In FY 2020-21, we continued to work towards supporting its long-term initiative of providing holistic development to construction workers and their immediate families. However, due to the pandemic, the real estate sector saw reverse migration and there was a dip in construction activities across the country. While we continued supporting skilling programmes for construction workers and day-care centres for their children, we significantly invested in initiatives related to healthcare, enabling access to formal education, water conservation, research and innovation towards material sciences and livelihood generation for under-privileged women We also commenced the operations of Pehel Foundation with an objective to invest in long-term capital projects.
The Company also supported COVID-19 relief efforts through investments in research and contribution to PM-Cares fund.
CSR spend in FY 2020-21
Beneficiaries
We have worked extensively towards skill training of construction workers. In partnership with NAREDCO and CREDAI CSR Foundation, we ensured skill training of ~6,000 construction workers pan India.
Construction workers across India were given skill training
We partnered Mobile Creches (MC), Plan International-India, Mumbai MC, TARA MC Pune and Savera Social Welfare Society ensured the holistic development of children of migrant construction workers through their day-care centres. While the parents toil at the sites, the day-care centres ensure that their children are provided with holistic care critical to their development. Mumbai Mobile Creches were able to reach out to 530 children across four centres supported by us while TARA was able to support 597 children through five centres supported by the Company. Mobile Creches reached out to and supported the development of 2,500 children in FY 2020-21.
Children were supported with holistic development
In partnership with Vidya, a not-for-profit organisation for the education and empowerment of underprivileged children, we supported the operational cost of running two formal schools in Delhi and ensured formal education to 550 children. Through our CSR arm Pehel Foundation, we also contributed towards the transformation of government schools in Nuh, Haryana and Alwar, Rajasthan with SM Sehgal Foundation. Pehel Foundation initiated renovation of the façade and boundary wall of five government schools in Delhi, in partnership with the Government of NCT of Delhi.
As a socially responsible corporate, we have always stood at the forefront of any emergency response effort for the country. In these challenging hours, we pledged support towards aiding the ongoing efforts of the government to control and counter the pandemic in the following ways:
We made significant contribution in the realm of healthcare in FY 2020-21. The initiatives included the following:
In partnership with CanSupport, an NGO working towards building a caring and supportive society where people with cancer and their families live with dignity, hope and comfort, we undertook the following initiatives:
We collaborated with SRF Foundation to work with the children in the government schools adopted by SRF Foundation in Chennai and Bengaluru, using sports as a medium of empowerment. We will also support the holistic development of three women athletes in the ports-race walking, 3,000m event and para badminton.
Through Pehel Foundation, we supported further research for the development of an effective and efficient technique for earthquake resistant construction by using low-cost, energy dissipating devices of the Department of Earthquake Engineering, IIT Roorkee. Upon successful testing, the proposed technology will be used in housing construction of up to four storeys, giving impetus to us as the prime facilitator of this technology.
Pehel Foundation, collaborated with SM Sehgal Foundation to support Jal Khushhali, a water conservation project. Under this project, we will support the construction of one check dam and two ponds in Karauli, Rajasthan. The project aims to develop the groundwater recharge potential of the water-stressed district. It also focuses on building capacities of Panchayats to improve their functioning of key government services.
We catered to the holistic development and well-being of 13 unsupported elderlies at Ayudham Society, an old age home. We also provided ration to an additional 175 elderly.
To promote livelihood generation among persons with intellectual disability, we support a project of the NGO Tender Hearts wherein the persons with intellectual disability are trained to make rugs and mats as a means of livelihood generation.
Starting FY 2020-21, most of our CSR projects/initiatives will have a project mentor. The project mentors are from the senior management of our Company and can choose a project on voluntary basis. The mentor will oversee the implementation of the project and provide their valuable guidance and suggestions to further improve the impact of our CSR initiatives.