India Inc. Celebrates Independence Day 2020 Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Independence Day is symbolic of so many things for the citizens of India. It stands for the strength of our leaders who fought for Independence, for the heroic role played by the Indian Nation Army in India’s freedom movement, for the unity shown by the diverse populace of India, and for the road to progress India paved for itself after two centuries of the economic drain.

Independence Day 2020 is celebrated by India Inc. by recollecting all these values in various campaigns and by utilizing their CSR funds to support the causes that address these issues. Some of the notable Independence Day 2020 CSR initiatives include:

MAGGI- Desh Ke Liye 2 Minute – Ek Chhoti Si Koshish by Nestlé India

In order to celebrate India’s 74^th Independence Day, Nestlé India has announced the launch of “MAGGI Desh Ke liye 2 Minute – Ek Chhoti Si Koshish”, a set of year-long initiatives, across the country. The initiative will begin with a digital launch followed by several initiatives focusing on Swasthya (Health), Swachhta (cleanliness) and Sahayata (Co-operation) that will be unveiled as the year progresses. As part of these initiatives, MAGGI will partner with various entities, including reputed NGOs to assist society in the following ways:

1. Provide for a million meals to be fed to the disadvantaged and weaker sections of our population

2. Work on an ambitious target of supporting 10000 street food vendors come out of these challenging times

3. Inspire the youth to connect with agriculture and help solve some of the on-ground challenges

4. Continue our environmental sustainability initiatives with a focus towards plastic waste management.

Essar CSR Promotes Embracing Gender Inclusion

On the 74^th Independence Day of India, Essar chose to launch a very thought-provoking video, bringing out an extremely different, yet pertinent, perspective on ‘Freedom’. The video spoke about transgenders and the importance of their inclusivity in society. The community, that struggles with marginalisation, typecasting, lack of recognition, and alienation, often finds itself trapped from within.

Through their Rainbow Project, Essar Foundation has been doing a lot of work at grassroots for the empowerment of transgenders and promoting awareness and inclusivity. Their TransSchool initiative is an online learning and development platform dedicated to the requirements of transpersons and has successfully been conducting sessions every week.

Park For Freedom campaign by Suzuki India

Amid COVID-19 outbreak and the efforts to contain its spread, Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited (SMIPL) launched a new campaign to salute corona warriors on Independence Day. The company released a video on a campaign called ‘Park For Freedom’, and encouraged people to stay indoors on August 15.

Kar Salaam Initiative by LG Electronics

LG Electronics, India’s leading consumer durable brand celebrates this Independence Day, by announcing its contribution under ‘Kar Salaam- A CSR initiative’. Under the aegis of this initiative, LG Electronics will donate 1 crore to Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF) under Kendriya Sainik Board Secretariat (KSB SECTT), a nodal organization of the Govt. of India, Ministry of Defence. AFFDF is dedicated to the welfare of war widows, children of martyr’s, war disabled soldiers and Ex-servicemen.

Luminous Power Technologies ‘Be Energy Independent’ Campaign

Luminous Power Technologies’s Independence Day campaign urges people to be ‘Be Energy Independent’ by paving the way for a new form of independence with Solar energy. In a special video, Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, highlights the need for a clean source of energy and appeals to citizens to adopt and harness solar energy. He encourages people to take a pledge to be self-reliant saying – Chalo India, Bijli Banao!

Tata Salt’s Namak Ke Waastey

Tata Salt in its short film has urged the nation to unite with the same fiery patriotism as shown during the Indian Independence movement to take efforts in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The spirit is brought alive through an emotional premise of the original poem, ‘Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna’ by Ramprasad Bismal, featuring a veteran of the 1971 war. The brand appeals to the nation to employ healthy practices such as wearing a mask, washing hands and maintaining social distance.