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  • IIFL Foundation launches Rajasthan’s first agri drone

    IIFL Foundation launches Rajasthan’s first agri drone

    This is IIFL Foundation’s second drone initiative after the successful launch of Maharashtra’s first drone-based last mile vaccine delivery in Palghar district.

    IIFL Foundation has launched an agricultural drone at Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology (MPUAT), Rajasthan in order to boost research work.

      “This is also one of India’s first agricultural drone initiatives by a CSR foundation,” the IIFL Foundation claimed in a statement.

      The custom built agricultural drone has been given to MPUAT for research and educational purpose, it said.

      The custom made 2 meter wide, battery powered drone can spray over an area of 1 acre in less than 3 minutes. An android phone is mounted to its wireless remote that allows easy navigation. The structure comprises of 6 arms, 6 propellers and 4 spraying nozzles which can easily cover large farm areas in few hours that takes a day or 2 for manual spraying, it said.

      The drone was launched by MPAUT Vice Chancellor Narendra Singh Rathod, IIFL Foundation Director Madhu Jain, RNT Medical College (Udaipur) Principal Lakhan Poswal, at the instructional farm in MPUAT’s campus, Udaipur, in presence of Farmers.

      MPUAT Vice Chancellor said, “We are highly grateful to IIFL Foundation for choosing our University to grant such an innovation. Of all the technological innovations that have been made in agriculture, drone based services is definitely the next best step.”

      Currently, the drone will be used to spray insecticides, pesticides and other liquid based supplementary nutrition to the crops. In coming time we shall certainly enhance the technology with research and contribution of our students, he said.

      IIFL Foundation Director Madhu Jain said the agricultural drone is an innovation that shall allow farmers to save time spent on manual spraying, avoid over exertion in the extreme hot climate & also safeguard them against any illness arising out from over-exposure to pesticides and insecticides.

      This is IIFL Foundation’s second drone initiative after the successful launch of Maharashtra’s first drone-based last mile vaccine delivery in Palghar district. The project was done in partnership with Ministry of Health and Government of Maharashtra. It became India’s first such innovation with a payload capacity of 5 kg and operating within a radius of 25 km, delivering life saving vaccines at the earliest.

  • UP Deputy CM launches HCL Samuday crafts by rural women artisans for sale on Flipkart

    UP Deputy CM launches HCL Samuday crafts by rural women artisans for sale on Flipkart

    The Foundation unveils Samuday Crafts – a range of handmade products by rural women artisans on the e-commerce platform. All products will be available on the Flipkart website: https://bit.ly/3lBtUea

    Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Saturday unveiled ‘Samuday Crafts’, a range of handmade products made by 500 rural women artisans under a CSR initiative by HCL Foundation in partnership with Flipkart Samarth.

      During the event, an exclusive range of home decor products namely ‘Alankaar’ was also launched. All products will be available on the Flipkart website: https://bit.ly/3lBtUea.

      Samuday Crafts enables rural artisans to produce and sell products in the categories of home décor, lifestyle, and apparel.

      It offers a range of crafts like Taat embroidery, natural fiber-based crafts (Moonj, Kans, and Wheat Grass), hand embroidery (chikankari), block-printing, and tie and dye.

      The price range of these products starts from Rs 200 and goes up to Rs 3,500.

      “HCL Foundation’s partnership with Flipkart will further help rural women artisans to reach a much wider audience through their handicrafts. I would like to congratulate them for this initiative,” Maurya, who is also UP Rural Development Minister, said on the occasion.

      The state government has always supported handicrafts and “we are committed to support replication of such cluster development models in other parts of the state,” he said.

      The UP Deputy CM further said that the Uttar Pradesh government is working in collaboration with HCL Foundation in 11 blocks of the Hardoi district in six areas of rural development including health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation, infrastructure and livelihood.

      Through the livelihood intervention, over 22000 rural women have been able to strengthen the financial condition of their family, he added.

      HCL Foundation under its flagship program HCL Samuday, has partnered with Flipkart Samarth to provide livelihood opportunities to rural women in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh by reviving existing crafts and skilling through training programs. As part of this initiative, HCL Samuday unveiled Samuday Crafts.

      Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Rural Development Vijay Laxmi Gautam, Agriculture Production Commissioner Additional Chief Secretary in Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Manoj Kumar Singh as well as HCL Foundation Project Director Alok Varma and Flipkart Group Director – Government affairs Tushar Mukherjee were also present on the occasion.

      HCL Foundation Project Director Alok Varma said the handicraft sector provides an opportunity to create an alternate source of income for rural women, skilled in making traditional handicraft products.

      Since 2015, as part of its livelihood interventions, HCL Samuday has supported 22,000 women with a range of livelihood opportunities. While close to 2,000 women artisans have benefitted from additional income through our efforts, we realized that the potential could be much higher if we are able to connect them directly to the consumers.

      “Our partnership with Flipkart Samarth is a step in this direction and can be truly transformational for these artisans. This association will help showcase the ingenuity of skilled artisans on a global platform, resulting in increased acknowledgment and remuneration.

      “We expect that the partnership will help artisans to make sales of around Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month directly,” he said.

      Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, said Flipkart’s Samarth initiative was launched in 2019 to support under-served communities, artisans, weavers and craftsmen and provide them access to a national market, using the power of e-commerce.

      “Through this initiative, we have been able to support millions of livelihoods engaged with this program across the country. Under this partnership with HCL Samuday, we are committed to extending the opportunities of the digital economy to these talented women artisans, support their financial independence and build visibility for their local crafts,” he said.

      Working together as a group since 2017, these rural women artisans have been enabled to generate revenue of Rs 3.5 Cr in the last five years, helping them individually earn an average income of Rs 2500 to Rs. 3000 per month. This additional income is empowering the rural women in the district with a sense of financial security while helping them become earning members of the household.

      This is a comprehensive livelihood upliftment initiative where women are empowered, not only through skill development on handicrafts but also on financial literacy, design and marketing linkages. They also benefit from health initiatives under HCL Samuday, thus leading to holistic transformation.

      To ensure that rural women refine their craft-making skills, HCL Foundation, over the years, has partnered with Craftizens, Kadam, and Rang Sutra to provide skill training to artisans in multiple crafts. Artisans have also been supported to showcase their work in various exhibitions such as Dastakar, Delhi Haat, Jaipur Lifestyles Festivals, and Heritage, etc.

  • Learning to ride safe on the Honda way

    Learning to ride safe on the Honda way

    With this campaign, Honda aims to make children safety ambassadors of tomorrow and help adults understand the importance of using the roads safely.

    Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) has targeted schools in India to spread its National Road Safety Awareness Campaign and the need for road safety awareness among citizens.

      A three-day camp was held at the Radha Krishna Public School in Ghaziabad, where over 2100 school students and staff members learnt about safe riding practices.

      Speaking on HMSI’s commitment to sensitising India on road safety, Prabhu Nagaraj, Operating Officer – Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd., said, “Road safety education is education essential for developing a road safety mindset. Continuing to strengthen further our commitment to building a safer India on roads, we have resumed our on-ground road safety training – National Road Safety Awareness Campaign”.

      He said that with this campaign, Honda aims to make children safety ambassadors of tomorrow and help adults understand the importance of using the roads safely.

      “Honda will strive for zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles globally by 2050”, a company statement has announced.

      Fulfilling its corporate social responsibility (CSR), HMSI has promoted road safety in India since its start in 2001. Today, working towards realising Honda’s global safety vision, HMSI’s road safety awareness initiative has already spread to over 45 lac Indians. It’s skilled safety instructors conduct daily programmes at its ten adopted traffic parks across India and 7 Safety Driving Education Centers (SDEC).

      HMSI’s proprietary virtual riding simulator increases the risk-prediction ability of riders. At the same time, new customers to are given predelivery safety advice (PDSA) before they start riding at every dealership across India.

  • Quess partners with SMC to rid menstruation taboo

    Quess partners with SMC to rid menstruation taboo

    This collaboration is a step toward impacting the female workforce participation within Quess, enabling awareness of sustainable products as well as facilitating a safe and hygienic work environment for all gendered employees and their families.

