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The Complete CSR Report of HCL Technologies, Building Strong Communities
HCL Technologies is a next-generation global technology company that helps enterprises reimagine their businesses for the digital age. The company builds sustainability principles and actions into its strategy, culture and day-to-day operations. HCL CSR aims to improve the lives of people around the planet, engaging our employees, clients, stakeholders and the communities we live in, to a higher purpose.
In order to make the most difference in a way that it can do the best for the society, the company focuses its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives on health, education, technology, jobs and people who are denied the benefits and access afforded by science, technology and innovation.
In the FY 2019-20, the company spent INR 175 crores under its CSR spending, which is more than the prescribed 173 crores as per the Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013.
The below video highlights the CSR initiatives of HCL Technologies:
Keyphrase: HCL CSR
1. CSR at HCL Technologies
HCL Technologies conducts its CSR initiatives through its CSR arm, HCL Foundation. HCL CSR concentrates its efforts to transform the lives of vulnerable communities in India and around the world.
The company through its flagship CSR initiatives HCL Samuday, HCL Grant and HCL Uday, has impacted the lives of more than 1.5 million people in the Financial Year 2019-20. HCL Foundation has been creating opportunities to break the cycle of poverty through its initiatives pertaining to Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), Education, Health, Livelihoods, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Disaster Risk Reduction and Response (DRR) verticals in rural and urban communities. The Foundation has also worked to address environmental poverty through mass plantation, water conservation and rejuvenation, and animal welfare initiatives.
However, the company defines the spirit of its CSR by its “Power of One” initiative which consists of the company’s employee volunteers and contributors who offer their personal time and commitment toward social upliftment.
2. CSR Policy
The objective of the CSR policy of the Company is to lay down guidelines for proper execution of CSR activities of the Company so as to support the sustainable development of the society. The Company has set up HCL Foundation to focus on the CSR activities of the Company. The CSR activities, projects and programmes undertaken by the Company shall be those as approved by the CSR committee and are covered under the areas set out in Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013. The Company is doing CSR expenditure in Education, Infrastructure, Women Development, Health, Environment Sustainability, Promoting Gender Equality and Disaster Management.
2.1 CSR Committee
The CSR Committee of HCL Technologies comprises of Ms Roshni Nadar Malhotra, the Chairperson of the company, Mr Shiv Nadar and Mr S. Madhavan.
The CSR activities, projects and programmes to be undertaken by the Company are to be approved by the CSR committee. The CSR Committee is responsible for the approval of undertaking of such activities, projects and programs as are covered in Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013. It is also responsible for determining whether the CSR activities, projects and programmes are to be carried out by the company directly, through the trust established by the company (HCL Foundation), or through any other registered trust qualified to take up CSR activities.
It is the CSR Committee’s prerogative to direct the foundation or executive partner of the company for the particular CSR project about the specific activities, projects or programs that are to be undertaken, the modalities for utilization of funds on such projects and programs and the monitoring and reporting mechanisms to be followed in that regard.
3. Power of One – Heart and Soul of HCL CSR
Power of One (Po1) is the backbone for the HCL CSR. The employee-led program is one of the key initiatives of the HCL Foundation. Power of One was introduced with the idea that a small contribution can make a huge difference in people’s lives and can go a long way in making a significant impact in society. HCL Community Champions have shown great commitment toward all volunteer-based activities of HCL Foundation and continue to support our mission of transforming lives and spreading goodwill
Under the program, the HCL Community Champions have shown great commitment towards all volunteer-based activities of HCL Foundation and have clocked over 1,13,958 volunteer hours this year. Additionally, 39,723 HCLites are contributing ₹1/2/5 per day under the ‘Power of One payroll giving program’ in India.
The funds collected through the program are used to support meritorious students through long term scholarships for excellence in academics and sports. These students belong to disadvantaged backgrounds and are family members of HCL’s support staff or part of HCL Foundation supported schools and communities.
Through this initiative, scholars get an opportunity to develop leadership skills, get mentoring and coaching for their subjects and career counselling. This year, 350 scholarships worth 79.8 lakhs fully powered by the Po1 contribution of HCLites were given out to meritorious students for excellence in academics and sports.
4. HCL Uday
With a vision of clean, green, healthy and empowered communities, HCL Foundation works to break the cycle of urban poverty through its integrated urban development program – HCL Uday. The approach of the programme is based on the intrinsic belief that the urban poor aspire to a life of dignity and self respect. Through this program, HCL Foundation creates opportunities through carefully designed strategies that speak both to their environment and to the ambitions of the community. The programme is an umbrella initiative under which following projects are being implemented:
4.1 My Community
HCL Foundation’s endeavours in the urban slum communities are grouped under the ‘My Community’ rubric. Through this unique model, HCL Foundation addresses diverse social issues for the same vulnerable population in an integrated manner. The model also involves improving access of existing government service delivery points, by entering into strategic MoUs with relevant government departments. The model is designed in a way to ensure that the target population experiences holistic development, and is educated, healthy, adequately skilled and lives in a healthy environment.
