MUMBAI: Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF), the CSR arm of India’s leading cement company Ambuja Cements Ltd., has bagged the prestigious award for the category – Strategic and Cohesive CSR Partnership Project at the Gujarat CSR Authority Award 2018, for its pioneering CSR work not only in the Ambujanagar (Kodinar) region but in the entire state of Gujarat.
“Observing its silver jubilee year, ACF has worked inclusively with communities around our plants and this has given us the license to operate,” said MD & CEO Ajay Kapur, even as he congratulated the teams for their impressive performance.
“All our social development work has had a structured approach tailored to the specific requirements and opportunities in the location. This award is yet another testimony for the stellar work being done.”
“Today is a fulfilling moment for the ACF team,” observed Kapur. “This goes a long way in recognizing their persistent efforts. We would like to thank every stakeholder and partner for being part of this rewarding journey,” he said.
Kodinar is a coastal region that is driven by agriculture and therefore, water becomes the key driver of the local economy. ACF, with various partner organisations which includes government, national and international development agencies and corporate; undertook building of check dams, tidal regulators, interlinking of canals, filling of mined out pits to increase the ground table of freshwater.
ACF’s efforts in water resource management in Kodinar have yielded encouraging results. A study conducted in 2015 showed ACF’s water program having yielded 13 times social return on investment in Kodinar region.
Receiving the award on this momentous occasion, a visibly ebullient ACF head Pearl Tiwari recalled how when they began the journey from Gujarat, several parts of the state were reeling under a water crisis. “Since inception our goal has been to enable prosperity of communities,” said Ms Tiwari.
“From addressing the urgent need in a planned and coordinated manner, through a combination of traditional and contemporary methods to taking a lead in redefining water stewardship, ACF has come a long way. We are happy to be recognized for our work with this prestigious award.”
Over the years, ACF has developed an expertise in managing large partnerships and consortiums which has been a great support in amplifying our impact. “We are proud of the robust partnerships with diverse set of stakeholders and welcome other organisations to come forward and join hands with ACF,” added Tiwari.
The award was handed over to the ACF team by Hon Governor of Gujarat Om Prakash Kohli in the presence of Chairman, GCSRA – Maheshwar Sahu and CEO, GCSRA – A M Tiwari.
Water Management has been one of the key focus areas for Ambuja for more than decade now. The continuous efforts have made the company 5.5 times Water Positive, so far the highest in India. The company is scaling up its efforts to build a powerful and effective water management infrastructure in the region.
Recently ACF marked its Silver Jubilee year celebrations with a grand event at its mother plant in Ambujanagar (Kodinar district) that was graced by Ambuja Cement’s Founder and Chairman Narotam Sekhsaria whose single-minded visionary approach with a strong sense of social commitment was instrumental in the creation of ACF.
ACF has been working on issues related to water resource management, sustainable agriculture, skill-based livelihoods, health & sanitation, quality education, and women empowerment. With its presence in 22 locations across 11 states, ACF is currently reaching out to nearly 20 lakh people across India.
