ET Corporate Dossier, in league with Futurescape and IIM Udaipur, presents the definitive listing of companies with the best programs for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):
The top five slots split between TATA, Mahindra Group & Maruti Suzuki.
- Tata Steel: The company uses Human Development Index to keep track of CSR in villages. The company believes that the culture of social responsibility has been hardwired in its DNA, thanks to the philosophy of its founder, Jamsetji Tata. “Our commitment to society stems from the guiding principles of our founder and we remain committed to facilitating inclusive growth and empowerment of communities around us,” says managing director TV Narendran.
- Tata Chemicals: The company spends Rs 12 cr on CSR every year & wildlife conservation tops priority. Tata Chemicals spends Rs 12 crore on CSR annually, and wildlife conservation accounts for 30 per cent of the budget of the Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development. The spend is distributed over the three places the company has operations — Mithapur in Gujarat, Haldia in West Bengal and Babrala, Uttar Pradesh. Alka Talwar, who leads Tata Chemicals’ nine member CSR team says: “We’ve been spending more than the 2 per cent of profit the government stipulates. Whether the company has been doing well or going through a slump, we’ve never cut back on the CSR budget.”
- MahindraGroup: CSR is a mix of strategic philanthropy, shared values & sustainability. Mahindra was clear that sustainability was to be embedded in the culture of the group. That led to the articulation of ‘Alternative Thinking the Mahindra Approach to Sustainability’ that stated that sustainability wasn’t just going to be about planting trees, saving water or cutting emissions. It was to be a much deeper call to action that would be a spring board for innovation, an execution philosophy and a mantra to build competitive and future ready business models. “We have unleashed a powerful energy that will be a catalyst for change,” says Rajeev Dubey, President (Group HR, Corporate Services & After-Market).
- Maruti Suzuki: Community development and road safety propel Maruti’s CSR in the fast lane. The company closely works with Ministry of Tribal Development in Gujarat to train young people in driving. While the company’s driving training efforts elsewhere in the country are aimed at road safety, the facility near Vadodara approaches driving as an employment opportunity. In addition to providing driving training, Maruti also imparts training in personality, hygiene, courtesy and communication. According to RC Bhargava, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki, who sits on the three-member CSR board, the fundamental philosophy driving CSR at Maruti centers around long-term sustainability of the business for all stakeholders. “We manufacture cars and it is very difficult to isolate the environment and resources, including people, which aid in the manufacturing process,” he says.
- Tata Motors: The company drives CSR through healthcare and education. Tata Motors’ CSR initiatives span a wide range, from driver training schools to combating malnutrition. It spent around 5.17 per cent of its post-tax profit on such initiatives, during the last financial year. “CSR is subject to regular periodic monitoring and there are exhaustive indicators to measure output, outcomes and impact of each and every program. We see the Companies Act 2013 as an enabler for bringing in more transparency and accountability in the CSR program,” says Gajendra Chandel, Chief Human Resource Officer, Tata Motors. Education, environment and employment are the key focus areas of Tata Motors’ CSR drive, says R Mashelkar, a board member of Tata Motors who has been overseeing the company’s CSR activities for over a year.
The other companies in the list are:
6. Siemens
7. Larsen & Toubro
8. Coca-Cola India
9. Steel Authority of India
10. Infosys
This article was taken from here.