JSPL Foundation wins The CSR Journal Excellence Awards 2024 for its CSR in Sports

Jindal Steel and Power Limited was recognised as a winner in the Sports category at The CSR Journal Excellence Awards 2024, for its comprehensive CSR initiative in sports. The company founded by Shri O.P. Jindal 30 years ago has made the Jindal Group synonymous with mining and Industrialisation in India. Shri O.P. Jindal has also ensured that JSPL used its profits and resources for the betterment of the society through the CSR initiatives of JSPL Foundation. JSPL Foundation has been spending on social development projects through CSR initiatives before it became mandatory for companies in India to spend 2% of their net profits on Corporate Social Responsibility.

The JSPL Foundation has been actively working and investing in the field of sports, which is making a lasting social impact by combining the company’s core business goals with positive social change. This is creating positive brand equity, generating great goodwill, and fostering deeper emotional consumer and community engagement.

JSP is working towards the vision of ‘Khelo India’ by fostering and training young talent in various sports & games. The Jindal Foundation acts as a catalyst by complementing the efforts of other stakeholders such as the government agencies in both the tangible and intangible fields of sports, such as providing sports infrastructure and resources to individual athletes, as well as other inputs for the development of a sports culture.

Additionally, Jindal Foundation addresses some of India’s most pressing development challenges in the fields of Healthcare & Nutrition, Skill Development & Education, Sanitation & Hygiene, Women Empowerment, promoting Art & Culture and Sports. JSPL follows a location-centric approach and works in partnership with the community around its plants and offices.

Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives of JSPL have touched over 29 lakh lives and continues to work on building a visionary India.

The below video highlights the various CSR activities of JSPL Foundation.

In FY2023-24, JSPL was obligated to spend Rs. 177.26 crores on corporate social responsibility (CSR) as per section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013. However, the company exceeded this amount and voluntarily spent Rs. 227.64 crores for ongoing CSR initiatives of the company. CSR for JSPL is an integral part of its business strategy, which includes creating an organization intended to maximize the wealth of shareholders and establish productive and lasting relationships with all stakeholders, with an emphasis on fulfilling our responsibility towards the entire community and society.

1. JSPL Foundation – The CSR arm of Jindal Steel and Power Limited

Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) carries out its CSR activities in India through JSPL Foundation. Ms Shallu Jindal leads the JSPL Foundation which was founded on the basis of doing good for the society and taking care of all its stakeholders.

The triple bottom line is a framework or theory that recommends that companies focus on social and environmental concerns along with profits. The TBL proposes that instead of one bottom line, there should be three: profit, people, and the planet.

2. CSR Policy

JSPL believes in the holistic growth of the company which not only grows the organization but also contributes significantly to a sustainable world. The Sustainability Division at JSPL monitors different functions in the company which are related to long term growth of JSPL’s business. It focuses on the following goals:

– Ensuring compliance and raw material security

– Establishing sustainable steel and power production processes

– Building an authentic corporate identity and brand

– Enabling innovation

– Attracting and nurturing leaders

– Maintaining robust internal management processes

– Motivating employees to innovate, be dynamic and provide leadership on issues critical to the state of the world

2.1 CSR Committee

According to the guidelines of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the Company has constituted a Board-level CSR Committee to monitor the implementation of the Corporate Social Responsibility Policy of the Company from time to time. The Company’s CSR policy and initiatives delineate the vision, mission, thrust areas, and critical requirements as per the Schedule VII of Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 which lists out various areas in which corporate entities are expected to deploy their CSR funds and implement programs for social development. The Jindal Steel and Power Limited Corporate Social Responsibility Committee comprises:

1) Dr Bhaskar Chatterjee

2) Mrs. Shivani Wazir Pasrich

3) Mr. Bimlendra Jha

4) Mr. Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay

This committee meets every quarter to create strategy and monitor actions as well as outcomes of JSPL’s social development projects.