    Quess Corp, India’s leading business service provider, has entered into a corporate partnership with Sustainable Menstruation Coalition (SMC), a global coalition aiming to eradicate period poverty.

      The partnership aims to positively impact over 400,000 plus Quess associates, 3000 plus corporate clients, 7000 plus core employees, and two million plus employee family ecosystem through company-wide menstruation awareness campaigns encouraging behavioural change and education on a wide scale.

      The Sustainable Menstruation Coalition is a strategic alliance of companies and NGOs that uses innovative financing and on-ground activation to empower menstruators to choose sustainable menstrual hygiene products that benefit their health and wellbeing. Through this collaboration, Quess Corp and SMC will together tackle workplace stigma and taboos and promote sustainable menstruation practices among the workforce and their larger ecosystems to impact health, sustainability goals, and gender parity at the workplace.

      Quess aims to become a Period Victory workplace which provides access to sustainable menstruation products and celebrates dignified menstruation free of shame or stigma. This collaboration is a step toward impacting the female workforce participation within Quess, enabling awareness of sustainable products as well as facilitating a safe and hygienic work environment for all gendered employees and their families. Further, this partnership extends to schools and educational institutes as part of Quess Corp’s CSR arm, Careworks Foundation (CWF).

      Lohit Bhatia, President of Workforce Management, Quess Corp, spoke on the partnership and said, “We believe that social security can only be achieved through formal employment. This is what workers of all classes need, including women. One of the biggest deterrents for women entering the workforce is the discontinuation of education when they hit puberty due to a lack of toilets in public schools or access to hygienic menstruation products.

      Something as natural as periods cannot put a girl child’s access to education and future employment at risk. We are confident that through this partnership, we should be able to make a difference in the lives of several little girls who aspire for a financially secure future.”

      Reports maintain that 64% of Indian women do not have access to menstrual hygiene products, while 23 million Indian girls drop out of school annually after they start their period. It is also estimated that women in India miss 50 days of work a year due to their menstrual cycles. The scale of unawareness and lack of access to hygienic health accessories contributes to the low participation of women in the workforce as these factor into the education of girls and, consequently, the employment of women in the workforce.

      “Even in our workforce, we have been striving to improve women’s participation and seeing a quarter-on-quarter increase in their enrolment. To continue this momentum till it reaches the desired level, steps like creating awareness and giving access to hygienic menstruation products will go a long way”, added Bhatia.

      The Sustainable Menstruation Coalition (SMC) aims to empower menstruators in India to gain awareness of menstrual hygiene practices by adopting sustainable menstruation products. The coalition intends to positively impact the reduction of waste and greenhouse gas emissions to provide sustainable menstrual products to 100 million menstruators across India by 2030.

      Imran Wali Ahmad, Managing Director, TrueFootprint & Founding Member, SMC, added, “As the non-profit Project Drawdown highlights, one of the most impactful solutions for climate change lies in girls’ education; one of the biggest barriers identified is poor menstrual hygiene practices. We are hopeful that with the support of like-minded institutions like Quess, we should be able to reach our common goal of providing sustainable menstrual products to 100 million women and girls across India in the next seven years, in alignment with the UN’s 2030 SDG targets.”

      As part of the initiative, SMC has actioned a baseline survey with female employees at Quess to understand their comfort level, menstrual knowledge, and access to period products. An awareness program specialised in the survey findings will be undertaken to sensitise menstruators about period hygiene and introduce them to sustainable/alternate products.

      All genders of the workforce will be a part of this program to encourage continuous learning of the menstrual landscape and normalise the phenomenon. Further, knowledge dissemination through sensitisation seminars, workshops, and donation campaigns will also be undertaken to aid menstruators outside the company.

  • SBI Sanjeevani now serves Himalayan towns

    SBI Sanjeevani now serves Himalayan towns

    SBI Foundation partnered with Borderless World Foundation to provide primary, preventive, diagnostic, curative and referral health services at the doorstep of the communities in the remote villages of Bandipore and Kargil districts.

