • Nicktoons Motu & Patlu join UN Earth Champion Afroz Shah for Mumbai beach clean-up

    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.

  • IndiGo takes innovative step to reduce water concumption in flights

    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.