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May 5, 2025
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India Falls Under ‘Very Poor’ Category in SDG Gender Index

By
Hency Thacker
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SDG Gender Index

India has secured 95th rank in the first-ever SDG Gender Index, which measures strides made in achieving gender commitments against internationally set targets. The index which took the performances of 129 countries in total, concluded that while India is leading in certain SDGs, it is lagging way behind in achieving gender equality.

The index has been developed by Equal Measures 2030, which is a partnership among global and regional organisations from the civil society and the development and private sectors. It includes The African Women’s Development and Communication Network, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, International Women’s Health Coalition and Plan International.

The SDG Gender Index includes 51 indicators across 14 of the 17 official Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The indicators include those that are gender specific, as well as those that are not but have an effect on girls and women.

The overall index scores are based on a scale of 0–100. A score of 100 indicates the achievement of gender equality in relation to the underlying indicators. A score of 50 would indicate that a country is about halfway to meet its goal.

According to the index, none of the participating countries has fully achieved the promise of gender equality.  The global average score attained by the countries is that of 65.7 out of 100, which is “poor”. However, India has scored 56.2 which is even below the global average and falls in ‘very poor’ category.

Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Slovenia, Germany, Canada, Ireland, and Australia rank as the top 10 countries in the index whereas, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Yemen, Congo, DR Congo and Chad are among the bottom 10 countries.

India scores the highest in health (79.9), followed by hunger (76.2) and energy (71.8). Among the SDGs, on which the country performs poorly are partnerships (18.3), industry, infrastructure and innovation (38.1) and climate (43.4).

Thank you for reading. Please drop a line and help us do better.

Regards,
The CSR Journal Team

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IKEA Reducing Air Pollution With Design

By
Kasmin Fernandes
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IKEA reducing air pollution with new collection
IKEA is reducing air pollution through home ware collection FÖRÄNDRING
Air pollution is a growing health peril and severe global concern. The situation in North India is most alarming, with 9 of 10 of the world most polluted cities situated there. One peril is burning of rice straws, a residue from harvesting rice that widely aggravates pollution and smog. Through the IKEA reducing air pollution initiative called ‘Better Air Now’, launched in 2018, rice straws can instead become a new renewable material source for products. The first results of this initiative can be seen in the IKEA collection FÖRÄNDRING, set to launch later this year.
The long-term ambition for the ‘Better Air Now’ initiative is to include other parts of India and beyond and to create a model for reducing air pollution in other crop burning regions of the world. Therefore IKEA has now joined the Climate and Clean Air Coalition as an actor in the Coalition’s Agricultural Initiative.
The Climate and Clean Air Coalition is a voluntary partnership of governments, intergovernmental organizations, businesses, scientific institutions and civil society organizations committed to improving air quality and protecting the climate through actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants.
The CCAC’s Agriculture Initiative works to advance methane and black carbon abatement and recovery practices within the sector. In addition to helping reduce the rate of near-term warming, these practices can provide immediate co-benefits for public health, food security and economic development, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and low-emissions agricultural development.

IKEA reducing air pollution with Forandring

FÖRÄNDRING means ‘change’ in Swedish and illustrates the desire to contribute to positive change; changing current habits where rice straw is being burnt as well as a change for the many people by contributing to better air. The first product prototypes from the collection are being presented at Democratic Design Days 2019 in Älmhult, Sweden.
Says IKEA designer Akanksha Deo, “Growing up in India I have never been able to take clean air for granted, heavy air pollution is part of mine and many other people’s everyday life. The idea of doing something that contributes to improving the situation has given me a lot of energy.” IKEA reducing air pollution is one of the design giant’s many objectives in India.

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CSR: State of India’s Environment

By
Hency Thacker
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Environment

Climate change has caused a lot of upheaval across the globe. India has not been spared of the consequences of it. This World Environment Day, let us have a close look at the various facets of the environment of India and its current state.

The State of India’s Environment 2019 in Figures is an exclusive data-driven analysis of major developmental and environmental sectors. Following are the key findings of the analysis of these environmental parameters:

Air

Air pollution is responsible for 12.5 per cent of all deaths in India. Its impact on children is equally worrying. Over 100,000 children below the age of five die due to bad air in the country. While India was one of the first countries to pledge the phasing out of non-electric vehicles, its national scheme to promote the sale of e-vehicles is yet to pick up.

