The Hindu Business Line : Growing together

Many Indian corporates are finally becoming responsible entities. `C' is no longer for corporates and cash alone, it stands for Care too, as these companies help build a better society for the underprivileged.

Children from CRY painting buses to popularise a Tata Chemicals initiative.

Why is the Rs 1,500-crore Tata Chemicals supporting child development initiatives across the country? Why is Bajaj Auto educating people on the risk of HIV/AIDS? Why has Ranbaxy set up a Rural Development Trust? Why is the Lucent Technologies Foundation granting liberal scholarships to students?

There is just one answer to all these questions. These premier organisations and many more are forging a unique partnership between business and sustainable development. The complex world of marketing is moving into high gear. In a bid to outdo competition, a number of companies are taking up social activities to win lasting reputations.

Back in 1997, the Murthys set up the Infosys Foundation with the sole aim of uplifting the less privileged sections of society. Every year, the Foundation donates around Rs 6 crore and in the past three years it has built hospitals, orphanages, rehabilitation centres, schools, science centres and over 3,500 libraries.

Pharmaceutical giant Ranbaxy too has a strong element of corporate social responsibility. In 1994, the company set up a non-profit, independent body, the Ranbaxy Community Healthcare Society (RCHS), fully funded by it.

Says Dr R.S. Bakshi, chief medical officer of RCHS, "We, at Ranbaxy, do not view success and achievements in terms of commercial gains only, but believe that corporate social responsibility is the key for providing a deep, symbiotic relationship that exists between the company and the environment it works in."

Apart from RCHS, the company has set up the Ranbaxy Science Foundation (RSF), also a non-profit organisation that has no links with the commercial profile of the company. Both the voluntary organisations have a combined budget of around Rs 1.1 crore.

Education is power

Like Ranbaxy, Lucent Technologies too sees corporate community initiatives as an important part of its activities. In 2003, it honoured 47 of the world's brightest young people with the Lucent Global Science Scholars award — including three from India — for their excellence in science and mathematics. Each year, the scholars gather for a Global Science Summit to work with world-renowned scientists and academics.

Says Chris Park, president of the Lucent Technologies Foundation, "Education is the key to helping young people reach their highest potential and becomeengaged citizens and productive members of the workforce and society."

The company's signature initiative is an annual volunteer programme called the `Global Day of Caring' where Lucent employees, friends and families participate in one of many local projects that are planned in the neighbouring communities. The Foundation supports a diverse set of local projects.

Says Geeta Chaudhary, Vice-President, sales operations and marketing, "Lucent provides employees with opportunities to contribute their time, talent and ideas to projects that benefit the neighbourhoods in which they work and live."

If Lucent is funding benefiting neighbourhoods, Tata Chemicals has launched the Desh Ko Arpan programme. The organisation recently made a contribution of Rs 33 lakh to CRY - Child Relief and You.

The money was raised when Tata Chemicals decided to contribute 10 paise to a worthy cause for every kilo of Tata Salt sold. In fact, children from CRY chipped in by painting hoardings and buses to popularise the programme. Says the Managing Director, Prasad Menon, "The Desh Ko Arpan campaign provides people with a genuine opportunity to make a contribution for underprivileged children." The money raised benefits the children in 45 slums and 19 villages. The funds have also enabled the functioning of 22 non-formal education centres, two balwadis, two coaching centres and helped improve the functioning of 27 government schools.

Xanxa India is one of the companies championing education for underprivileged children;

Another company championing education is Xanxa India, subsidiary of Xanxa of the UK. One of the programmes recently undertaken by Xanxa is `Literacy@home' which aims at providing basic education facilities.

The company has adopted a school in Harola, Noida, which has a fully functional computer lab. It also runs an orphanage for 350 girls as well as one for boys. Then there is the Sankalp Welfare Society in Gurgaon running a school for children of unskilled labourers.

In the South, Xanxa runs the Padma Adarsh Higher Secondary School at Siruseri near Chennai. After the setting up of a computer lab in Siruseri, the company hopes that eight to 10 villages around the area will benefit from the project.

More pitching in

Joining the ranks of socially-conscious organisations is the Rs 10,000-crore Indian Aluminium Company Ltd (INDAL). The organisation has initiated work in literacy and family welfare and has been promoting sports and classical music. It has also taken upon itself the task of restoring monuments and historical buildings in Kolkata.

Like INDAL, another giant organisation, ICI India Ltd, has been involved in community development in India for quite some time and has undertaken mostly educational, environmental and health-related work.

In the field of rural development, the company's projects involve building awareness on hygiene, family planning, introduction of biogas plants and construction of schools and community centres.

A considerable amount of resources has been spent on these activities. And the results of these efforts include the raising of village income; almost 80,000 families have benefited directly in the 35 villages adopted by ICI.

Hygiene forms an important part of Bajaj Auto Ltd's social development strategy. Working with communities around its Pune headquarters, Bajaj has undertaken an integrated project to raise awareness of the need for clean water, to provide solutions for water supply problems, and to educate people on implementing these solutions.

Bajaj Auto has also been doing a good amount of work in the area of AIDS. It is one of the few companies that has an HIV/AIDS workplace policy.

Its major thrust is on awareness generation. It has a Condom Distribution Centre, facilities for HIV testing, and counselling services for family members of AIDS patients. The company reimburses most expenses incurred in AIDS treatment.

The company trains primary school teachers and women's groups in various aspects of HIV/AIDS. In turn, they are able to train different groups.

As modernisation takes root and international investors come rushing into India, business houses faced with tougher challenges are busy adding social development as a new dimension to their activities.

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