Carelon Global Solutions India, a fast-emerging leader in healthtech in the country, recognizes that social determinants significantly impact overall health. Launched in 2019, their CSR program, Swara, tackles these challenges by partnering with NGOs to improve food security, access to quality healthcare and education, and empower low-income communities. This commitment aligns with Carelon's mission of enhancing healthcare accessibility and improving overall health outcomes.
In this interview with TheCSRUniverse, Mr. Manoj Ladi, Managing Director, Finance, Carelon Global Solutions in India, delves into Swara's journey since its inception. He unveils the program's guiding principles, its transformative impact on communities, and its ambitious future goals. The interview sheds light on how Swara empowers Carelon associates to contribute through volunteering and paid leave for social initiatives. Additionally, the discussion explores how Carelon utilizes its expertise in healthcare solutions to pioneer innovative CSR initiatives.
Read the complete interview below for more insights.
Q&A
Q. How has Carelon Global Solutions’ flagship CSR program, Swara, evolved since 2019? Can you elaborate on Carelon Global Solutions’ guiding principles behind Swara and how they align with the company's values?
A. As a healthcare organization, at Carelon Global Solutions India, we fully understand that good health is impacted by diverse factors such as the food we consume, the quality of life we lead, our mental and financial well-being, and more. Every day, we work towards our purpose of improving the health of humanity and make healthcare accessible through our work.
We launched Swara in 2019, to invest in driving equity in healthcare. Our aim is to contribute towards the holistic development of the society through contributions in 4 focus areas – Education and skill development, health, wellbeing, and empowerment of low-income communities.
Q. Please share some notable impact made on communities by Swara.
A. During the pandemic, we had to work fast to bring our associates together and help communities. We partnered with hospitals in Bengaluru and Hyderabad and sponsored beds and medical assistance. We also donated money to NGOs to help those in need.
In the subsequent years, once we returned to office, we had more opportunities to meet children and young professionals in-person and connect with them. In 2022, nearly 150 students benefited from our 4-year scholarships. We helped over 500 children become more digitally literate and transformed 2 government schools through Swara.
As an organization committed towards building a sustainable ecosystem, our associate volunteers planted saplings across Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Q. Can you elaborate on the current themes and initiatives under Swara, and shed light on the partnerships with specific NGOs? How do these NGOs assist Carelon Global Solutions, and conversely, what expectations does Carelon Global Solutions have from these partnerships?
A. Swara is an associate-led program focusing on driving social responsibility initiatives. At the beginning of every year, we discuss the causes we want to prioritize and allocate budget for the same. Through our network and research, we meet up with multiple NGOs across Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Gurugram and short list the ones who align with our expectations. Our NGO partners help us empower women through training workshops, improving lives by mobilizing care and prioritize the wellbeing of mothers and children. For example, we have adopted over 1000 low-income families and sponsor raw food materials and stationery.
Through our skill development initiatives, our associates help young professionals be job ready, and students achieve their career dreams. Since last year, we have also been hiring potential talent from low-income families to join us for relevant roles.
Q. How does Carelon Global Solutions leverage its expertise in high-tech healthcare solutions to inform and enhance its CSR initiatives, considering its deep understanding of healthcare challenges and cutting-edge technology?
A. Swara is a very young initiative still at an evolving stage. With an organizational culture centred around innovation, we try to leverage our existing capabilities and partnerships for the greater good. For instance, we have partnered with a startup to offer free breast cancer examinations powered by AI and contactless for women from low-income families.
Q. Can you outline specific successes, challenges, and innovative solutions from Carelon Global Solutions’ Swara program collaborations with NGOs? Additionally, what lessons learned could potentially inspire novel CSR strategies in the corporate landscape?
A. Although CGS is a young organization, our CSR outreach is expanding every year and driving significant impact. The committee leading Swara, NGO partners and associate volunteers collaborate seamlessly and create a platform to share new ideas and enable transparent communication.
A challenge that we identified especially during skill development workshops is language barrier between associate volunteers and the participants. Some volunteers may not be fluent in the regional languages which creates a communication gap. We are working on mapping volunteers to events based on their individual skillsets.
Q. How has the volunteerism component of Swara influenced the associates, and what kinds of volunteering activities have shown significant engagement and impact?
A. Volunteering has had a great impact in instilling a ‘sense of purpose’ among our associates. It teaches our young associates the importance of values such as diversity and inclusion early on in their careers which will impact their style of management as they grow. A long day of volunteering can contribute towards the holistic growth of an individual and inspire them to bring them their best version to work and contribute towards making healthcare accessible to our customers. It helps in nurturing a community of accountable leaders who work towards a better tomorrow.
These initiatives, have a tremendous impact on boosting morale among associates and help them overcome social anxiety and improve networking skills.
Q. In promoting a culture of social awareness, how does Carelon Global Solutions engage and inspire its associate volunteers to actively participate in CSR initiatives beyond mandatory obligations
A. When we host organization wide events at offices, we invite our NGO partners to set up stalls in our premises and sell products made by low-income families. Visiting these stalls and engaging with our NGO partners helps our associates feel the fulfilment of contributing to the larger cause and encourage them to sign up for more Swara initiatives.
Our function leaders encourage their team members to participate and give back to society through participation in Swara. These initiatives also teach them values in team building.
Q. Can you share insights into the impact of the unique initiative granting associates two days off and the Dan Utsav for engaging in CSR activities?
A. Dan Utsav is celebrated on the first week of every October across Carelon Global Solutions India offices. In 2023, we had a wishing tree installed in all our offices. This tree had notes of wishes from low-income families and associates were encouraged to pick one note and fulfill them. We were able to fulfill nearly 1400 wishes in a span of few days. Some of these wishes included buying sanitary kit for women, gifting toys, cosmetics and stationery for children and low-income families. Similarly, we also hosted a flea market for all our NGO partners to display and sell their products.
Similarly, as part of our leave policies, we allow associates to take 2 days of voluntary days off where they can spend the time visiting the premises of our NGO partners and engage with uplifting communities in need.
Q. What are the future goals and aspirations for Swara, and are there any plans to expand the program's scope or collaborate with additional partners in the coming years?
A. Swara is a young initiative and has immense potential to grow and expand in impact. Our immediate focus for the next few years will be aligned towards higher education sponsorships, elder care, efforts to include initiatives benefitting different diverse communities and promoting talent in arts. These strategic objectives align with our organizational purpose and help us expand our reach through CSR by covering different demographics and drive holistic social impact.
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