Water

Both surface and groundwater in the country are under stress. 86 water bodies in the country are critically polluted. The bulk of the polluted water bodies are in Karnataka, Telangana and Kerala. Groundwater is also reeling under overexploitation, which is running 94.5 per cent of all minor irrigation schemes in the country. There has been an unsustainable increase in the number of deep tubewells that has gone up by 80 per cent between 2006-07 and 2013-14.

Land and Agriculture

India’s farm sector is under duress. While the input costs for major crops are rising, the average farmland size is shrinking. Even the share of the insured cropped area stands at a mere 26 per cent.

Waste Management 

The burden of solid waste is becoming unmanageable. In fact, 79 major protests against unsanitary landfills and dump yards have been recorded in 22 states in the past three years. Maharashtra, which registered 16 major protests, leaves 43 per cent of its waste unprocessed. While India claims to process 96 per cent of its biomedical waste, eight states and UTs have defaulting hospitals. The country has also recorded a 56 per cent increase in the number of hazardous-waste generating industries between 2009 and 2016-17.

Energy

India’s natural gas and hydro-based power plants are in shambles. Gas-based plants are running at 24 per cent of their capacity due to the acute shortage of domestic natural gas. Hydropower projects are running at just 19 per cent of their capacity. The country’s progress in renewable energy in 2018-19 has also been negligible. In wind, the country met only 6.3 per cent of the target this year. In solar, it met 5.86 per cent.

Climate

There has been a 22 per cent increase in India’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between 2010 and 2014. Because of this, the country continues to bear the brunt of extreme weather events. In 2018, 11 states recorded major extreme weather events that claimed 1,425 lives.

Forests

India has recently shifted to a powerful forest fire monitoring and alert system, SNPP-VIIRS, which can capture forest fires with better accuracy and precision. In April 2019, the new technology recorded 69,523 forest fires, which was 9.5 times more than that recorded by the earlier technology.

Wildlife

37 species were poached or seized in 2018. Of these, 13, including lion, marked an increase over the last year; 161 wild animals were also killed due to road and train accidents

While the state of affairs does not look too good, efforts made in the right direction by government, corporates and individuals will make a plethora of differences.

Thank you for reading. Please drop a line and help us do better.

Regards,
The CSR Journal Team

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Why focussing on water makes business sense

By
Dr. Vikas Goswami, Head Sustainability, Godrej Industries Limited and Associated Companies
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water drop

