Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, is known for being one of the greenest cities in the country. The city is known across the world for the unfortunate industrial accident more commonly known as ‘Bhopal Gas Tragedy,’ in 1984. The accident has caused long-lasting damage to the public health, groundwater and overall ecosystem of the city. This makes it highly eligible for CSR investments.
Bhopal was the third-largest recipient of CSR funds in FY 2022-23 in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The district of Bhopal received a total of Rs. 40.68 Cr. of CSR funds from 111 companies. The top three spenders in the district were Trident Limited which spent Rs. 7.87 Cr. in Bhopal, Havells India Limited, which spent Rs. 3.23 Cr. and Kotak Securities Ltd., which spent Rs. 2.21 Cr. on CSR initiatives in the region in the given financial year. The top three areas of focus of the CSR initiatives were Education, Health and Environment.
Top Companies for CSR in Bhopal
CSR of SBI to support marginalised communities of Bhopal
In November 2024, State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Challa Sreenivasulu Setty handed over cheques worth over Rs 1.5 crore to two prominent social organizations — People’s General Association, Bhopal, and Adiwasi Sanrachana Seva Sansthan, Betul. SBI’s CSR initiative is aimed at bringing the underprivileged and marginalised sections of society into the mainstream.
This support will significantly contribute to the revitalization of government schools, old age homes, orphanages, anganwadis, primary health centres, and girls’ toilets across 19 districts across Madhya Pradesh.
CSR of PNB Housing Finance for STEM Education in Bhopal
PNB Housing’s CSR arm – Pehel Foundation – in collaboration with Muskaan Dreams, has launched the Digital Shaala Project, a transformative initiative aimed at advancing STEM education and bringing tech based innovations to classrooms. Aligned with the New Education Policy (NEP 2020) which outlines Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability and Accountability, the project is designed to enhance learning experiences for students in grades 5-8 while equipping teachers with essential digital skills to create future-ready classrooms.
Impacting over 6500+ students and 200+ teachers across 20 government schools in Bhopal and Indore, Digital Shaala is set to redefine education by integrating advanced digital tools and technology in schools, claims an announcement by the company. The classrooms have been equipped with modern tools such as e-learning platforms, high-speed internet, and preloaded offline academic content tailored to subject and grade levels.
CSR of Lectrix for empowering women in Bhopal
Lectrix, one of India’s leading EV brands is running an initiative to provide underprivileged women with valuable training in electric vehicle (EV) technology. In this 2.5-month course, 30 women from a local NGO – Desai Foundation Trust are gaining both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in two-wheeler EV production.
The initiative, launched in July 2024, covers the assembly of EV parts, including motors, controllers, and batteries. The goal is to empower these women with practical skills that are directly applicable in the fast-growing EV industry. At the completion of the course, participants will be offered job opportunities at the dealership but will also possess marketable skills that can lead to employment in other EV production facilities, claims the company in an announcement.
CSR of Central Bank of India
In a remarkable effort to extend healthcare beyond the confines of prison walls, a comprehensive screening camp for common cancers was organized for female inmates at the Bhopal central jail in Madhya Pradesh in April 2023. This initiative, known as the Bandini Swasthya Shivir programme, is a pioneering endeavour supported by the Central Bank of India’s CSR initiative. Spearheaded by the Vishwanath Cancer Care Foundation in collaboration with Karkinos Healthcare, the Bandini Programme aims to screen all female prison inmates for common cancers.
The initial screening phase successfully examined over 320 prisoners at the Central and District Jails in Bhopal, Indore, and Narmadapuram. A critical aspect of this screening exercise was the utilization of advanced technology. The FDA-approved and WHO-recommended Cobas 6800 platform for HPV DNA testing was employed as the gold standard test for cervical cancer prevention.
Notably, India records the highest number of cervical cancer cases in Asia, making this initiative a significant step towards providing much-needed care to these vulnerable women.
CSR of Sun Pharma
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited in cooperation with Act-Eve Education and Social Welfare Society presented 30 sets of furniture to a government school located in Bhopal’s Jawahar Nagar in March, 2023.
As per an announcement, a total of 160 furniture sets worth Rs 5 lakh will be donated by Sun Pharma in five government schools under its CSR.
CSR of Indus Towers Limited
Passive telecom infrastructure provider Indus Towers Limited (formerly Bharti Infratel Limited) and NIIT Foundation recently have impacted lives in rural Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh via the Digital Transformation Van (DTV). The purpose is to empower the beneficiaries with digital literacy.
Launched in 2018, to support the National Digital Literacy Mission, Indus Towers DTV has so far travelled to more than 30 communities/villages in and around Delhi, Dehradun, Bhopal and Gujarat. It is expected to reach 40,000 beneficiaries in 2023 across these four regions. In Bhopal, it has spread awareness and awarded educational certificates to 1130 in 2022 and reached over 15,000 individuals through its video-based Education programme, as per an announcement.
Under this programme, digital literacy has been imparted to individuals in the age range of 12 to 60 years, and who come from diverse backgrounds. The beneficiaries include school going children, women, Self Help Groups, homemakers, entry-level employees working in firms, farmers, and adults who want to develop digital literacy.
The DTV serves as a mobile digital classroom and IT lab as it is equipped with software, printing equipment, and resources that enable e-learning. Students have learned crucial skills like cybersecurity and mastered Microsoft Office in the 20-seater DTV. In addition to supporting the existing education infrastructure in villages near Bhopal, the DTV is also being used to impart IT and entrepreneurship skills and to spread awareness about common public services.
