The CSR initiatives of the Company are aimed towards the disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised stakeholders.
New Delhi: The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) vision of Berger Paints India Limited recognises that an enterprise and society in which it operates are mutually dependent on each other and the growth of the industry is proportionate to the equitable development of the country, its environment and its people, irrespective of religion, race, caste, creed and gender.
The Company also believes that all round development can be brought about by paying attention to regions, groups and people which are backward and have
special needs and by helping citizens to acquire useful skills.
Berger Paints India Limited has spent an amount of Rs. 17.37 crore during the financial year 2021-2022 as against its 2% obligation amounting to Rs.17.16 crore, thereby exceeding its entire CSR obligation.
The Company’s CSR activities majorly comprises iTrain programme aimed at skilling/ upskilling painters. Corporate Social Responsibility expensed Rs. 17.37 Crores (March 31, 2021: Rs. 15.61 Crores) includes programme run by the Company for promoting employment enhancing vocational skill programme named ‘iTrain.
In compliance with the provisions laid under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 read with Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014 and Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Amendment Rules, 2021, there was no amount unspent for the year ended March 31, 2022. Amount available for set off in succeeding financial years Rs.0.33 crore (March 31, 2021: Rs.0.12 crore)
The CSR initiatives of the Company are aimed towards the disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised stakeholders. For instance, the Company’s iTrain project largely focuses on skill up-gradation of front-line workers and painters. The Company continues to engage with the vulnerable and marginalised stakeholders for their sustainable livelihood.
During the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the Company also donated two medical oxygen generation systems in the state of Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry and one Oxygen Pipeline system and Oxygen Manifold and distribution system was also donated to a Government Hospital in Uttarpara, West Bengal.
The programme is carried out from fixed iTrain centers spread across the country and mobile iTrain centers which visit far flung areas for imparting this skill development exercise. During the year under review, the Company entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Smile Foundation, a reputed NGO.
In future, Smile Foundation will carry out the mobile iTrain programme and is expected to add value to the same based on their expertise.
While, the Company had donated two medical oxygen generation systems as a part of its CSR obligation during the second wave of the COVID 19 pandemic in May, 2021, an oxygen pipeline system and oxygen manifold and distribution system was also donated in June, 2021 for the benefit of covid affected patients.
Collaboration with NGOs
The company recognises its responsibility towards society. This led to collaborate with Smile Foundation, a non-government organisation that works on welfare projects in the field of education, healthcare, livelihood and women.
The Indian social development organisation directly benefits nearly 15 lakh children and their families every year. They have over 400 active welfare programmes in over 2,000 distant villages and urban slums in 25 Indian states, focusing on education, healthcare, livelihood, and women’s empowerment. Through the foundation, It ensures the widespread reach of CSR initiatives.
The composition of the CSR Committee
Kuldip Singh Dhingra Chairman, Non-Executive Director
Abhijit Roy, Managing Director & CEO
Rishma Kaur, Executive Director
Kanwardip Singh Dhingra, Executive Director
Dr. Anoop Kumar Mittal, Non-Executive, Independent Director
iTrain is a CSR initiative of the Company. It plays a crucial role in training unskilled and semi-skilled workers in painting, waterproofing, and polishing. Trainees are introduced to numerous products, procedures, and techniques, as well as soft skills and client interaction, in order to improve their effi ciency and
earnings.
Painters with enhanced skills are trained to become entrepreneurs and employ other painters under them. This ensures all-round betterment and growth of painters in their profession. Mobile iTrains are also actively taking part in imparting such training skills. With the aim of making aid accessible in the most remote areas of our country, mobile iTrains were launched. Mobile vans cover rural areas and help in skilling local talent. Mobile iTrains, are involved in imparting such training.
Impact Assessment of iTrain Program
The Executive Summary of Impact Assessment of the Company’s iTain project carried out by Social Lens Consulting Private Limited in pursuance of sub-rule (3) of Rule 8 of the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014.
The majority of workers in India are employed in the unorganised sector. The paints and coatings industry is no exception, with a large proportion of painters in the nation receiving no professional training in their art. Painting is either passed down from generation to generation or learned on the job by painters from their supervisors or contractors.
As a result, painters must be trained in both the basic technical elements of painting as well as entrepreneurial abilities. Berger’s iTrain program seeks to enhance their standard of living by empowering painters with advanced skills enabling them to seek more opportunities. As part of the iTrain program, Berger Paints establishes fixed and mobile training centres across the country.
Theoretical and practical sessions are conducted on a variety of topics ranging from the fundamentals of painting and coats to the various types and methods of using tools and accessories to communication and client management skills, among others. Berger Paints also seeks to build market linkages among painters as part of the iTrain program so that they may seek new business on their own.
This assessment aims to analyse the impact of the program on the lives of the painters through the level of skills they have been able to adopt at work as a result of the training sessions attended under the iTrain program. To understand the program’s impact, a sample of painters, trainers, and program team members from Berger Paints across seven locations spanning six fixed centres and three mobile centres were surveyed.
It was observed that painters not only put their training session learnings into practice, but also admit that their general working productivity has increased.
Majority of painters surveyed indicated that iTrain program sessions resulted in increased customer involvement and satisfaction. Almost all painters reported an increase in clients and revenue as a direct result of obtaining training. They also indicated that the training assisted them in sharpening their abilities and learning about new equipment and techniques.
The study shows that the program has been able to largely succeed in enhancing the skills of contractors and semi-skilled painters to enable them to increase their clientele. However, more efforts and strategies would need to be employed to increase the ratio of semi-skilled sub-painters and unskilled painters to achieve one of the key program objectives.
The study’s findings may serve as a first step towards expanding the program’s reach to young painters and women in the future and achieving the program’s goal of making painting an aspirational career option rather than just another employment option.
During the fiscal, the company registered a turnover of Rs. 8826.37 crores, 28.49% higher than the previous year, owing to an increase in sales volume as well as prices. It’s PAT grew by 15.73% from Rs. 719.72 crores to Rs. 832.95 crores. The company has recorded a strong recovery owing to its focus on improving operational parameters. It’s increased production and efficiency have helped improve sales and profitability.
