Maharashtra is the second most populous state in India. Mumbai, the capital of the state is considered to be the commercial capital of the country. Top business houses have their headquarters in Mumbai, making Maharashtra a top CSR destination in the country. Consequently, the state receives the largest share for CSR funds in India.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending by companies listed on the NSE main board increased by 16% to Rs 17,967 crore in 2023-24 compared with Rs 15,524 crore in 2022-23, according to primeinfobase.com.
Top 10 firms in terms of CSR spends in FY24 includes HDFC Bank (Rs 945.31 crore), Reliance Industries (Rs 900 crore), TCS (Rs 827 crore), ONGC (Rs 634.57 crore), Tata Steel (Rs 580.02 crore), ICICI Bank (Rs 518.87 crore), Indian Oil Corporation (Rs 457.71 crore), Infosys (Rs 455.67 crore), ITC (Rs 404.05 crore) and Power Grid Corporation of India (Rs 330.48 crore). Together, these firms spent 34% of the total CSR spending in FY24. As in previous years, education received the maximum expenditure (Rs 1,104 crore), followed by healthcare (Rs 720 crore).
Maharashtra gets highest share of CSR
State-wise, Maharashtra (Rs 266.14 crore) received the maximum CSR spends from India Inc. It was followed by Rajasthan (Rs 242.58 crore), Tamil Nadu (Rs 215.13 crore), Gujarat (Rs 210.49 crore), Telangana (Rs 136 crore), Delhi (Rs 120.85 crore), Odisha (Rs 120.74 crore), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 118.24 crore), Chhattisgarh (Rs 118 crore) and Haryana (Rs 112.23 crore). These 10 states accounted for 60% of the total CSR spend.
Top CSR Projects in Maharashtra
Hyundai Motor India’s Sparsh Sanjeevani Healthcare Initiative
Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF) the CSR arm of Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has commenced operations of Telemedicine Clinics under its Sparsh Sanjeevani healthcare initiative in Talegaon, Pune, Maharashtra. Inaugurated by Shri Girish Mahajan, Minister – Rural Development & Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of Maharashtra, 5 Telemedicine Clinics will serve Pait, Kadus, Wada, Navlakh Umbre, and Sudumbre villages in Talegaon. These clinics will provide essential medical consultations and healthcare services remotely, augmenting primary healthcare infrastructure in such villages.
Hyundai Motor India Foundation’s Sparsh Sanjeevani public healthcare initiative was envisaged to boost India’s healthcare services in remote villages, by reaching the hinterland and making primary healthcare accessible to the underserved communities. Telemedicine clinics are nurse assisted clinics where patients are connected through video call with specialist doctors, providing remote specialist consultation in remote areas. Post consultation, each patient is provided with medicines by the on-ground nurse. This service is provided at a nominal charge of Rs. 100 per patient. The model also allows follow-up consultations.
Sparsh Sanjeevani telemedicine clinics are currently operational in the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The initiative operates with a network of 40 clinics as of July 2024, spread over 8 states, collectively providing quality healthcare access to over 15 lakh people.
Mondelez India’s Youth skilling CSR program
Mondelez India, in collaboration with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), has commenced a youth skilling program in Pune, Maharashtra. This endeavour builds upon the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Mondelez India and NSDC in November 2023, aimed at empowering 660 young people. The initiative is an extension of Mondelez India’s national CSR program, Shubh Aarambh, which has positively impacted the lives of 100,000 beneficiaries over the last ten years through various initiatives, including youth skilling.
The candidates will be trained in sectors such as management, hospitality & tourism, retail, IT-ITeS, and logistics, that have been identified based on job assessments and skill related demands from local industries and job markets. In Pune, over 300 candidates will receive training for roles in office, documentation, customer care, etc.
The training will encompass Short-Term Training (STT) using Qualification Pack (QP)- led training modules specifically designed for the job roles in the identified sectors. The candidates will receive training in soft skills and skill orientation on respective job roles, tools, and work methodology. It will be followed by assessment, certification, and connecting the candidates to employment opportunities.
The project will leverage NSDC’s skilling ecosystem, which includes training partners, assessment partners, and others. The training partners will be responsible for mobilising youth, forming and initiating training batches, setting up training premises, conducting training modules, facilitating third-party assessments, and organising placement drives for certified candidates.
Dettol Banega Swasth India (BSI) – Nutrition India Program
Dettol BSI launched Nutrition India Program in 2019. The program was developed to provide support in the first 1000 days of a child’s life, utilizing digital and artificial intelligence-based innovative modules, to strengthen the health, hygiene and nutrition status of pregnant women and children in Maharashtra’s Amravati and Nandurbar.
After the first successful year of the program, the community witnessed a 7.4% reduction in the proportion of severely acute malnourished children across the districts of Amravati & Nandurbar. Within the first 10 months, the programme was able to save the lives of 6,500 children between the years of 1-5 with the help of 41 community nutrition workers. An independent evaluation by sustainable Square also found that every INR 1 invested in the BSI Nutrition India Programme delivers a social value of Rs. 36.90.
The five-year program has in the past one year worked with local communities and developed a workforce of travelling nutrition champions who are known as ‘Community Nutrition Workers (CNWs)’. These workers are given rigorous training by public health experts, paediatricians, gynaecologists, and community development specialists, and are educated about the golden rules of good nutrition.
The ongoing programme is focusing on maternal and child health. Everything related to it is being taught to these community nutrition workers, such as–what precautions are to be taken by expecting mothers, what should be their diet, lessons on breastfeeding, the importance of breastfeeding within the initial hour of birth, exclusive breastfeeding for the newborn, and the diet which should be given to a child so that he/she is saved from the ill effects of malnutrition.
