Mumbai – Leading automotive and industrial lubricant manufacturing company, Castrol India Ltd (CIL), brings enduring positive value to communities and has touched the lives of over 2 lakh beneficiaries till the date through Castrol Eklavya programme.
The programme is one of Castrol India’s flagship CSR programmes which was launched in 2009.
The programme was introduced with an aim to up skill independent roadside mechanic and to keep them relevant in an industry where technology is changing rapidly.
The mechanics who form a part of the unorganised sector, tend to be school drop outs with no formal technical training.
The project gained momentum in 2014 as more comprehensive and intensive programme to include practical training, life skills, business skills and financial literacy.
Keeping in line with the government’s mission of ‘Skill India’, the programme provides a comprehensive, structured approach to impart knowledge-based skills to two-wheeler technicians whose socio-economic status needs more focus.
“Annually over 8000 mechanics are trained through the programme making it one of the largest upskilling initiatives in the automotive industry”, Jayanta Chatterjee, Whole time Director, Supply Chain and Member of CSR Committee, Castrol India said.
Sarathi Mitra for better lives
Truck drivers lead a tough and demanding life and spend days and nights on the road away from their families, drive for extended hours on difficult terrains and challenging road.
Many of them lack appropriate formal training.
With the motto of enabling truck drivers, key stakeholders who keep the country moving, to earn a sustainable livelihood and live a better life by developing skills such as entrepreneurship, business management, customer service and financial literacy, the Castrol Sarathi Mitra programme was launched in 2017.
The programme aims to train 1.5 lakh truck drivers by 2020, for holistically improving lives of truck drivers through interventions that enable a sustainable livelihood and opportunities for socio-economic growth.
“Truck driver community needs more focus and needs to be skilled for better future and life”, Jayanta said.
The interventions that are provided under the programme include road safety training, financial literacy training and eye checks with distribution of corrective glasses. Truck drivers are also taught specially curated yoga postures Castrol Truck Aasanas that can help them to be healthier and alleviate some of the muscular skeletal problems they face due to long hours of continuous driving, uncomfortable sleeping and resting conditions.
The pilot programme was launched in Mumbai and since then it has reached out to more than 60 thousand truck drivers across 5 states of India.
The company has spent Rs 20.5 crore on CSR activities in FY 2018 of which 80% the budget has been allocated towards flagship programmes.
The programme covers the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi/NCR.
“Almost 30 truck drivers reach us every day for training at the various Sarathi Mitra centres across the country”, Jayanta said.
Over the years, Castrol India’s CSR activities have evolved from charitable giving to a strategic CSR programme, working in collaboration with key stakeholders.
“Besides the flagship programmes like Sarathi Mitra and Eklavya, we also work for the communities around our plants and provides relief and rehabilitation support to those affected by natural calamities. Recently, we joined hands against Cyclone Fani in disaster relief work in Odisha,” Jayanta said.
The company recognises the need and importance of focused and inclusive social and economic development, especially in the industry it operates in and is committed towards a positive impact in the lives of truck drivers and mechanics by preparing them to face today’s reality and leverage tomorrow’s opportunity.
“Through our initiatives we help our beneficiaries to earn a sustainable livelihood and live a life with pride,” said Rekha Pillai, Head – CSR, Castrol India.
