Environment

April 29, 2025: HCLFoundation, which drives the corporate social responsibility agenda of global technology company HCLTech in India, today announced the winners of the 2025 edition of the HCLTech Grant. HCLTech Grant supports Indian non-government organizations (NGOs) driving transformative change across education, healthcare and the environment. This year, the HCLTech Grant received over 13,925 registrations from NGOs across India. Three winning NGOs in each category are awarded a grant of ₹5 crore (~$580,700) for their impactful projects and six runner-up NGOs in each category are awarded ₹25 lakh (~$29,000). To date, the HCLFoundation has awarded ₹152.8 crore (~$18.4 million) through the HCLTech Grant initiative to scale high-impact projects. In its 10th edition, HCLTech Grant has supported 59 projects across 142

25th April, 2025: Social Venture Partners India (SVP India) hosted its annual marquee online event ‘Fast Pitch’ last evening, bringing together 10 stories of grassroots innovation and impact. Through the YouTube Live event, approximately 4400 people participated across India. This resulted in raising about ₹5.5 crore in online and offline donations, in a single evening to support impactful nation-building work. Fast Pitch is not a fundraising event—it’s a platform where 10 carefully selected NGOs from across India share their on-groundwork with online audiences in a five-minute pitch. These finalists were chosen from 258 applicants and underwent three months of focused training by a professional storytelling trainer and dedicated SVP India partners as coaches to sharpen their organization’s pitch and build

24th April 2025: In a heartfelt celebration of Earth Day 2025, ibis India launched a large-scale tree plantation drive across its 25 hotels nationwide. The initiative—held on April 22—was a reflection of the brand’s long-standing commitment to sustainability and community engagement. Over 1,500 saplings were planted by employees, further strengthening the brand’s mission to create greener surroundings and inspire collective action for the planet. The campaign spanned ibis hotels in Mumbai, Pune, New Delhi, Gurugram, Jaipur, Kochi, Coimbatore, Goa, Bangalore and Hyderabad—reinforcing a pan-India vision for environmental responsibility. With over 2000 employees participating, the initiative showcased ibis India’s inclusive work culture that empowers team members to become active changemakers. The purpose of the initiative was clear. According to the India

15th April 2025: India’s leading Natural & Ayurvedic Healthcare Company, Dabur India Ltd, today announced the successful revival of an old, neglected community pond in the village of Narangpur of Baddi (Himachal Pradesh). The restored water body, with a capacity to collect and harvest over 16,800 KL of rainwater, is the 20th water body to be revived by Dabur and marks a significant step forward in Dabur’s mission to become a Water Positive Organization by 2030. The revamped Narangpur pond was handed over to the local community by Dabur India Limited Chairman Mr. Mohit Burman, in the presence of the Dabur Management Committee. This revived pond is set to benefit around 150 families in the village and will now serve as

2nd April 2025: Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW) and SayTrees have successfully restored the 26-acre Choodasandra Lake in Bengaluru, transforming it from encroachments, overgrowth of weeds and deterioration of water quality into a thriving hub for biodiversity and community engagement. Launched in December 2022, the two-year conservation project was commemorated at the lake by Mr. Dattatri Salagame, CEO, President and Managing Director of BGSW. Shilpa Deodhar, Head of CSR, BGSW, emphasized the project’s significance, stating, “Choodasandra Lake was restored due to its crucial role in Bengaluru’s water ecosystem and the severe challenges it faced, including encroachments, untreated sewage, and deteriorating water quality. This initiative exemplifies how corporate social responsibility, technical expertise, and community participation can drive meaningful environmental change. By

31st March 2025: Akums, India’s pioneering CDMO and one of the early starters in the business of pharma manufacturing, is making a large stride towards a greener and more sustainable tomorrow. Akums has successfully installed a 600 kWp on-grid rooftop solar power plant on its warehouse premises in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The grid-connected solar panel, placed across a 56,000 sq. ft. region on the rooftop, is anticipated to produce more than 7.5 lakh units of solar power each year, according to calculations of trapping sunlight for 5 hours daily. With this project, the company can save a significant amount on electricity usage per annum, amounting to huge savings on energy expenditure while preserving the environment. The environmental footprint of this initiative is high.

26th March 2025: Good governance is the backbone of a prosperous society. India, as the largest democracy in the world, on the march to becoming a developed country, has ancient democratic and holistic governance traditions, which need to be revived and combined with modern tools for the welfare of all. Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) has been trying to play its role in aiding this through capacity building, training, social awareness, and research. Towards this end, the Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership, set up by RMP, conducts a postgraduate program and various workshops, and publishes the six-monthly research publication – Indian Journal of Democratic Governance (IJDG). RMP’s efforts in promoting research through this journal were recently appreciated by Shri. Jagdeep Dhankhar,

12th February 2025: Honda India Foundation (HIF) has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with the Government of Uttar Pradesh today, marking the commencement of ‘Project Annadata- Sashakt Kisan, Samridh Rashtra’, aimed at supporting and strengthening Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in the state. This project focuses on enhancing the overall development of FPOs by improving their access to resources, improving market linkages, and driving sustainable growth in the agricultural sector. The MoC signing ceremony took place in New Delhi in the esteemed presence of prominent dignitaries including Shri Surya Pratap Shahi, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture, Uttar Pradesh, and Honda India Foundation Trustees namely Mr. Vinay Dhingra and Mr. Katsuyuki Ozawa. Representatives from Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), Honda India

6th February 2025: Avaada Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Avaada Group, is pleased to announce the milestones achieved through its impactful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The foundation focuses on Education, Empowerment, Environment, Health, and Rural Electrification for transformative change across India, in line with the vision of holistic development by Avaada Group. Driving Educational Excellence Avaada Foundation has prioritized education to uplift underprivileged communities. Over 41 subject-specific teachers have been appointed, benefitting more than 10,000 students across 10 states. Key initiatives include: Infrastructure and Access: In 5 government schools, we have renovated and constructed new rooms to arrange for quality education. Two school buses are provided in Madhya Pradesh, serving over 1,000 tribal and rural students. Additionally, 50 toilets

31st January 2025: Japanese Multinational Company Brother International (India) Private Limited, a global leader in technology and innovation, reinforced its commitment to sustainability by supporting the “No Ocean Waste” initiative. The event took place on Monday, January 27, 2025, at Juhu Koliwada Beach, Mumbai, in partnership with Project Mumbai. This initiative was a part of Brother Group’s Environmental Vision 2050, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 14: Life Below Water. The event highlighted Brother International India’s ongoing CSR efforts to reduce marine pollution and contribute to a cleaner, waste-free ocean. Employees were engaged in a beach clean-up drive, where the collected waste was sent for recycling in collaboration with the local municipal office. This initiative