New Delhi, 5 September, 2020: India’s leading multi-national paint company Asian Paints has spent a total of Rs 74.6 Crore in the financial year 2020-21, exceeding the prescribed CSR budget by close to 30%.
As per the company records, the overall CSR spent of Rs 75 Crore included Rs 15 Crores as contribution by the Company to Central & State Government towards COVID-19. As per the company officials, the contributions were made to various State Disaster Management Authorities & PM CARES Fund to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mumbai-headquartered company had a prescribed CSR budget of Rs 57.51 crore for the year 2019-20. Priority areas for company’s CSR initiatives included health, education and vocational training.
"During the financial year ended 31st March, 2020, the Company incurred CSR Expenditure of Rs 74.64 crores. The CSR initiatives of the Company were under the thrust area of health & hygiene, education, water management and vocational training," the company said, adding, "the CSR activities run by the company benefitted people of more than 50 villages in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu."
Asian Paints is in the business of manufacturing, selling and distribution of paints, coatings, products related to home decor, bath fittings and related services. The Average Net Profit of the Company for last 3 financial years stood at Rs 2,875.26 Crore. Accordingly, the prescribed CSR budget, calculated as 2 % of company’s average net profit over last three years was Rs 57.51 Crore.
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee at the company is headed by Malav Dani who is the non-executive director at the company. Malav Dani is the Managing Director of Hitech Corporation Limited.
Asian Paints: Key CSR activities undertaken in 2019-20
Health and hygiene
Static Clinic: During the year, the company established four static clinics near its manufacturing locations (Mysuru, PatancheruKasna, Khandala), in association with Piramal Swasthya. The static clinics address RMNCH+A (reproductive,maternal, newborn and child health + adolescent),non-communicable and communicable diseases, eye care and general OPD through screening and identification,ante-natal services, post-natal check-ups, hygiene etc.
The clinic also provides free laboratory examinations for random blood sugar, urine, haemoglobin, malaria,pregnancy etc. Additionally, eye test for visual acuity, lipid profile, among other concerns are also addressed. During FY 2019-20, around 20,900 beneficiaries received treatment from these clinics.
Mobile Medical Units (MMUs): The MMUs were set up to reach out to communities across Kasna,Rohtak, Patancheru, Sriperumbudur, Visakhapatnam,Khandala, Mysuru. In association with HelpAge, the company had been running 6 MMUs and this year it launched one MMU in Visakhapatnam with Piramal Swasthya.
The MMUs provide consultations, free medicines, basic diagnostics,referral to government hospitals, among others specially to those who are aged or too sick to make it across to clinics or health centres. During the year, more than 1,54,000 treatments were provided to the beneficiaries. The Company’s MMUs were deployed in Mumbai and Khandala for disaster management as well.
Safar: It was an awareness programme to help improve life style of the truckers. As part of the initiative, mass communication techniques like nukkad natak (street plays), games, interpersonal communication sessions were used to to spread awareness on various health issues like ergonomic illnesses, skin diseases and gastritis,among others targeting truck drivers. The project areas included Kasna,Rohtak, Visakhapatnam, Mysuru, Patancheru, Khandala and Sriperumbudur. During the year, the programme covered the treatment of over 32,000 truckers, while reaching out to around 78,800 beneficiaries.
Project Drishyam: The programme was conducted at Ankleshwar and catered to the diseases related to eyesight and distribution of spectacles. About 1,000 patients were treated under the project during the year.
Enhancing vocational skills
Colour Academy: Under its vocational academy, the company undertook training programmes on a multitude of subjects, such as designer finishes, emulsions, metal care, mechanisation,water proofing, wood finishes and wallpaper installation to help painters connect with lucrative professional opportunities in the industry.
During the year, the company initiated upskilling programmes for plumbers in Himachal Pradesh and carpenters in Chennai with an objective to increase their earnings and disseminate knowledge and awareness to apprise them of latest techniques.
The company spent around Rs 26 crore on skilling around 1,47,000 people across its 50+ colour academy in India.
Water Conservation
Some of the interventions undertaken for water conservation included:
- Installing rooftop rainwater harvesting units and recharge systems in villages and schools
- Influencing irrigation practices and awareness on conservation of water in the farmer community.
- Recycling and reusing wastewater
- Identifying water bodies near our locations that need rejuvenating
- Construction activities to increase capacity for surface water storage
- Desilting of surrounding lakes and ponds
Pond Restoration: The CSR activities were undertaken to enhanced surface water and groundwater resources in the villages of Badanavalu and Sindhuvelli. Three ponds were rejuvenated by increasing total storage capacity by 45,200 KL. Additionally, the embankments of ponds were strengthened by providing stone pitching.
With this, groundwater recharging in the aquifers increased considerably benefitting over 70 farmers for irrigation of over 550 acres of agricultural land and cattle rearing.
Check dam restoration: Under the project,check dam at Rojghat village in Gujarat was fortified and slit was cleared to increase the depth of the water catchment area of the dam, which created additional water potential of 11,320 KL.