By Abhishek Chaturvedi and Dr. Vikas Goswami

Water is the most critical common property, a must for life on our planet. Since time immemorial, we have worshipped and hailed it as sacred. Perennial river valleys helped blossom our diverse cultures, complex societies, governance systems and civilisations.
But, like with everything else, we have crossed long ago the tipping point of exploiting our aquatic resources. We are drying up our ground waters rapidly, melting our glaciers far quickly and mindlessly polluting what we have—an act of collective self-destruction.
It’s World Environment Day, yet again. Can this be the single biggest turning point in the history of our times; can we do something miraculous to save our waters, and ourselves? It’s time to decide…
As trustees of this common property resource inherited from our ancestors, we need to converge and co-create some very serious, non-negotiable and sustainable solutions, so as to ensure that we pass on this resource to our children with utmost responsibility.
Of course, we aren’t the ones who started it all! ‘It was always burning, as the world was turning’! However, since the scientific and industrical revolution during the 18th century, scramble for colonies, mass production of goods, expansion of markets, demographic boom, measurement of world progress in terms of who produces more, and a race to control and exploit natural resources has also been the hallmark of our ‘modern’ civilization.
The scale of environmental pillage and destruction in just last 100 years or so has been unparalleled in human history. We may like it or not, but we all are very much a part of that process and contribute to that, knowing or unknowingly.
Thus, it’s we who have to engage, and decide where do we go from here. It has exactly been this concern, our shared destinies and shared purposes that we wish to now take control and stem the impending disaster. It’s precisely this lurking fear that has made us rediscover, invent and to widely use words like ‘governance’ and ‘sustainability’ since the 1990s.
The good news is that almost every government or private institution today has begun reporting on the commonly agreed ‘governance’ and ‘sustainability’ standards and practices. While there has been some kind of a progressive movement, it’s still too meagre to contend the Goliath we all face.
Almost all enlightened stakeholders, actually us all, have become active participants and have begun talking about it, rolling out awareness campaigns or advocating for others to do something. We have stormed social media with call outs, pledges, petitions, likes, shares…so on and so forth. Many of us have even gone ahead and undertaken some water conservation activities, restoration of water bodies, found ways to reuse and recycle. Some of us have even completely discarded single-use plastic bottles, straws, and purposefully ticked ‘no plastic cutlery’ while ordering food online.
The otherwise popular campaigns around ‘save water’, four Rs (refuse, reduce, recycle, reuse), ‘say no to plastics’ that have been yielding some results; creative folks have gradually shifted to somewhat more evolved messaging and many of us have begun internalising them too. Thus messages like ‘say more to less’, ‘your brand might have a drinking problem’ and ‘make India water-positive’, ‘planet or plastic’ are trending rapidly.
Throwing up numbers is always a good idea, helps situate oneself in the larger context, reflect and rediscover. Not sure on the ground-level impact of such campaigns, jaw-dropping numbers influence perceptions, helps informed decision-making.
For example, a few grim numbers like—it takes 17,000 litres of water to make a kilo of chocolate, 10,000 to make a pair of denims, 8,000 for a pair of shoes and 910 to build a mobile phone, industries are ‘consuming 70% of our entire usable water’, ‘5 trillion pieces of plastics are already floating on our oceans’, ‘by 2050 every seabird will be eating plastics’ and that nano plastics have already entered global food chains—surely plays on our mind when we think of how and what we buy, consume and dispose. Consequently, brands get pushed back, only to swiftly mainstream sustainability in their supply chains and ensure global certifications, like ‘bon sucro’ for sustainable sugarcane production.
Similarly, it certainly pains to read that ‘globally, it is likely that over 80% of wastewater is released to the environment without adequate treatment’ (UNESCO, 2017). Hurts, because don’t we all love bubbly streams, clean rivers, lakes, beaches and oceans? Who doesn’t dream of holidaying around them, snorkeling and exploring life deep inside those blue waters, also enjoying the diverse fresh water and seafood delicacies. That’s what our ancestors treasured for us, and that’s exactly we need to hand over to our children.
As for India, millions of our farmers and urban residents are a distressed lot as their borewells and traditional sources of water are drying up, getting contaminated with hazardous chemicals. On the other hand, several industries and manufacturing plants are drilling deeper in excess of even 1,000 feet, thus increasingly facing the ire from their neighbourhood communities who aren’t able to compete.
This farmer distress is now more often turning into a widespread unrest. In several cases, including those of large MNCs, they draw their shutters down and force them to pack up, often after a prolonged agitation and legal wranglings.
And they aren’t alone. Pressure from scarcity of water is mounting on others too. More states and countries are now locking horns, some even having slugging it out since several decades with no signs of truce. Look at Tamil Nadu-Karnataka, Haryana-Delhi, bloody conflicts between Rwanda and Sudan, Middle East. After all, it’s a battle for survival!
What’s worse, India has now disgracefully surpassed all other countries to become the leading extractor of groundwater. With most groundwater zones alarmingly slipping from ‘critical’ to ‘overexploited’, the per capita availability of water has dropped from 5,177 cubic metres in 1951 to 1,545 cubic metres in 2011, below the ‘stress level’ of 1,700 cubic metres. Going forward, it is likely to get worse. By 2050, India could well reach the water scarcity level of 1,000 cu m.
So, with India’s unprecedented water emergency, afflicting everyone–from households to farmers to manufacturers to governments, there is a growing stress on private entities’ Social Licence to Operate (SLO) on one hand and those in power on the other.
What’s worse, a very large number of manufacturing plants do not have even rainwater harvesting systems. Instead, they annually pump millions of litres of water from severely diminished aquifers and sometimes pay modest tax on its use to their local Panchayats or industry associations.
Can these firms, with huge roofs running into several thousand square feet, not connect the edges, channelise rainwater, store for their use and transfer the excess to the neighbourhood communities? Should becoming a water-positive brand not become a top priority for business sustainability?
Ditto with the government institutions having sizeable roofs. Does this require some kind of a stringent law, cess to be in place? Isn’t this a plain business sense? Should the new government at Centre not put in focus under MGNREGA, MPLADS to ensure that each village, each human habitat have sustainable clean water body, with the same sense of urgency as was with Aadhaar and GST?
Likewise, the focus of Sustainability reporting and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) surely has to also shift a bit. Yes support to education and healthcare is definitely non-negotiable.
Development economists that have influenced the UN’s ‘Human Development Reports’ since 1990 have influenced such social choice-making around ‘literacy’, ‘basic education’, primary healthcare and nutrition, longevity. However, spending almost two-thirds of the entire budget (around INR 9,000 crores) on education and healthcare, and leaving merely 25% for critical intervention areas like environmental sustainability leaves no legroom for addressing dire issues as water.
Most of the CSR spends are predominantly decided on the basis of where the company offices and manufacturing plants are located. Thus, already backward districts in several states and entire Northeast (comprising of seven states) gets no help from these industries even as they push for newer markets in tier-three towns and beyond. Commercially well-off states, on the other hand, like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu receive 60% of the CSR capital. What’s worse, sources suggest environmental sustainability is not a priority. That’s not good news, certainly.
Already mid-way into 2019, and amidst the entire world coming together to address critical global warming, environment and biodiversity issues, it’s time Indian government, industry and ‘we the citizens of India’ align ourselves to ‘shift’ our focus. Water is critical to us all. It’s central to ensuring good governance and that businesses remain sustainable over the long-term.