    The SBI Foundation’s mobile medical unit project, SBI Sanjeevani – Clinic on Wheels, will soon service Bandipore, Jammu & Kashmir and Kargil, Ladakh. This has become possible after SBI Foundation partnered with Borderless World Foundation to provide primary, preventive, diagnostic, curative and referral health services at the doorstep of the communities in the remote villages of Bandipore and Kargil districts.

      The mobile medical units, funded by SBICap Securities, were flagged off by Bhagwat Karad, Union Minister of State for Finance in the presence of Amitava Chatterjee, CGM, SBI Delhi Circle, Lalit Mohan, President and COO, SBI Foundation and officials from Borderless World Foundation and SBICap Securities.

      SBI Sanjeevani – Clinic on Wheels is currently being implemented in 21 States and Union Territories in our country, covering over 400 remote villages and serving a population of close to 5 lakh.

      These mobile medical units are equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic facilities and accompanied by a dedicated medical team consisting of a doctor, lab technician and pharmacist. Along with the clinical facilities, these units will also run specialised health and awareness camps in these remote villages. This project also leverages collaborations with the state and local health departments/medical colleges for support.

      Speaking at the event, MoS Finance Karad said, “The SBI Sanjeevani – Clinic on Wheels is a unique initiative where the state and local health departments, local NGOs and SBI Foundation work in unison. I am grateful to SBI Foundation, SBICap Securities and Borderless World Foundation for these efforts to serve communities in the most remote areas of our country, specifically in Bandipore and Kargil.”

      “Serving rural communities is one of the core ethos of the State Bank of India. As a corporate citizen, SBI is undertaking various CSR initiatives, thus helping nation-building.” Amitava Chatterjee, CGM, SBI Delhi Circle, said.

      Lalit Mohan, President and COO, SBI Foundation, shared, “Our SBI Sanjeevani initiative makes primary healthcare services accessible to our rural and remote population and improves the health status of villages and induces behavioural changes in health, hygiene and sanitation practices within the community. Shortly, we further look to extend this initiative to all states and union territories in our country, to serve our rural and remote communities.”

      SBI Foundation is the CSR arm of the State Bank of India. True to its tradition of service beyond banking, the foundation currently works in over 27 states and union territories of India on rural development, healthcare, education, livelihood and skill development, youth empowerment, promotion of sports, and more.

  • HMSI celebrates 7th anniversary of Children’s Traffic Training Park in Hyderabad

    HMSI celebrates 7th anniversary of Children’s Traffic Training Park in Hyderabad

    HMSI has educated over 1.44 lakh people of Hyderabad (more than 92,000 kids + 52,000 new and existing riders including both male and females) since inception.

    Committed to spread road safety awareness to make Hyderabad roads safer for all, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) and Hyderabad Traffic Police today celebrated severla glorious years of its Children’s Traffic Training Park in Goshamahal.

     The celebration was held in the august presence of G. Harish (Inspector, Traffic Police, Hyderabad) and members from Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India. 

    In April 2015, HMSI in collaboration with Hyderabad Traffic Police inaugurated its first adopted traffic training park across entire South India at Hyderabad. 

    Spreading awareness on safe riding habits, road safety rules, signs and markings and road sharing manners, HMSI announced that through its daily trainings for all age groups, it has educated over 1.44 lakh people of Hyderabad (more than 92,000 kids + 52,000 new and existing riders including both male and females) since inception.

    HMSI Senior Vice President (Brand and Communication) Prabhu Nagaraj said the development of Hyderabad’s traffic training park with Traffic Police of the city is one such initiative that is driving positive change in not only the existing riders but also preparing more responsible riders of tomorrow. 

    “Educating over 1.44 lakh people of Hyderabad bears testimony to the fact that our combined efforts are making a difference constantly. Moving forward, we will continue to instill more discipline among the citizens of Hyderabad to make them responsible road users,” he added. 

    HMSI had in April 2021 announced it will strive for zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles globally by 2050.

    Fulfilling its corporate social responsibility (CSR), HMSI has been promoting road safety in India since its start in 2001. Working towards the realization of Honda’s global safety vision, HMSI’s road safety awareness initiative today has already spread to over 44 lakh Indians. 

