India CSR News Network
MUMBAI: Industry leaders emphasized the need for corporate India to have focused CSR initiatives for social development and economic growth at the first ‘CSR Thought Leadership Conclave’ organized by Wockhardt Foundation, the CSR arm of the Wockhardt group.
They also emphasized the need for Public Private Partnerships, capacity development and sustainable development to ensure effective growth in the social sector.
The thought leadership conclave saw industry leaders from leading corporates discussing education, health, environment, social business, water and various other development issues besides the role of corporate India and CSR for mobilizing and accelerating social growth.
Industry had representations from BASF, Ambuja Cements, Bajaj, HUL, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines, Welspun, Sterlite, Coca Cola, L&T, Lafarge, Mahindra & Mahindra, ONGC, GAIL, SAIL, Essar, BMW, Hinduja Group, Dr Reddy’s Foundation, Novartis, Wyatt, Reliance Industries Limited, IOCL, Pfizer, Vodafone, Tata Power and Idea Cellular among others.
Speaking at the awards ceremony of the Wockhardt ‘CSR Thought Leadership Conclave’ the Minister for Water Resources and Minority Affairs, Salman Khurshid called for more corporate participation to drive social growth.
He said, “CSR by any corporate should be a way of doing business rather then what is additional to business. CSR shows our opinion, attitude and vision about how we want to lead our society forward.”
Tata Group, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bharat Forge, Kingfisher Airlines, HDFC, BHEL, Ambuja Cement, United Phosphorus, Hindustan Unilver Limited, Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Limited, Gitanjali Gems, Narayana Hrudayalaya, L&T, MARG, SAIL, WIPRO Limited, Transport Corporation of India Limited (TCI), Sterlite Industries Limited, ONGC, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Limited, PGCIL, Pantaloon Retail India Limited, Bharti Airtel Limited and Welspun were awarded for their outstanding contribution to the society through their CSR programs.
The winners were selected by a panel of judges drawn from various development sectors after carefully studying and analyzing the impact and sustainability of the CSR programmes.
The ‘CSR Thought Leadership Conclave’ was inaugurated by Nobel Laureate His Holiness Dalai Lama. In his inaugural address the Dalai Lama appealed to the Indian business community to come together and support the development of the society by contributing towards the same.
He said, “There is a need to focus on education and health which ultimately equips a person to live a better life. For the development of a country the real transformation should take place in rural India.”
Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus the keynote speaker at the conclave said, “CSR is a good initiative to drive growth and empower people, but it should be driven by ground realities. ‘Investment in social business is the foundation for the wheel of growth and the people should drive it. Charity, donations and programs without understanding the ground reality will not make a change.
People should be empowered and capacities built to attain sustainable and meaningful growth.” He added, “Only social business can give respite to people from loan shark.”
Dr Habil Khorakiwala, Chairman, Wockhardt Foundation said “The CSR Thought Leadership Conclave” is an initiative taken to help encourage, recognize and sustain meaningful growth in the social sector.
The vision is to bring together corporate India and all those who are associated with social development on a common platform where we can draw upon each other’s strength, learn and recognize the best practices adopted for sustainable development.”
Wockhardt Foundation is a leading health care, non-profit organization operating in India. Vision 1000 is its flagship programme where it intends to install, equip, and operate 1000 Health Vans in rural areas thus addressing the critical need that exists in primary health care in rural areas. This Programme will address the primary health care needs of 25 million Indians in the rural areas.
The ‘CSR Thought Leadership Conclave’ is a unique platform created by Wockhardt Foundation to bring together Corporates, NGOs and other organizations in the development sector to discuss, debate and find solutions for sustainable development and capacity development. The conclave also honored leading corporate for their best CSR practices – which have impacted and changed lives.