Views of the authors are personal and do not necessarily represent the website’s views.

Abhishek Chaturvedi is Founder of Sustainability Co-creators (SUSCO), Gurgaon. Dr. Vikas Goswami is Head, Sustainability – Good and Green, Godrej Industries Limited and Associate Companies.

Thank you for reading the column. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please drop a line and help us do better.

Regards,
The CSR Journal Team

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‘Corporates Need To Equip People With Knowledge And Skills To Improve Their Quality Of Life’: Rajeev Kapoor, Vice President, Financial Shared Services, India CSR Champion, Dell Technologies

By
Hency Thacker
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Rajeev Kapoor, Vice President, Financial Shared Services, India CSR Champion, Dell Technologies

Sustainable innovation is the mantra that Dell technologies seem to have adopted in its business processes as well as CSR initiatives. With various innovative solutions for waste management through recycling and reusing the accumulated waste, Dell has taken sizeable steps in contributing to environmental conservation. The company is also taking steps in improving the employability of the youth in the country.

Rajeev Kapoor, Vice President, Financial Shared Services, India CSR Champion, Dell Technologies spoke to Hency Thacker in an exclusive interview with The CSR Journal about his views on CSR and various initiatives by the company.

What is your motivation to involve yourself in the CSR part of the business?

It is a great feeling when you do well in business along with being able to give back to the community. I have always had an inclination for contributing to social welfare, even on an individual level. So when I was presented with this opportunity some 8 years ago, it was a natural choice for me. I have not looked back since I took up the leadership in CSR since this is something I am very passionate about.

What are some of the causes that are close to your heart?

Education and skill training is something that I strongly believe in. In a country like India, there are so many different causes that need attention. But the cause that really resonates with me is that every person of every background should get a quality education and appropriate understanding of technology. This is the only way to ensure that they are able to face the world of tomorrow and place themselves at a good standing in the competitive society, which is going to be a lot more connected and technology based.

I believe that if we are able to fix the education scenario in the country, then we are setting ourselves up for success in addition to the demographic dividends.

Tell us about some of the initiatives that you are leading with Dell Technologies?

 We are committed to driving human progress by putting up technology and expertise to work. In India, we are working extensively in the education space with our flagship program Dell Youth Learning, which is a component of our ‘2020 Legacy of Good’ plan. For this, we have collaborated with NITI Aayog to set up and support about 86 ‘Atal Tinkering Labs’ in order to enable access to technology for the youth, which provides them with space to drive innovation.