    Its team of skilled safety instructors conduct daily programmes at its 10 adopted traffic parks across India and seven Safety Driving Education Centres (SDEC).

    Not only this, all 1000 plus dealerships of HMSI across India spread road safety awareness. HMSI’s proprietary virtual riding simulator increases the risk-prediction ability of riders; while new customers too are given predelivery safety advise (PDSA) before they start riding at every dealership across India.

    Additionally, ensuring that learning doesn’t stop in the New Normal, HMSI started the digital road safety education initiative – Honda Road Safety E-Gurukul. Since its start in May’20, this initiative has sensitized over 7 lakh Indians on importance of being aware and responsible road users.

  • Bayer launches oxygen plant in Sambalpur

    Bayer launches oxygen plant in Sambalpur

    The plant has been set up in Sambalpur with a capacity to supply up to 100 beds in the hospital and aims to fulfill the critical need for medical-grade oxygen in a hospital.

    Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition, on Friday unveiled an oxygen plant with 500 LPM capacity, at SDH Rairakhol in Sambalpur district of Odisha, as part of its CSR initiative focusing on strengthening healthcare facilities in rural and underserved parts of India.

    Apart from the Sambalpur district of Odisha, Bayer is also setting up oxygen plants in the Raichur district of Karnataka, Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, and Guwahati in Assam.

     Inaugurating the new plant, Sambalpur District Magistrate and Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida said: “The private sector can play an important role in supporting the government to strengthen health facilities across the country. We thank Bayer and LobourNet for taking up the initiative of setting up this plant.”

    The plant has been set up in Sambalpur with a capacity to supply up to 100 beds in the hospital and aims to fulfill the critical need for medical-grade oxygen in a hospital, the company said in a statement.

    The pressure swing absorption (PSA) Oxygen plant will generate, supply and store 93-95 % Pure Medical Oxygen for about 100 Oxygenated beds. This will allow the hospital to also run coronary care units (CCU), intensive care units (ICU) and Operation Theatres (OT) in the future.

    The sub-divisional hospital currently has a 100-bed capacity and the newly installed oxygen plant is scaled to serve over 400 patients in need of oxygen support every month.

    The dedicated oxygen plant will ensure a steady and stable supply of oxygen to the needy patients in the hospital, a critical factor in saving lives.

    Speaking on the launch, Rachana Panda, Vice-President, and Country Head- Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability, South Asia, Bayer said, “The recent pandemic has highlighted the need to upgrade our health infrastructure, especially in the hinterland. …It is always our endeavor to provide better nutrition and healthcare facilities to the local communities and I hope that this plant will be an important step in that direction.”

    The hospital caters to a population of almost 70,000 residents in the area and with the activation of the oxygen plant, critical patients in need of oxygen will get the much-needed supply directly from the plant.
    —
    Mitsubishi Electric India donates air conditioners to Polytechnic Industrial Training Institute

    Mitsubishi Electric India has donated and installed air conditioners in two labs of the Polytechnic Industrial Training Institute located in Manesar, Gurugram, as part of its CSR initiative.

    Air conditioners have been installed in Highway Engineering Lab and Soil, and Foundation Engineering Lab of the institution, the company said in a statement.

    The objective is to support the infrastructure of the Government Polytechnic Industrial Training Institute and help it excel so that students can get a comfortable environment to study and progress, it said.

    A similar activity will be carried out by the company in 10 cities to support educational and health institutions, it added.

    The company’s CSR activities include Skill Development, Community Development and Climate Action.

  • Coca-Cola supports Sustainable Waste Management in Panna

    Coca-Cola supports Sustainable Waste Management in Panna

    The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) has provided a grant to Saahas, a non-profit organization working towards waste management, to set up sustainable waste management infrastructure in 30 villages around the Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh next two years

    The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) has provided a grant to Saahas, a non-profit organization working towards waste management, to set up sustainable waste management infrastructure in 30 villages around the Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh next two years.