Over the next four years, the programme aims to reach 1,77,000 mothers of undernourished children across 1,000 villages with a target of 40% reduction in the number of children under five who are stunted, and to reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5%.
Tata Power Supports Launch of 1st All Women Dairy Enterprise in Maval
India’s milk production stands at 176.4 million tonnes today. This has been majorly contributed by the women of the country who make up a share of more than 75 per cent in animal husbandry operations like feeding, milking and sale of milk.
With an intent to empower women, Tata Power has supported the establishment of Maval Dairy Farmer Services Producer Company Ltd., Maharashtra’s #1st ‘All Women Dairy Enterprise’ at Maval in Pune.
Established in 2015 with just 334 members, Dairy has a fledging membership of 1,200 women farmers today moving from just being marginal farmers to proud agro- entrepreneurs who completely run and manage the project thereby, assuming leadership roles.
The project was brought to life through extensive collaboration between the community women of the region and Tata Power. An in-depth study on the feasibility of developing the Dairy project resulted in the establishment of the Maval Dairy Farmer Services Producer Company Ltd. that aims to empower women, economically and socially.
The project has developed 15 advanced well-equipped milk collection centres covering 26 villages. It has also ensured that there is complete transparency in the operations and commercial handling of the plant along with the associated community members and the Dairy farmers receive the actual price realization of their produce. Currently, the plant procures around 6,000 litres/day of milk from the various villages associated with the project.
Progressively, it is also working towards enhancing milk collection and adding new members to the Dairy by conducting surveys in surrounding areas and identifying the requirements of people in Maval. To meet the requirement and run the plant at its full capacity, the project has added 15 new villages to the project. Over the last four years, the local pastoral community that covers 3000 farmer households has also integrated other support services like mini dairy farms, veterinary services, training for managing dairy farms and product marketing.
To give an impetus to the project, Dairy will not only supply milk to larger cities like Mumbai and Pune but will also produce high-quality dairy products including paneer (cottage cheese), cream, buttermilk etc.
Allcargo Logistics adopted three villages in Maharashtra
The CSR arm of Allcargo Logistics, Avashya Foundation, took a proactive lead in adopting a cluster of villages in Maharashtra. As part of its CSR initiative, Allcargo Logistics adopted three villages and constructed 17 houses for underprivileged communities of the Panvel block in Raigad district. Out of these, 14 houses were handed over in Dhamani (Choti Dhamni, Mothi Dhamni and Aushyachiwadi), and nearby villages like Sangtoli, and Shivani. These constructed houses were handed over to 13 female beneficiaries from women-headed households and four male beneficiaries inclusive of a person with a disability (PwD) and senior citizens.
Additionally, with the focus on education, environment, housing, sports and healthcare facilities for the villagers, the Foundation is also actively training the youth and imparting the skills related to logistics, and tailoring, respectively. With the adoption of the villages, Avashya Foundation also plans to support agriculture and horticulture-related works. Similarly, forward linkages after training being provided for formal job training.
Dow India’s STEM initiative in Maharashtra
Dow India recently inaugurated a science centre with a mini-innovation hub at an educational premise of Jijamata Shikshan Prasarak Mandal in Lote, Ratnagiri district. The objective is to increase science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) literacy and prepare tomorrow’s workforce to develop innovative solutions.
This STEM centre will enable students to learn the process of design thinking which will include ideation and prototype development. The facility has been created via its marquee CSR partner Agastya International Foundation and Freedom For You. Every year, it will aim to benefit 5,000 students spread across more than 50 schools. It will also provide training for more than 100 teachers and become a hub for science fairs and competitions in the region.
The STEM centre will also act as a training centre for teachers. It will train more than 100 teachers on the importance of experiential learning which is aligned to the New Education Policy (NEP).
Spread over 3,000 square feet, the STEM centre will provide students with enriched and evolved learning. It will be equipped with more than 200 scientific models, chemicals, glassware and even modern tools and instruments like a 3D printer. It will act as a learning space where schools from Khed and Chiplun Taluka will be invited to participate in hands-on experiential learning, which is aligned to their curriculum, whereby students will go through a series of sessions focused on design thinking processes.
HDFC Bank Parivartan Future Skills Initiative
HDFC Bank has launched the Future Skills Initiative for youth in Pune, Maharashtra under Parivartan – the bank’s umbrella brand for all social initiatives. Through this initiative, HDFC Bank Parivartan will provide career counselling and skills training to over 1,800 youth, with a focus on empowering girls in Pune. The Bank will also help over 1,800 youth find relevant employment opportunities in IT/ITES sectors. This initiative aims to make more youth job-ready by counselling them on career opportunities and providing skills training needed for employment.
For this initiative, HDFC Bank has partnered with FUEL (Friends Union for Energizing Lives), an NGO that will provide career counselling and skills training in fields of AI and Digital Marketing. Post successful completion, students will be provided with Certification and placement assistance.
In addition to the skills training, career counselling will focus on:
– Increasing self-awareness of the youth
– Educating them on the various career paths and Futuristic Skills
– Helping them pursue their chosen path by connecting them with industry partners for internships/placements
National Cancer Institute – CSR of ONGC
At Nagpur, ONGC has supported for setting up of National Cancer Institute, a 455 bedded quaternary care oncology centre. The institute will provide a world-class oncology treatment facility at affordable rates to the general public of Central India. The state of the art radio diagnostic equipment and construction of the first floor and ground floor of the institute has been funded by ONGC. More than 10,000 people have benefited through this project up to April 2019.
The centre provides comprehensive cancer treatment, patient care and research through sustainable charity. In addition to providing general cancer care, the institute also creates speciality groups of highly skilled professionals who are masters in the treatment of a select group of cancers. The institute also plans to start University recognized training courses for nurses, paramedical staff and medical fraternity including super speciality training in Oncology and PhD programs.