Apart from this, we also encourage our employees to volunteer for various social, cultural and environmental causes. Volunteering is a key factor in the DNA of Dell’s culture. In fact, across the company of around 140,000 people, more than half of them actively volunteers in a year. In India, about 70% of our employees volunteer at least for a few hours every year for any cause they believe in. Dell employees have always actively participated in providing disaster relief measures in areas that have witnessed nature’s fury.

What does Dell do to ensure that CSR is imbibed in the corporate strategy and operations and is not merely a philanthropic act?

 We at Dell believe in a circular economy. We always try to figure out that how can we create an environment in which we can recycle all the electronic products that are being made in an environment-friendly way or what can be done to make our products more energy efficient. We have also made our supply chain completely transparent. Apart from this, we are also committed to reducing ocean plastic pollution. For this, we pulled out a sizeable amount of plastic waste from the oceans and used that in the packaging of our flagship products. 

There are changes happening in our society. The environment is creating an opportunity for us to either shift the way we all live and work or continue in the status quo. As we embrace the digital future, a choice to embrace sustainability. Whether it’s we as a company, our customers, our suppliers and all of us as human beings, we have a choice to adapt to sustainability in doing everything we do. And at Dell, we have made our choice to be as sustainable as possible.

How can corporates participate in bringing about social mobility in a society?

I think the most important thing that needs to be addressed is ensuring that everyone is receiving the right kind of education. Focusing on skilling people in a way that they are able to do some meaningful work in a technologically advanced world that we are moving in, is the need of the hour. I believe if we are able to achieve that, then we can certainly bring about social mobility in society.

Corporates can equip people with knowledge and skills which would improve their quality of life and give them an opportunity to experience the way the world is advancing.

What should an ideal India look like in your opinion?

 I would like India to be a place where we give everybody an equal opportunity. A place where there are no biases based on gender, caste, or class. A country that is vibrant in its diversity and is leading innovation in the world.

Thank you for reading. In addition, your thoughts and inputs will genuinely make a difference to us. Please drop a line and help us do better.

Regards,
The CSR Journal Team

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Mahindra Group’s #CelebrateDifferently urges citizens to take climate change action

By
The CSR Journal
-
(L to R) Ruzbeh Irani, Soha Ali Khan and Anirban Ghosh planting a tree at the launch of Mahindra Hariyali Campaign

Part of the larger theme of #RiseAgainstClimateChange, the Mahindra Group’s new initiative aims to motivate citizens to plant a tree to celebrate the joyous milestones in their lives. Alternately, individuals who are not able to do so, can simply like, share or comment on #CelebrateDifferently and Mahindra will plant a tree on their behalf as a part of the Mahindra Hariyali initiative.

Planting trees, including improving forest management, conservation, and regeneration, will help offset India’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, as well as providing a host of wider environmental and socio-economic benefits.

Reiterating his thoughts on environment preservation, Anirban Ghosh, Chief Sustainability Officer, Mahindra Group, stated, “We will truly overcome the challenges posed by climate change only if we engage every citizen of India to join the movement. We are delighted to provide a platform for fellow Indians, particularly millennials, to contribute towards building a greener India. This would also enable the nation to meet its commitment to create a carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons as promised in the Paris Climate Change Agreement.”

Under the Mahindra Hariyali project, the group has planted more than 16 million trees in the past 12 years with an annual commitment to plant 1 million trees every year. With this campaign, Mahindra group aims to motivate every citizen to be a part of this action, which will lead to realizing the aspiration i.e. ‘A Tree for Every Indian.’

Bittu Sahgal, Editor Sanctuary Asia and Founder, Sanctuary Nature Foundation, added, “Our climate crisis is real, and India is on track to be one of the most affected nations in the world on account of our large population that is cramped into a finite subcontinent. But within our cultures and our values lies the power to unite and fix what must be recognized as an existential problem. The opportunity lies in naturally regenerating India’s ecological systems – mountains, coasts, forests, grasslands, rivers, wetlands and lakes – that gave rise to our ancient civilization and making it a part of our celebration is a good starting point.”

