For Coimbatore industries, CSR initiatives are serious business

 Many businesses in Coimbatore take their Corporate Social Responsibility seriously, and go beyond making just financial contributions.

The companies and their employees take part in various social development projects including women empowerment and join hands with the government in improving the city’s infrastructure. The city’s industries also extend support to the government to develop and maintain common infrastructure, besides taking up joint initiatives with other social and residential organisations.

According to an industry representative, Coimbatore is among the few cities in India where the private participation is high in developmental projects. For instance, companies have supported cleaning of water bodies, waste management efforts, and sapling planting.

T.V. Sriram, centre head, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solution, says the Bosch India Foundation plans to adopt 12 villages in the district. The company’s employees conduct sports activities for Government school students and help the schools plan such events. It has contributed towards several environment projects in the city - such as planting of saplings and development of parks.

He says the company looks at the needs of the local stakeholders and plans its social activities accordingly.

According to Mr. Sriram, they are also looking at creating awareness about traffic rules. “Though this proposal is in a preliminary stage, we have technologies and products that can be used,” he says.

Environment, women empowerment and student welfare are also the focus areas of the CSR of Kirtilals. Not just in Coimbatore, Kirtilals has taken up park and landscape maintenance even in cities where it does not have a retail presence.

The landscaping and maintenance of parks in several airports in Southern states are looked after by Kirtilals.

Kirtilal’s training facility at Coimbatore that is more than a decade old, imparts jewellery making skills to women and employs them too.

The industry representative adds that the Government departments and local bodies should also involve the stakeholders while planning and implementing CSR projects and take their suggestions and inputs while coming up with new initiatives for the city.

-The Hindu