3. CSR in Promotion of Sports by JSPL

Towards Developing Better Sports Talent Jindal Foundation is always focused on Developing Sports Infrastructure which includes all the things that a sportsperson requires to develop their skills such as Accredited Academies, Good Fields & Stadiums, Appropriate Health & Diet Knowledge, Best Coach Facilities, etc. The Foundation has worked hard to construct 10 Playgrounds, 2 Sports Complexes & Stadiums and 1 Sports Hostel for Underprivileged Sports Women & Men. Jindal Foundation upholds Sports Talent by providing expert coaches, Sports kits & Nutrition.

Hockey

Towards the promotion of Hockey in Odisha, as a Global Partner, Jindal Foundation has signed a partnership with The International Hockey Federation (FIH) for the development of hockey in India. It focuses on creating an environment where young hockey players can be trained and pursue their hockey dreams and impact the next-gen local hockey players. Under this initiative over 5000 budding tribal hockey players of Odisha have been receiving intensive coaching in which training sessions are planned and implemented by the professional coaches.

Football

Inspired by the inherent passion for football exhibited by the local community and in celebration of the authentic culture of India, Jindal Steel, and Power has adopted a renewed focus on promoting football in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and the foundation organizes the OP Jindal Football Tournaments at its different project locations which has yet benefitted over 1000 football players.

Cricket

OP Jindal Cricket Academy, established in 2018 at Gharghoda Cricket Stadium, Raigarh, Chhattisgarh where over 180 players are imparted with regular training by certified coaches. In collaboration with the District Cricket Association and Chhattisgarh State Cricket Jindal Foundation has organized 200+ matches which have benefitted over 2000+ cricket players of the state.

Wushu & Kickboxing

Jindal Foundation has been supporting and promoting youths of Keonjhar District to play Wushu and kickboxing sports, forms of martial arts. In association with the Odisha State Wushu Association, has been patronizing the Keonjhar District Wushu Team for more than a decade. During the transition over a decade, 1000+ players are being trained with certified trainers, quality infrastructure, and nutrition facilities in Barbil.

Archery

Jindal Foundation is dedicated to promoting and developing archery at all levels. With a mission to inspire, educate and support archers, the foundation has created a platform for training through certified coaches, sports kits and nutrition for 25 rural tribal girls at Tensa.

Achievements

The CSR interventions of JSPL foundation in sports have achieved successes at many levels. Following are the key highlights of it.

– 30,000+ sportsmen and women are supported on coaching, sports materials, and exposure to tournaments across the project locations.

– 4 Women WUSHU players got medals (3 gold & 1 Silver) at Khelo India Wushu Women zonal League 2022 at Kozhikode, Kerala

– 8 gold medals and 1 Silver medal on National Kick Boxing Championship

– Manju Munda of Barbil has bagged a bronze medal in Wushu in 31st Senior National Championship

– Babulu Munda of Barbil, represented Odisha state in the World Children’s Day event, organised by UNICEF

– Ms Mamta Singh, a kick boxing player participated in International Kick Boxing Championship at Delhi and won Silver Medal.

– Shri Ramesh Munda, facilitated by JSP Foundation, Barbil, has won a Gold medal in the 11th Sub-junior Asian Wushu Championship held at Macau, China under the 42 kg weight category.

– Ms Shwetarani Mahanta has won Gold medal in ‘Moscow Wushu Stars’ Championship 2023

– 642 medals won so far and 6 International medals in Moscow, Brazil, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, China

– New construction and renovation of 10 playgrounds, 01 Sports hostel, and 02 Stadiums and 05 Open air Rural Gyms.

– Towards promotion of grassroots hockey, 5000 tribal hockey players are facilitated for intensive coaching.

– 160 girls hockey players at Tensa have been facilitated for intensive coaching with nutrition support

 – 6000+ Kabaddi players have been facilitated through intensive training.

– 25 girl archery players are facilitated through sports kits, training, and nutrition support

– Every year 6000 underprivileged football players across the business locations avail opportunity in participating in the O.P.Jindal Football Tournament.

– 100+ male and female cricket players benefitted through regular coaching imparted by O.P. Jindal Cricket Academy.