Mr. Tribhuwan Joshi is Lead - Brand Communication, Public Relations & CSR at Fujifilm India. In this interview with TheCSRUniverse, Mr Joshi lauds the recent changes in CSR policies and talks about his organisation’s various CSR initiatives. He also elaborates on how Fujifilm’s carbon net-zero goals and sustainability targets are integrated into company’s long-term policies and planning and much more...
Scroll down to read the full interview with Mr. Tribhuwan Joshi.
Q: Fujifilm has launched the 'Aao Padhai Karein' campaign recently. Tell us the objective behind launching this programme.
A: Fujifilm has always been committed to driving value from innovation. With the ‘Aao Padhai Karein’ campaign, we want to support the future of our children and fulfil our commitment that helps strengthen society. Through the campaign, we aim for society's betterment and overall development. Many students in India, especially those from an unprivileged background, do not have access to basic infrastructure when it comes to studying. Identifying this as a gap, we partnered with Parwarish Cares Foundation and distributed 'YeloGreen Bags', a holistic study organiser for students which converts into a foldable desk. This will help the children to study comfortably from home or at school. Additionally, we are conducting training programmes for children in order to protect themselves against sexual abuse as part of this campaign. This is a long-term mass-scale effort with the goal of making India free of child sexual abuse by 2030.
Q: What are the other important CSR initiatives undertaken by Fujifilm over the last couple of years?
A: Fujifilm’s principle as a brand revolves around resolving social challenges and giving back to the world. We firmly believe in brands being corporate citizens and have taken up challenges and initiatives which solve issues at large for mankind. Our core areas of work in CSR span education, environment and healthcare. In the last few years, Fujifilm has taken numerous initiatives which reach out to the masses with the aim of improving their lives and the environment that we live in.
With our “Never Stop: Screening to Reduce Diagnostic Delays” campaign, we ran a mobile screening van across more than 20 cities in North India. This van screened people from marginalised sections of society across India for Tuberculosis and provided them with medical aid. The campaign is currently ongoing and we are working on it in line with the government’s goal of “TB-free India” by 2025.
During the pandemic, we decided to help healthcare workers, deliver happiness and relieve stress with our “Connecting Hearts” campaign. The campaign was aimed at spreading positivity and joy by building a connection between patients and doctors. Committed to reducing anxiety among patients and helping them combat COVID with congeniality and affection, we also introduced a unique patient-focused program by sharing Instax cameras and films at hospitals to spread smiles with the doctors and nurses working on the frontline.
Q: Who are your major CSR implementation partners for different projects? What is the ground-level impact created through your CSR programmes over the last 2-3 years?
A: We partner with organisations such as The Indian Cancer Society, Parwarish Cares Foundation, etc. for various campaigns. Based on the sector and outreach, we partner with the most impactful organisations to help us attain maximum reach and ensure goodwill for our beneficiaries.
Through the “Never Stop: Screening to Reduce Diagnostic Delays” TB Campaign, we were able to screen 7,21,107 people through a mobile van and shared a total of 8,104 X-ray reports in the first 6 months. Towards the end of the campaign, we will cover about 27 cities and educate a large number of people about the prevention and treatment of TB.
Through the “Aao Baat Karein” campaign with Parwarish Cares Foundation, we are working towards making India free from Child Sexual Abuse by 2030. In the first phase of the campaign alone, we reached out to 20 schools and educated around 3,500 children and will further reach out to several schools to educate children about the issue.
Q: Many corporates are running CSR programmes that are closely connected to the Carbon net-zero targets of their organisation. What is your thought on this? Do you have any CSR programmes which are focused on the sustainability goals of Fujifilm India?
A: We believe in the power of achieving carbon neutrality as we’re already seeing the devastating effects of climate change around us. Not just a CSR initiative for organisations anymore, carbon neutrality has become a necessity. To mitigate the effects of climate change, we need joint efforts from organisations, public-private partnerships and individuals. Since the start of the industrial revolution, we have experienced huge improvements in our lives, at the cost of polluting our environment. It is now imperative that organisations align themselves with the Paris Accords and work in the direction of solving the herculean task of safeguarding our environment. We must take action to create a sustainable future.
Fujifilm Group, in 2017, announced the Sustainable Value Plan 2030 (SVP2030) which sets targeting FY2030 as its long-term goal and is expected to lay the foundations of the Group’s business management strategies for sustainable growth. Under SVP2030, the company will introduce further measures to resolve social issues through our business activities, including the launch of innovative technologies, products and services, in our aim to develop into a company that can make a greater contribution to creating a sustainable society.
Q: How important is collaboration among various corporates in creating a combined effect through their respective CSR programmes?
A: The main objective of CSR is to connect with the masses to bring about change and enhance the lives of many. CSR is an important part of any organisation’s corporate policy as it helps them in creating a harmonious feeling between them and the people. The goal here is to work towards the betterment of society and take up initiatives that can help people at large and at the same time resonate well with the brand value. Hence, a collaboration between organisations aimed at resolving a common social challenge through the means of CSR is a great opportunity. Each and every organisation brings something different in terms of its expertise and resources to the table. A joint effort between different organisations has the ability to take the initiative to a bigger scale and reach a larger set of beneficiaries. Collaborations between organisations through CSR also serve the possibility of a social innovation which can further be applied to resolve other hurdles in society.
Q: Your message to your peers who are leading CSR initiatives across the industries.
A: Being a corporate citizen and working from a corporate structure towards resolving social challenges requires a lot of dedication and hard work. My peers in different organisations are doing a great job of putting their thoughts into action and then delivering upon them.
Starting off as a philanthropy initiative and an act of giving back to society, CSR has now evolved and become an important aspect of every business and organisations today are more aware of the issues and concerns in society. They are taking up initiatives to address these issues which resonate with the brand. CSR for organisations now is a way of bringing change in society through humanitarian efforts.
I would urge all my peers to carry on with the work they are doing and continue contributing towards the betterment of the society we live in and moving towards a sustainable future.
Q: There have been several changes in the CSR policy in India since last year. What is your take on that?
A: The Government of India introduced a new CSR policy with the aim to increase transparency and compliance. India has always been vocal about CSR initiatives being a part of corporate functions and even was the first country in the world to mandate laws around it. The new amendments are a step further in the positive direction, now allowing corporates to take on multi-year projects, and implementing agencies to register with the government. Previously, companies were partially-compliant with the CSR laws and had the option of delaying their initiatives but could not evade them. With the new amendments, companies are prohibited from using any unspent CSR funds for business purposes and claiming donations to state schemes as a CSR expense, or setting-off past CSR spending against future obligations. This is a great move to increasing compliance and making sure that the CSR initiatives reach the right beneficiaries.
The move to allow international organisations such as the International Labour Organization, WHO, UNESCO, the IMF etc. to assist and play a role in the Indian CSR ecosystem will have a major impact on our country’s future path. The rules now allow for companies to appoint an international organisation for the design, monitoring and evaluation of CSR projects or programmes, and to build their own CSR teams. India was already ahead of the curve globally when it comes to CSR, but will provide industry-leading examples to the world through these changes.
Q: What policy changes should the government bring to ease CSR programme planning and execution in India?
A: With the latest amendments to the CSR laws in India, the government has already made changes demanded by organisations for a long time. The most important of these changes was the decriminalisation of non-compliance and shifting these offences to a penalty. Similarly, the amendment to exempt companies with CSR obligations below Rs 50 lakhs from constituting a CSR Committee was also a long-time demand.
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