    By doing so, the TCCF joins the first-ever multi-stakeholder partnership to support the local government-run initiative towards waste management, along with the Ministry of Tourism, Madhya Pradesh, under their initiative ‘Clean Destinations’. The initiative also embraces India’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ mission to strengthen sustainable waste management across the country, especially in villages.

    An MoU was signed today, in the presence of Hon’ble Governor Mr Mangubhai C. Patel; Smt. Usha Thakur from Minister of Tourism; Shri. Brajendra Pratap Singh, Minister Of Mineral Resources and Labour, Madhya Pradesh; Shri VD. Sharma, Member of Parliament, Khajuraho; Shri. Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary of Tourism Madhya Pradesh; Mr Sanjay Kumar Mishra, the District Collector; along with Mr Rajesh Ayapilla and Mr Rajiv Gupta from Coca-Cola India and South-West Asia.

    Under the Responsible Tourism Mission, an innovative initiative Project ‘Clean Destination’ has been started by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, Department of Tourism. Shri Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Tourism, informed that, in the first phase, the project would be started in 30 villages around Panna National Park. An MoU has been signed between the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board and Bangalore based ‘Saahas’. The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF) has provided financial aid for the same.”

    Ms Saadia Madsbjerg, President of TCCF, said, “We are proud to use our resources to fund initiatives for creating sustainable waste management solutions. And we are humbly confident that this grant will help repurpose waste effectively on our journey to drive progress in the Panna National Park region. TCCF and The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) support achieving a World Without Waste (WWW), a bold, ambitious goal of achieving 100% collection and recycling by 2030. WWW signals a renewed focus on global sustainable waste management.”

    Sonia Garga, Program Director, said, “Saahas is very excited to be part of this initiative, and we envisage that this project will become an example of sustainable waste management practices for national parks and natural tourist attractions. National parks pose some unique challenges due to their remote location and large waste generation by tourists. However, they also offer a great opportunity. The message of sustainable living can be conveyed very impactfully in these pristine surroundings. The parks can take this message far and wide through the large number of visitors coming from all over the country.

    We look forward to contributing towards keeping our natural heritage clean and green!”

    The key focus of this Solid Waste Management (SWM) program encompasses setting up infrastructure for waste collection and transportation systems, ensuring the creation of end destinations for all waste categories. Additionally, it incorporates Information, Education and Communication (IEC) and awareness campaigns to bring about awareness and behavioural change amongst tourists towards waste segregation and management.

    Under this project, waste management infrastructure, including collection centres, will be set up for all 30 villages. This project will also provide motorized vehicles and pull carts throughout the project area for the collection and transportation of waste. Wet waste composting will also be set up for two larger villages, Madla and Hinauta. Separate colour-coded waste segregation bins will be placed at all prominent tourist spots and entry gates of the National Park.

    The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board will play a pivotal role in implementing the project, with different state government departments and institutions, including the Forest, Rural, Urban and Revenue department and the district panchayat office. The department has extended its immense support by providing land to set up collection infrastructure along with necessary civic amenities across 30 villages to ensure the sustainability of SWM systems.

  • Bosch partners with Forests to plant 25K saplings in three cities

    Bosch partners with Forests to plant 25K saplings in three cities

    Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW), formerly known as Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions (RBEI), has partnered with Forests by Heartfulness to plant 25,000 saplings in a mini-forest plantation drive to celebrate its 25 years legacy in India

    Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW), formerly known as Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions (RBEI), has partnered with Forests by Heartfulness to plant 25,000 saplings in a mini-forest plantation drive to celebrate its 25 years legacy in India.

    This multi-city plantation across Bangalore, Coimbatore and Hyderabad kicked off in February.

    Speaking on the initiative, Mr RK Shenoy, SVP – Mobility Engineering and Member of Executive Leadership, BGSW, said, “This plantation drive marks our commitment to sustainability. BGSW focuses on improving the quality of life, and this is reflected in our commitment to developing new products and high-tech solutions that are intelligent, connected, and sustainable”.

    “We are celebrating 25 years of our legacy in India and our recent rebranding to BGSW through an initiative that will leave an enduring positive impact for many decades to come. Globally, Bosch has taken many steps on sustainability and is one of the first to be Carbon neutral. BGSW has been driving many initiatives, including lake rejuvenation. This is one more small but sincere step in conserving and maintaining the planet’s ecological balance. Together with the local community, we can fight climate change and create a healthy environment for the next generation.”, he said.

