Towards the end of the financial year 2019-20, the COVID outbreak did not only affect the businesses across sectors but also disrupted implementation of CSR projects run by companies. The on-ground CSR activities were almost halted. But many corporates quickly responded to the changing scenario and immediately tweaked their CSR projects to the changing community needs amid the COVID outbreak.
Crompton Greaves Consumer is one of these corporates who not only continued their CSR projects but also took this an opportunity to explore new ways of implementing their projects while adhering to the COVID protocols.
The leading electrical appliances and water pump maker Crompton Greaves Consumer, in fact, spent more than Rs 10 crore on various social activities as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the year 2019-20, a little more than its prescribed CSR budget for the year. The CSR spent by the company was 39% more as compared to the previous year.
In this interview, TheCSRUniverse talked to the CSR and Sustainability team of Crompton Greaves Consumer to understand more about their efficient handling of CSR projects amid the COVID crisis. The CSR team at the company talks about the benefits of India’s CSR law and has also a message to share with peers. Read this interview to know how the CSR team at Crompton is carrying out its CSR activities especially in the times of COVID.
Interview Highlights with CSR team at Crompton Greaves Consumer:
- COVID lockdown can work as an opportunity to explore other avenues of implementation of CSR projects especially over digital platforms, it also converted its large-scale mobilization drives into door-to-door activity.
- Owing to reverse migration and job losses due to the pandemic, demand for skill training, upskilling and reskilling is expected to go up towards improving employability.
- Mandating the spend towards CSR is a good way to ensure that companies don’t lose sight of their responsibility towards society and communities.
- Allowing companies to spend a certain amount of their funds towards undertaking activities to include their employees in the CSR projects would encourage the corporates and their employees to be more involved in the CSR projects
- Our focus over next 2-3 years would be to increase the employability and hence, the future path for more youth, including women
- Corporates need to evolve from being funders to strategic partners in implementation of the CSR projects and work together with implementation agencies to realise their CSR vision.
Scroll down to read interview excerpts with CSR Team of Crompton Greaves Consumer:
Q: How has your CSR implementation been impacted/affected due to COVID pandemic?
A:Due to the unprecedented lockdown, all the projects came to a sudden stand still. However, this gradually became a great opportunity to explore other avenues of implementation of projects especially over digital platforms.
While quite a few of the on-going programs are on hold, as a corporate we have been cognizant of the fact that initial few months were difficult for the health care system in the country. And hence, our CSR activities have stepped up to protect our protectors (doctors, nurses) and support the health care infrastructure to be better equipped to handle the pandemic.
Q: How are you continuing your CSR activities while adhering to the COVID protocols?
A: Our implementation partners have all stepped up, issued the relevant protocols and adopted to technology and digital means to implement the projects, especially in case of skill projects.
The skilling projects albeit partially,were resumed using online portals such as Zoom, Hangouts, etc. to ensure that there is no break in the learning outcomes of the candidates. With the ease in lockdown restrictions, we are looking at reopening of the centers in a phased manner, while ensuring that sanitization and social distancing measures are undertaken. Large scale mobilization drives will now be replaced by door-to-door drives to avoid large gatherings.
Q: Can you share any specific example?
A: Yes. For example, our collaboration with Akshaya Patra continues with the shift to provide ration and education kits to make up for the nutrition the children would have otherwise received in the form of mid-day meals at school. Also, at our water project sites, minimum number of workers are being deployed who ensure sanitization and social distancing norms are adhered to.
Q: What are the key emerging CSR opportunities and needs in the COVID scenario?
A:The current pandemic has shown the urgent need for building the capacity of hospitals and equipping them with the necessary infrastructure (e.g. ventilators, ambulances, etc.) to enable them to provide good quality care.
Owing to reverse migration and job losses due to the pandemic, we expect to see an increase in demand for skill training especially for upskilling and reskilling to improve employability of the candidates. Additionally, we have seen that the water conserved by the projects implemented in the past have provided short term employment opportunities to the migrant workers who have returned home during the pandemic.
Q: How your company’s focus area for CSR has evolved over the last 4-5 years?
A:Over the last few years, we have expanded the scope of our projects from skill development to include water conservation and mid-day meal programs. Even under our skill development portfolio, we have gradually increased the number of centers, implementation partners and locations.
In case of water projects, we are consciously moving from being isolated infrastructure projects to holistic community development projects.
Q: The CSR has fundamentally changed after the CSR was made mandatory by Companies Act 2013. It has been 7 years since then. What are your thoughts on CSR laws in India?
A:Mandating the spend towards CSR is a good way to ensure that companies don’t lose sight of their responsibility towards society and communities. It has given an opportunity to corporates to interact with the communities residing in their area of operation and work with them to bring about a long term and sustainable change. It has also provided an opportunity for several employees in the company to volunteer and participate in these activities which positively impacts an individual’s perspective on their responsibility to society at large.
Q: What can be the changes in the current CSR law/provisions that can help corporates in being more productive and effective in implementation of their CSR activities?
A:Currently, spend undertaken by a corporate towards ensuring participation of their employees in the CSR projects (on a one-time basis) is not allowed under CSR laws. Allowing companies to spend a certain amount of their funds towards undertaking activities to include their employees in the CSR projects would encourage the corporates and their employees to be more involved in the CSR projects.
Q: What would be your CSR focus for the next 2-3 years?
A:The aim of the CSR projects over the next few years would be to increase the employability and hence, the future path for more youth, including women. We would like to explore holistic community development projects in addition to water conservation projects to amplify the impact of the infrastructure created.
Q: What are your suggestions and message to your corporate colleagues on building a strong CSR environment in the country?
A: At the outset, our role as a corporate need to evolve from being funders to strategic partners for the NGOs. We need to take active part in the projects with the implementation partners and work together to deliver the impact we envision. Most corporates focus on CSR efforts around their operations (e.g. an industrial area); a collaborative approach for more holistic development of the communities around will be more beneficial than the current piecemeal approach. Corporates also need to join hands with the government and civil societies to amplify the impact delivered by the projects and move a step closer towards achieving the vision set out under the global development goals.