4.2 My School
My School is a State School Quality upgradation project under the ambit of Right to Education. It is aimed at achieving improvement in enrolment, attendance and learning outcomes of students. This is achieved through a participatory model of school development which includes building capacities of all relevant stakeholders in the school’s ecosystem.
4.3 My Scholar
My Scholar is a sustainable career development project for students from weaker economic backgrounds. Under this project, HCL Foundation provides long-term scholarship and mentoring support to meritorious and talented students from HCL project locations and children of HCL’s support staff. The scholarship is funded through Power of One – HCL’s payroll giving program and driven by HCL employees who provide mentoring support to the scholars.
4.4 My Worth
My Worth program uses a self-efficacy model to empower and enable young girls and boys towards self-reliance through a gender transformative approach.
Currently, HCL Uday is reaching out to 440,000+ people in 11 cities of India. In FY 2019-20, the programme benefitted 133,550 people through the education initiatives of HCL Foundation that focus on early childhood care and development of children below six years, bridge and remediation support to out of school children living in difficult circumstances, comprehensive technology-based quality enhancement of government schools, adult literacy, and life-skill based gender transformative programs for youth and adolescents.
Through the skilling initiatives, 9,342 youth were trained in various trades, such as mechanical, ITES/CRM, fashion designing, and nursing. 2,49,243 people benefited through health, nutrition, and WASH interventions that include monthly health camps, weekly checkups, community healthcare programs, mass sanitation, and cleanliness drives.
Under the Environment pillar of HCL Uday, the foundation managed to cumulatively plant 103,284 trees in schools, residential spaces and public spaces, and at the urban forest sites known as Uday Upvan. In addition to this the foundation took up 67 water bodies for restoration and rejuvenation. The Environment vertical is now known as ‘Harit- the Green Spaces Initiative’.
5. HCL Grant
HCL Grant is one of the biggest and most coveted institutionalized CSR grants in India that aims to recognize the rise of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and support their breakthrough projects reaching out to the rural communities in the country.
In its fifth edition, HCL Grant was awarded to Bal Raksha Bharat (Save The Children India) in the Education Category; Operation Asha in the Health Category; and Under The Mango Tree Society for the Environment Category. So far, the HCL Grant has committed ₹68 Crore (US$9.46 Million) through current HCL Grant Projects with an ambition to reach 17,20,028 people in 8,598 villages in 70 districts (11 aspirational) across 18 states and 2 union territories of India. So far, the initiative has already benefited 575,244 people.
6. HCL Samuday
HCL Samuday is a rural development initiative launched in 2015 with an aim to develop a sustainable, scalable, and replicable model for economic and social development of rural areas. Currently implemented in three blocks of Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh, the program covers 164 Gram Panchayats, comprising 765 villages and 90,000 households totalling a population of 6,00,000 people.
HCL Samuday, through its interventions across six verticals for holistic rural development – agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, livelihood, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), has so far been able to make the following changes on the ground:
Agriculture: The program has benefitted 39,000+ farms through various agriculture-related interventions. It has increased access to Nutritional Food Security by establishing Nutrition Gardens at 2,700+ households with around 13,000 members. In addition to this, it has supported establishment of a Farmer Producer Company with 2,129 shareholders and it has so far crossed business turnover of 6,85,00,000.
Education: For education the program has ensured improved school education for 55,000+ children in the project area. It has introduced a Happy School Intervention through which it has established 326 Happy Schools with effective school environment, ICT-enabled learning, assertive community participation, and improved teaching learning processes. The program has also enrolled 48,000+ adults in adult literacy batches.
Health: In order to improve the healthcare scenario in the project area, the program has provided over 20,000 pregnant women and 17,000+ children with improved care. It has also screened 12,482 children in the age group of 6 months to 5 years for malnutrition.
Infrastructure Development: The foundation has installed infrastructure to introduce renewable energy in the area to provide electricity to 39 villages through 30 solar mini-grids as part of the program. It has also supported 125 schools with necessary energy infrastructure through installation of rooftop solar PV systems. All in all, the foundation has set up 860 kWp of renewable energy infrastructure in the area.
Improving Livelihood aspects: The foundation has supported the livelihood of about 9,000+ dairy farmers in the area by procuring 11,800 litres (avg.) of milk everyday. It has supported 2,300+ households to develop backyard poultry unit development setting them up with a source of income. The program has enabled strengthening of 995 Self-Help Groups comprising around 11,500 women with 4,000 women connected to economic activities in the area. In addition to this it has facilitated skill development of 900+ youth on various trades.
