24th November 2023: The Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) awarded best CSR projects from French and Indian companies across seven categories at the 5th edition of the IFCCI CSR Conclave and Awards in the presence of Mr. Damien Syed, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France to India. The Annual CSR Conclave brings together CEOs, policymakers, CSR leaders, CSR foundations and non-profit organizations to a single platform and share best practices while recognising the efforts of the most impactful CSR projects. The event witnessed a gathering of over 100+ business leaders from top French and Indian companies.
Initiated by the CSR Committee of the Chamber which is led by Chairperson – Mr. Anurag Pratap, Chairperson, CSR Leader, Capgemini and Vice Chairperson – Ms. Priyam Dhamankar, Legal and Compliance Director, Servier India, the Conclave showcased CSR projects of top French companies in India and recognized their efforts by presenting awards for the Best CSR Projects with a focus on six important categories of education, environment and sustainability, healthcare, vocational skills and livelihoods and employee engagement. This year, IFCCI received 60 applications and were judged on criteria such as Business-based social purpose, innovative CSR initiatives reinforcing the company’s business purpose, Clear theory of change, impact & measurement, Concentrated efforts including employee volunteering.
Ms. Payal S. Kanwar, Director General of IFCCI, said “The contribution of French companies in CSR & ESG and IFCCI’s close association with them for the French Covid Solidarity mission in 2021 encouraged the chamber to focus on collaborative projects. IFCCI launched its CSR Department in August 2023 with an aim to promote responsible & collaborative CSR as a combined showcase of French companies in India. The Department has already started with its first project with Socomec India and 11 other French companies’ projects are in the pipeline. With IFCCI’s CSR Committee and department, we aim to collectively enable Governments, companies, NGOs, communities, and stakeholders at large who are committed to creating affecting impact via inclusive CSR.”
Mr. Damien Syed, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of France to India said “This event is being organised at a special moment when India and France complete 25 years of their strategic partnership. The dynamism of the French companies in India and their CSR activities is the demonstration of the diversity and strength of the partnership between the two countries and CSR is one of the best examples to achieve concrete results towards the benefit of the community and the society.”
The event also included a Fireside Conversation and a CXO Panel Discussion on the themes – Celebrating 10 years of the CSR Act and Promoting Innovation & Creating Impact:
Speakers at the Event:
- Meenu Singhal, Managing Director, Socomec India
- Sudarshan Mogasale, CEO, Dassault Systèmes Solutions Lab India
- Sashidhar Vempala, Chief Sustainability Officer & Head-CSR, Pernod Ricard India and
- Amisha Shah Dhutia, Head – BNP Paribas Foundation
- Divya Jain, Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), an initiative by Niti Aayog
