From Vocational Training to Vibrant Communities: Godrej & Boyce's CSR impact felt by lacs in India
Mumbai, January 4th, 2024: Godrej & Boyce (G&B), the flagship company of the Godrej Group, announced its CSR achievements in 2023. Anchored in its steadfast commitment and significant milestones in nation-building, its initiatives are built on ensuring employability and community development. In line with its strategic emphasis on promising regions and trades, the company has INR 18 crore in its skilling initiative over the past decade. This investment has yielded social returns six times the initial amount.
DISHA, the skill development initiative of G&B is committed to advancing vocational training aligned with the company’s business needs, encompassing areas from sales through technical aspects. Partnering with 88 Vocational Training Institutes (VTIs) and 24 Govt. VTIs across 22 states in India, the key features of DISHA include specialized training sessions which delve into sales, service, interiors, building construction, manufacturing, technical training, and digital skills. By March 2023, the DISHA program had trained 1.79 lac youth in target states.
The Digital Skills program encompasses a wide spectrum of courses, ranging from Robotics and Automation, Business Analytics and Dashboarding, to Digital Marketing and E-Commerce. While the technical courses cater to engineering students, the latter ones are accessible to all fresh graduates. An essential feature of this program is its on-site training, enabling trainees to practically apply their theoretical knowledge, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of their chosen field.
Ashwini Deodeshmukh, Head, CSR, Godrej & Boyce, spoke about the CSR approach of Godrej & Boyce, “At Godrej & Boyce, we deeply believe in the philosophy of 'shared value', seamlessly intertwining business success with societal advancement. Central to this ethos are our flagship CSR programs, DISHA and our commitment to fostering sustainable communities, particularly around our manufacturing hubs. Through DISHA, we've joined hands with dedicated non-profit organizations and social enterprises to bring forth vocational training to create a future-ready and employable workforce. By empowering communities and fostering institution-building, we not only provide opportunities but also instil a sense of ownership in community members. It's this spirit of co-evolution and mutual progress that truly embodies our approach."
The company has implemented several programs for the holistic development of underserved, rural communities in 8 locations in 24 villages across 6 states. The key thematic areas include improving education and health infrastructure, strengthening rural livelihoods and women-led enterprises, and enhancing water access.
G&B’s commitment to education is evident through its transformative efforts in improving infrastructure across 46 schools. In Maharashtra, 18 schools have been digitalized and transitioned to solar-powered electricity. Further, specialized learning programs, STEM learning and the Karadi Path English curriculum were introduced to create well-rounded curricula. Moreover, by expanding school infrastructure, a more focused teacher-student interaction through improved classroom ratio.
Central to its community initiatives is the empowerment of women. So far over 5000 women have benefitted through its community development initiatives. By forming and nurturing 160+ self-help groups, G&B has carved pathways for women's active participation in the rural economy enabling them to significantly enhance its incomes.
The company has also underscored its dedication to community well-being, providing medical equipment and infrastructure upgradation support for 4 primary health centres in the Khalapur and Shirwal areas of Maharashtra. These centres have been integrated with TB detection capabilities and dedicated operation theatres for family planning.
Through its "beyond-the-fence" initiatives, G&B has championed water security for numerous rural communities, conserving over 10 crore (100 million) litres of water. A shining testament to this is its treatment of over 100,000 kilolitres of wastewater daily and the rejuvenation of ponds with a combined capacity of nearly 7.9 crore litres. Beyond this, G&B has constructed storage tanks in six villages and established check dams that facilitate the percolation of countless litres of rainwater. The water-filtration unit in Khalapur Maharashtra, aims to improve water-related health issues such as incidences of kidney stones amongst the local populace. The company’s holistic approach to water conservation not only addresses immediate needs but also envisions a sustainable future.
G&B’s multifaceted CSR initiatives paint a comprehensive picture of its ambition. The company will continue strengthening its multi-pronged to seamlessly integrate societal progress with business growth in the years to come.
About Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd.
Godrej & Boyce (‘G&B’), a Godrej Group company, was founded in 1897, and has contributed to India’s journey of self-reliance through manufacturing. G&B patented the world’s first springless lock and since then, has diversified into 14 businesses across various sectors from Security, Furniture, Aerospace to Infrastructure and Defence. Godrej is one of India’s most trusted brands serving over 1.1bn customers worldwide daily. For more information, visit
www.godrej.com