Coca-Cola India Foundation to Implement Integrated Waste Management Solutions

By
The CSR Journal
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Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola India Foundation, Anandana, has announced the establishment of integrated waste management infrastructure along with SAAHAS, CHINTAN and HASIRU DALA, which also includes setting up of Material Recovery and Segregation Facilities (MRFs). The partnerships will also drive social initiatives such as the inclusion of informal waste sector into a formal one, raising awareness of source segregation, influencing attitudinal changes in waste disposal, and protection of natural habitats among others.

Inadequate source segregation is one of the major roadblocks that hinder recycling. Burning of unsorted solid waste can also aggravate air pollution. Anandana along with various NGO partners is supporting the creation of new infrastructure for material recovery including PET and composting of wet waste.  The facilities will be set up at multiple locations in Delhi/NCR, Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka in India.

Ishteyaque Amjad, Vice-President- Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, said, “Waste generation rates are expected to increase more than two-fold by 2025 in urban India, largely driven by rising in incomes and growing urban populations. Together, with our partners, we want to encourage self-sustaining ventures within decentralized waste management. These partnerships are aligned with our vision of creating a ‘World Without Waste’ to collect and recycle the equivalent of 100% of our packaging by 2030.”

Divya Tiwari, CEO – SAAHAS said, “We are excited about our continued partnership with Coca-Cola towards solving the problem of waste through source segregation, resource recovery and recycling. Decentralized Waste Management is an integral part of taking this journey forward in a sustainable manner and we’ll develop new ways of optimizing the process.”

Bharati Chaturvedi, Founder & Director – CHINTAN added, “Partnerships are key for development and one which includes waste pickers are key to the burgeoning waste crisis. The project provides an opportunity to waste pickers to have access to waste from households and help the municipality by conforming to the guidelines prescribed under Swachh Bharat. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has generously extended their support and made available space for a material recovery facility which will be key in providing a decentralized solution. ”

Ms. Nalini Shekar, Co-Founder – HASIRU DALA, said, “Plastic recycling is critical for environmental sustainability and we are delighted to join hands with Anandana to establish a sustainable community through integrated plastic waste management solutions. We will be closely working with multiple key stakeholders to create an occupational identity for waste pickers as well as help these groups get financial and social benefits they deserve.”

The efforts will also focus on creating frameworks for sustainable community-led approach and spreading awareness among the waste workers, scrap dealers and local administration.

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CSR: Ayurvastra – Fashion With Healing Powers

By
Hency Thacker
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Ayurvastra

Ethical fashion has been in a conversation in recent years considering the harmful effects of fast fashion on health, environment and biodiversity. The carcinogenic chemicals used in the fabric dyes have caused diseases to the labourers working in garment factories as well as the consumers using them. To address these concerns several fashion designers have adopted ethical ways of producing fashion. However, the majority of these ethical fashion designers focus on the environmental factor of the fashion industry. The designer duo Lecoanet-Hemant from Kerala are among the few who are addressing the health effects by creating Ayurvastra.

Ayurvastra is a concept where the fabric for clothing is treated with ayurvedic herbs that possess medicinal properties. This cloth then is used to make garments which have healing properties for certain ailments.

The multi-award winning duo is refining the concept of ayurvastra, with a line of garments under the label Ayurganic. The first step is to procure GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic cotton. Once the swatches are delivered, they’re bleached in a natural aloe vera solution, then dipped in natural gums so they can absorb and hold on to the colour and medicinal properties of the herbs. After dyeing the fabric for a minimum of six hours in ayurvedic herbs, it is cooled, washed and kept in a dark room for a minimum of 15 days. The longer the cloth is kept in the darkness, the more steadfast the colour and healing properties.

The water used to dye the fabric is believed to be medicinal as well. This is to be consumed or bathed in to enhance health and beauty. The designer duo has set up their processing unit in the heart of the Agastya forest in Kerala. The forest is a source of more than 1,200 herbs, used for various combinations that range from immunity to better sleep, to glowing skin. Many different herbs (including red sandalwood, sweetflag, vetiver, wild turmeric) are used; however, neem is the main ingredient with 20% concentration.

