PART A
A US $44.3 billion corporation, the Aditya Birla Group is in the League of Fortune 500. Anchored by an extraordinary force of over 120,000 employees belonging to 42 nationalities, the Group is built on a strong foundation of stakeholder value creation. With over seven decades of responsible business practices, our businesses have grown into global powerhouses in a wide range of sectors – metals, textiles, carbon black, telecom and cement. Today, over 50% of Group revenues flow from overseas operations that span 34 countries in North and South America, Africa and Asia.
With a strong focus on stakeholder value creation, Aditya Birla Group has been big in people’s lives in many ways. The main areas of focus are education (Aditya Bal Vidya Mandirs, Balwadis for elementary education), livelihood (4,500 self-help groups created with an overall view to empower women, partnership with industrial training institutes, vocational training through Aditya Birla Rural Technology Parks, watershed development), social change (dowry-less marriage, widow remarriage, de-addiction programmes),Aditya Birla CSR Centre of Excellence and Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development and performance management(developing plans for the development of the marginalized).
Moving on to sustainability in the way they work, Novel is the world’s largest recycler of used beverage cans and Idea Cellular launched the ‘Green Idea’ initiative with Aditya Birla Group aiming at reduction in carbon dioxide emission. There is also a continuous endeavour to reduce carbon footprint, reduce water consumption and conversion of waste to raw material.
Giving back to the society is a cause that has been close to my heart and hence I have grown to appreciate the initiatives taken by Aditya Birla Group, in particular, the focus on de-addiction programmes and dowry-less marriage. I also am a strong proponent of higher education, for it is a respectable way to rise out of poverty which is again a key focus area for the Aditya Birla Group.
With such a strong vision to contribute to the country, the group has built a strong image of being a caring corporate citizen and thus, it has struck a chord with people of all socio-economic groups. Acting on an ethos of generosity and compassion is the cornerstone of their CSR policy which shall work in maintaining their brand image for many years to come.
PART B