The state of Arunachal Pradesh in North East India is also known as the land of the rising sun as well as the land of dawn-lit mountains. Since it is the northeastern most state of India, Arunachal Pradesh is where the sun rises first, literally! Lush green forests, pristine natural beauty and a host of ancient tribes are the hallmarks of this State bordering Assam and Nagaland. The state’s economy is largely agrarian, based on the terraced farming of rice and the cultivation of crops, pulses, ginger and pineapple. Some of the other key industries here include art and craft, weaving, cane and bamboo, horticulture, power, and mineral-based industries.
CSR in Arunachal Pradesh has scope for improvement. The land of the rising sun is among the lowest on parameters for corporate social responsibility in India. Some of the CSR projects worth noting come from public sector companies like Reckitt Benckiser, Infosys BPM and Oil India. Here are the top initiatives for CSR in Arunachal Pradesh.
Where does Arunachal Pradesh stand
As per data from National CSR portal, in the financial year 2020-21, the total CSR expenditure in Arunachal Pradesh has been Rs 10.58 crores, with a total of 28 companies investing in 8 districts of the state under 6 different sectors.
Top 3 districts
The top 3 districts to get CSR benefits in Arunachal Pradesh are respectively West Siang (amount spent towards CSR 2.07 cr), Papum Pare (1.03 cr) and Pakke Kessang (0.13 cr). Lower Dibang Valley, Anjaw, West Kameng, Changlang are the other districts enjoying CSR benefits in the state.
Top 3 sectors
The top 3 sectors in which most of the CSR activities have been performed in the state are
>>Environment, animal welfare, conservation of resources (CSR spent 0.27 cr)
Top 3 companies
The top three companies spending for CSR in Arunachal Pradesh in FY 2020-21 are respectively Reckitt Benckiser (India) Pvt Ltd (3.31 cr), Infosys BPM Limited (2 cr) and Oil India Limited (1.55 cr).
Reckitt Benckiser (India) Pvt Ltd
Reckitt is a world’s leading consumer health and hygiene company. Reckitt (the trading name for Reckitt Benckiser group of companies) is the company behind some of the world’s most recognisable and trusted consumer brands in hygiene, health, and nutrition, including Air Wick, Clearasil, Dettol, Durex, Harpic, Lysol, Mortein, Strepsils, Vanish, Veet and more.
The company says its purpose is to ‘protect, heal, and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We believe that access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment is a right, not a privilege.’ Reckitt has diverse global team of over 43,000 people who aim to contribute towards a healthier planet and a fairer society.
In the FY 2020-21, the company’s average net profit was Rs 1759.78 cr out of which the CSR Prescribed Expenditure has been 35.2 cr and actual CSR spent is 36.18 cr, out of which 20.45 cr has been spent towards CSR in Uttarakhand alone.
Highest spender in CSR projects in Arunachal Pradesh, the company has spent money in the healthcare sector for their project ‘Banega Swasth India – Birds And Bees Talk’.
‘Gaining information on sexual education can be difficult for India’s youth, meaning many are at risk of unplanned pregnancies or diseases. Durex, however, are making it easier, by partnering with Plan India and the Indian Government. Durex have used digital and in-person platforms, targeted at adolescents aged 10-19, to improve sexual education for almost 75,000 adolescents in 2021. This includes an e-learning platform, BirdsandBeesBuzz, murals on a sports stadium, and a partnership with India Olympian boxer Lovlina Borgohain,’ Reckitt Benckiser mentions in their 2021 Social Impact Report. Through their Durex ‘Birds and Bees’ programme, the company aims to improve the sexual health of 14 million adolescents and youth.
Infosys BPM Limited
Infosys BPM Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Infosys Limited, was established in April 2002. The company offers integrated end-to-end transformative business process management (BPM) services. Infosys BPM enables clients to navigate their digital journey, operating from 35 delivery centers across 14 countries and has an employee strength of 56,770 from 125 nationalities, as of September, 2022.
Infosys is committed to the communities in which it operates. This has led to the creation of Infosys Foundation to support the underprivileged sections of society. A not-for-profit initiative aimed at fulfilling the social responsibility of Infosys Ltd., the Infosys Foundation creates opportunities and strives towards a more equitable society. Established in 1996, the Infosys Foundation supports programs in the areas of education, rural development, healthcare, arts and culture, and destitute care. Its mission is to work in remote regions of several states in India.
Second highest spender for CSR in Arunachal Pradesh in the FY 2020-21, Infosys has provided support to improve school infrastructure through the provision of 8 new school buses for the tribal children at Ramakrishna Mission, Aalo in West Siang District, which has been implemented through Infosys Foundation.
Oil India Limited
Oil India Limited (OIL) is a fully integrated Exploration and Production company in the upstream sector, with origin dating back to the glorious year (1889) of oil discovery in India. A Navratna Company, OIL is a state-owned enterprise of the Government of India, under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and is the second largest national oil and gas company in India.
OIL’s mission is ‘To continually enhance the triple bottom line benchmarks of economic, environment and social performance through responsible business practices and contribution of corporate resources, providing value to stakeholders.’
Third highest spender for CSR in Arunachal Pradesh in the FY 2020-21, OIL has spent 105.25 cr in the said financial year, while contributing 1.55 cr in Arunachal Pradesh.
Some of OIL’s major CSR Projects in Arunachal Pradesh include:
Project Sparsha: Started in 2012, Project Sparsha is one of the most significant and foremost community development projects. It caters to the primary healthcare Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Assam through mobile healthcare services. Healthcare camps are organised under the project for diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable, chronic and common diseases /ailments, lab tests/lipid profling. Medicines are provided free of cost to the beneficiaries.
During the COVID pandemic, continued healthcare services were provided and awareness programmes on the pandemic were conducted. Special home visit drives for senior citizens, pregnant ladies and chronically ill patients were also organised. In FY 2020-21, 1,813 nos. of camps were organised to provide primary healthcare services to 84,272 patients in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
Oil Super 30: Under the project free residential coaching is provided to students from economically disadvantaged sections, aspiring to clear engineering (JEE) and medical (NEET) entrance examinations to secure admissions into the prestigious engineering and medical institutes across the country. OIL Super 30 centres are run at Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Assam and Rajasthan.
OIL Jeevika: Started in 2016 in the company’s operational areas in Changlang, Arunachal Pradesh, the project is North-East India’s first induced community cluster-based sustainable livelihood intervention, claims Oil India. The project has reportedly benefitted more than 400 households. Skill and capacity building training in the areas of beekeeping and honey processing, mustard, buckwheat and local pulse processing is provided to the beneficiaries along with backward and forward linkages to make the cluster self-sustainable.
Other companies spending towards CSR in Arunachal Pradesh
NHPC Limited, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, TK Engineering Consortium Private Limited, Metrochem Api Private Limited, SBG Cleantech Projectco Private Limited, Kirloskar Ebara Pumps Limited, Sony India Private Limited are some of the other companies spending towards CSR in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