    President and Guide of Heartfulness Mr Kamlesh Patel said, ‘Forests by Heartfulness is our endeavour to create widespread awareness and enhance sustainable green cover for the future generations. The amount of flora that needs to be replenished for the natural ecosystem to be restored is not an overnight process, nor can it be a single entity initiative. It is a shared responsibility amongst various stakeholders – corporates, governments, NGOs, forestry, and individuals. We are greatly encouraged to see corporates’ interest in collaborating with this initiative towards actively building a green legacy. We congratulate Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW) towards taking up this large-scale multi-city mini-forest plantation drive across many cities marking their 25 years in India and commitment to sustainability.”

    With 25,000 Sapling across Bangalore, Hyderabad and Coimbatore, this project focuses on improving biodiversity, creating a microclimate to abate city pollution, providing naturally grown fruits and medicinal herbs to the local communities, raising the local water table, and reducing at least 5,000 tonnes of carbon emission over the next ten years. BGSW, with their NGO partner, Heartfulness, will collaborate with local communities to take care of saplings and provide the necessary technology for geotagging and monitoring their growth for at least two years to ensure nutrient management.

    The 25,000 saplings will be planted using Forests by Heartfulness proprietary Heartyculture High Density (HCHD) plantation method. This method involves extensive soil reconstitution using Activated Biochar, Vermicompost, Cow manure, and Cocopeat. BGSW will facilitate the plantation of over 100 different species of trees to create a mini forest. The trees selected for the plantation drive are native endemic and supported through an extensive root network.

  • Cement giants Ambuja and ACC to clean BBMB lake in Himachal Pradesh

    Cement giants Ambuja and ACC to clean BBMB lake in Himachal Pradesh

    Cement giants, Ambuja Cements and ACC Limited, have jointly announced a mammoth project to remove plastic waste by commissioning its second phase of bubble barrier technology in BBMB Lake located in Sunder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh

    Cement giants, Ambuja Cements and ACC Limited, have jointly announced a mammoth project to remove plastic waste by commissioning its second phase of bubble barrier technology in BBMB Lake located in Sunder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh. The cleaning project will be undertaken by the in-house waste management arm, Geocycle.

    Bubble Barrier is an intelligent and non-invasive technology used to remove plastic from the water bodies, reducing the problem of marine plastic pollution in our country.

    The CEO India Holcim and Managing Director cum CEO of Ambuja Cements. Neeraj Akhoury said, “We are committed to building a sustainable future by adopting clean and green technologies. Our efforts and expertise in co-processing have created a unique solution to sustainable disposal of the marine plastic waste that creates pollution. This initiative will also contribute towards promoting a circular economy. Taking this mission ahead, we will continue our efforts to implement this innovative technology across the country.”

    The company has received a NOC from BBMB to install this innovative technology which will remove approximately 1500 tonnes per year of waste from the lake.

    The BBMB Lake has been floating with light organic material, which has been accumulated over the years resulting in choking at the discharge point of the lake. The Company’s Geocycle Bubble Barrier technology will collect plastic and lighter materials like floating debris, organic wastes, etc., from the lake, thus reducing the chances of choking.

    This technology has been installed in Himachal Pradesh with ACC Gagal Plant, which will serve as the co-processing centre for the plastic recovered from the lake. This project aims to co-process only a non-recyclable portion of the material collected, thus moving it to the existing waste disposal site of Sunder Nagar.

    The recovered recyclable plastics will be sent to recycling facilities. In contrast, the non-recyclable plastics will be taken to Geocycle’s facility for pre-processing, then co-processing in ACC cement kilns at the Gagal plant.

    The collection of plastics from leaking into the rivers will help the local community around the plant. Furthermore, the company has commissioned its pilot project in Agra, which has removed 500 tonnes of plastic waste from the Yamuna River. The company has recently received a NOC from Varanasi Municipal Corporation to install another bubble barrier technology.