New Delhi, 5 January2022: Apollo Tyres Limited, the leading tyre manufacturer of India, has spent Rs 13 crore on its CSR activities. The company could manage to spend only 85 percent of its CSR budget owing to Covid restrictions during the financial year 2020-21. Rest of the 15 percent was sent to 'unspent CSR fund'. The company’s major CSR focus areas included healthcare, environment and rural development.
As per the company’s annual report, its average net profit for the past three financial years was Rs 765.94 crore. Thus, its prescribed CSR expenditure, which is two per cent of the amount, was calculated as Rs 15.31 crore. Out of this, the company spent a sum of Rs 12.99 crore during the financial year. Rest of the CSR fund of Rs. 2.32 crores was transferred to the unspent CSR account on April 28, 2021.
Stating the reason for its inability to spend the entire CSR budget, the company says, “During the Covid 19 pandemic in FY21, activities could not be carried out during the first quarter. This resulted in an unspent that has been carried forward to the next year and allocated to ongoing projects.”
Apollo Tyres carried out activities primarily related to promoting preventive healthcare, ensuring environmental sustainability, livelihood enhancement projects, rural development projects, promoting education, and eradication of hunger, poverty & malnutrition. All the CSR initiatives of the organisation were aligned with National Goals and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Apollo Tyres CSR activities were carried out by following implementing agencies
All the CSR activities of the company were routed through the registered trust (Apollo Tyres Foundation) and ran under the close monitoring and guidance of the CSR committee. Some of the other implementing agencies are as follows:
- Jan Kalyan Maha Samiti
- Adarsh Seva Samiti
- Help Foundation India
- World Heritage Trust
- Plan at Earth
- Wild Life Trust of India
- National Agro Foundation
- Jawaharlal Memorial Social Welfare and Public Co-Operation Centre
- Taru Foundation
- Bhumi
- Global Organisation for Life Development
Apollo Tyres' Major Focus Areas
The CSR initiatives were categorised under the below mentioned four themes:
1. Healthcare for Trucking Community
2. Solid Waste Management and Sanitation (SPARSH)
3. Livelihood for Underprivileged Women (Navya)
4. Biodiversity Conservation
COVID-19 relief
The relief work spanned from the distribution of rations, food packets to local communities to the distribution of face masks and PPE Kits. COVID awareness campaigns were organised across project locations making people aware of COVID safety guidelines through various awareness mediums like hoardings, pamphlets distribution, public announcements, etc. The organisation developed in-house digital training material to sensitise the community.
Healthcare
To provide continued healthcare consultation services to the trucking community, the organisation introduced telemedicine consultation facility across its 31 healthcare centres. The facility has an online consultation service with the doctor for the beneficiaries who visit Apollo healthcare centres.
The company’s initiatives like ‘Vehicle and Tyre Care during Lockdown’, ‘How to get tyres during the lockdown?’ etc. were channelised through digital mediums. Further, it also focused on showcasing its CSR work done during the year including initiatives done in Gurgaon slums and for the trucking community to build on brand affinity.
The organisation undertook various initiatives related to healthcare programme for trucking communities, solid waste management and sanitation programme for communities, livelihood for underprivileged women, biodiversity conservation and philanthropy initiatives; focusing on eradicating hunger and poverty, preventive health, and promoting education.
Apollo Tyres CSR Committee
The present Corporate Social Responsibility Committee comprises four directors viz. Onkar Kanwar, Anjali Bansal, Sunam Sarkar, and General Bikram Singh (retired). Onkar Kanwar is the Chairman of the committee.
