HUL boosts CSR spent by 15 % in 2020-21; Spends Rs 165 Cr, 75 % fund goes to COVID relief, Women Empowerment

New Delhi, 23 June, 2021: Leading FMCG company Hindustan Unilever has spent a massive Rs 165 Cr on various Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in the year 2021 with major focus on COVID relief projects and long-term Women Empowerment projects. The company’s CSR spent also increased by close to 15 % as compared to its CSR expenditure last year.

According to HUL India, the prescribed CSR budget for the company in 2020-21 was Rs 161.7 Cr only. However, the company which recorded 18 % growth in its net profit in 2020-21, spent a little extra on its CSR activities.

The multi-national company which sells popular household brands like Surf Excel, Lifebuoy, Horlicks, Brook Bond, Domex, Dove, Lux, Ponds, Vaseline, Pepsodent, Pears, Rin, Boost and many others, had exceeded its CSR prescribed limit last year as well.

In 2019-20, the company had spent a total of Rs 143.74 Cr on its CSR activities against a prescribed CSR budget of Rs 142.20 Cr. The prescribed CSR budget for any company is defined as the 2 % of the average annual profit of the last three years.

The multinational company with more than 400 brand names in over 190 countries, has also been a leader in FMCG space in India for years now. Despite the COVID pandemic, company’s profit after tax of grew by 18% to Rs 7,954 Cr in the financial year 2020-21.

According to the company, its major focus remained on the COVID relief work during the last financial year. Accordingly, it spent more than Rs 61 Cr on COVID relief work. Further, the company also continued its long-term CSR projects like Project Shakti which is focussed empowerment women through creating livelihood opportunities for them.

Hindustan Unilever - Key CSR spends 2020-21

Along with its COVID focussed activities, the company continued its long-term CSR projects in 2020-21 as well. Here are some of the long-term CSR projects by HUL.

Key CSR activities in 2020-21

Covid-19 Relief Work

Product Donations: The company distributed over 2 crores soaps and sanitisers, bottles of toilet and surface cleaners, packs of Horlicks and other products to the frontline medical professionals, police officials, sanitation workers, migrant population and in different communities in partnership with the government and various NGO’s. These products were delivered to over 100 locations in 20 states from urban slums of Mumbai to tea estates of Assam.

Public Awareness Campaigns: HUL also created #VirusKiKadiTodo (Break the Chain) campaign in association with UNICEF. The campaign reached over 600 million people across India, including small towns and rural areas through television and digital platforms.

Healthcare Infrastructure: To aide health infrastructure in the country amid the raging pandamic, the company provided medical institutions almost 75,000 test kits to help ramp up testing. Further, in the state of Maharashtra, the company provided medical equipment and personal protection equipment (PPE) for hospitals in consultation with public health officials which included 29 ventilators and 28 oxygen concentrators, besides other equipment.

The company also partnered with Apollo Hospitals, State Bank of India, OYO, Lemon Tree and others to create isolation facilities in metros, equipped with medical supervision, to reduce the burden on hospitals. In addition, together with the local administration the Company helped setup 30-bed isolation facility in Haridwar and Nasik last year.

Food Donation Drive & Supporting Migrant Workers: In its effort to help poor families during COVID pandemic, the company distributed food ration kits to families of over 40,000 students to ensure access to a well-balanced meal. Further, it also donated 2 weeks food ration to close to 1.2 lakh migrant workers’ families in more than 200 locations.

India Protectors Alliance: The company also established India Protectors Alliance (IPA), a corporate-led alliance established to protect frontline workers including doctors, nurses, sanitation workers who have been the protectors of society amidst the pandemic. HUL became a founding member in association with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and RBL Bank. The alliance is joined by over 25 other private sector leaders including IKEA India and Crompton Greaves.

HUL CSR Project - Shakti

Project Shakti is HUL’s initiative which aims to financially empower and provide livelihood opportunities to women in rural India. The Shakti Entrepreneurs are given training for familiarisation with HUL products and basic tenets of distribution management.

HUL has a team of Rural Sales Promoters (RSPs) who coach and help Shakti Entrepreneurs in managing their business. Across 18 States, Project Shakti has nearly 1,36,000 Shakti Entrepreneurs called ‘Shakti Ammas’. The programme helps these women gain selling skills, become self-confident, improve their self-esteem and learn communication skills.

For project SHAKTI, the key implementation agencies include JanKalyan Welfare Society and Akshya Patra.

HUL CSR Project - Prabhat

The project aims to create sustainable communities in and around Company’s sites through focused interventions on Economic Empowerment (skilling, entrepreneurship and value chain), Environmental Sustainability (water conservation, waste management and climate adaptation), Health (nutrition, hygiene, sanitation and WASH) and Education (basic infrastructure). The project has reached out to close to 6 million people across 19 states and two union territories since its inception in 2013. During Covid-19, more than 1.3 million people across the country were helped with relief kits which included Lifebuoy soaps, grocery kits and food packets.

For project Prabhat, the key implementation agencies included Labour Net Services India Private Limited, Mann Deshi Foundation, Anudip Foundation, Institute of Livelihood Research and Training, Foundation for Rural Entrepreneurship Development

HUL CSR Project- Asha Daan

Asha Daan is a home in Mumbai for abandoned and differently-abled children, HIV-positive patients and destitute people. Since the inception of Asha Daan in 1976, HUL has been looking after the maintenance and upkeep of the premises. At any time, there are over 400 inmates at Asha Daan. The company is also expected to begin a redevelopment work of Asha Daan soon.

The company partnered with many other implementation agencies for its various CSR projects. The list of HUL’s CSR implementation partners included:

• Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM)
• Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India)
• BAIF Development Research Foundation (BAIF)
• Center for International Projects Trust (CIPT)
• Development Support Centre (DSC)
• DHAN Foundation
• Foundation for Ecological Security (FES)
• Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency (MYRADA)
• Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan (PSSS)
• People’s Action for National Integration (PANI)
• Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN)
• Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS)
• SAMUHA
• Sanjeevani Institute for Environment and Development (SIED)
• Self-Reliant Initiatives through Joint Action (SRIJAN)
• Vikram Sarabhai Centre for Development Interaction (an activity of Nehru Foundation for Development) (VIKSAT)
• Villgro Innovations Foundation
• Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR)

HUL CSR Committee

HUL’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee is headed by Mr. O. P. Bhatt as its Chairman. Dr. Sanjiv Misra, Ms. Kalpana Morparia, Mr. Sanjiv Mehta and Mr. Srinivas Phatak are the members of the Committee. According to the company, the role of its CSR Committee includes formulating and recommending to the Board the CSR Policy and activities to be undertaken by the Company, recommending the amount of expenditure to be incurred on CSR activities of the Company, reviewing the performance of Company in the areas of CSR.