In this world of fast fashion where garments are constructed in as less than a couple of hours, choosing to delve in a project such as Ayurvastra requires a strong commitment and a lot of patience. However, with more such initiatives by designers and with brands promoting such initiatives by providing a proper platform, Ayurvastra has a lot of potentials to contribute in the field of health, wellness, beauty, environment and ethics in the fashion industry.

Thank you for reading. Please drop a line and help us do better.

Regards,
The CSR Journal Team

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14th UN Global Compact Network India Convention Held

By
Kasmin Fernandes
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14th GCNI National Convention
There is increasing conversation around on-ground actions that businesses need to take to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create economic value for India. Global Compact Network India (GCNI) – the local arm of UN Global Compact, New York acknowledged this by choosing as its theme: ‘Pioneering Solutions for India’ in keeping with the SDGs for the 14th edition of its National Convention at Grand Hyatt Mumbai on May 31, 2019.

14th national convention by Global Compact Network India

The national convention, attended by the who’s who of the Development and Corporate Social Responsibility sectors, looked at solutions on wide implementation of sustainable innovations and leadership stance taken by various organisations in India.
This summit one of the largest national conventions of Global Compact Network India with more than 500 delegates from corporate professionals, policy makers, UN officials and researchers who came together to share insights on the emerging trends on sustainable practices.
A research paper on Role of Technology in transforming India’s sustainability agenda was also launched there in association with Accenture. The paper showcased the best practices and scope of work being done on SDGs by enabling technology towards addressing these issues. The Summit marked presence of eminent leaders like Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and Member, NITI Aayog. He said, “Do not think of SDGs in isolation they exist in framework of government schemes.”
“SDGs present a large business opportunity and if India’s progress is so crucial to achieving the SDGs, it is easy to understand that corporations like Mahindra will play a key role in the way forward,” said Rajeev Dubey Convener, GCNI 14th National Convention and Group President (HRM Corporate Services) and CEO (Aftermarket) and Member of the Group Executive Board, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
“Our aim in hosting summits like these is to ensure that stakeholders from across the spectrum – corporates, NGOs and individuals are able to take concerted actions on SDGs through collaborations,” Kamal Singh, Executive Director, Global Compact Network India, told The CSR Journal.

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Ambuja Cement Foundation and AU Small Finance Bank join hands to upskill over 1,100 Jaipur youth

By
The CSR Journal
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Ambuja Cement Foundation and AU Small Finance Bank have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Skill Training Institute by the name of ‘AU Skills Academy’ in Jaipur district.
This partnership aims at empowering the youth between the age of 18 and 35 years by helping them gain employment and entrepreneurship opportunities through a variety of vocational skill training courses in the field of Retail Sales, Office Assistance, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Hospitality & Tourism.
For over a decade, Ambuja Cement Foundation has helped upskill young individuals through 29 of its Skill and Entrepreneurship Development Institutes (SEDI) across 10 states of India. Till date, the organization has trained more than 45,000 Rural Youth, with a placement rate of 75%.
Commenting on this partnership, Pearl Tiwari, Director and CEO, Ambuja Cement Foundation, said, “We are proud to have created a strong skill training module, keeping in mind the industry requirements that can easily be adopted by other educators and organizations too. We are delighted to partner with AU Small Finance Bank and hope to build many more skilling centres in the near future.” 
Manoj Tibrewal, Group Head, AU Small Finance Bank, said, “Through our community centric initiatives, we focus our efforts towards enhancing the social and economic well-being of the society that we operate in. Through our partnership with Ambuja Cement Foundation, we aim to provide quality training to the youth along with placement opportunities, which will help them enhance their livelihoods.”
Last year in September, these two organizations developed a SEDI centre in Jaipur to impart vocational training in the field of banking and finance to the youth from nearby villages. In its first batch, a total of 50 students had enrolled for the program and it was the success of this program and the demand for trained youth from the industry that has given birth to this new initiative – AU Skills Academy. By May 2020, the organization has committed to provide support and training to 1,130 youth ensuring employment to at least 75% of the trained youth to secure a brighter future for them.
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