Karmayog CSR ratings acknowledges BILT amongst top 1000 largest Indian Companies for CSR Initiatives
Karmayog CSR ratings acknowledges BILT amongst top 1000 largest Indian Companies for CSR Initiatives; BILT amongst top 10 in Karmayog Corporate Social Responsibility Ratings of 1000 largest companies in India - 2008; BILT's CSR initiatives recognised
Tweet-- Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT), India’s largest paper company and part of the US$ 3 bn Avantha Group, has received the highest rating in the Karamayog Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Ratings of the of the 1000 largest companies in India – 2008, for enabling CSR as a core part of its business operations.
The Karmayog CSR Ratings are based on various parameters and are from Level 0 (lowest) to Level 5 (highest). The results of the ratings for 2008 show that just 1% or 10 of the 1000 largest Indian companies have got the highest rating of Level 4, i.e., they are actively involved in CSR initiatives, and that 49% of the companies are not engaged in any CSR activity. Karmayog’s study also provides an analysis of 35 industry sectors across the 1000 companies studied, therefore, enabling a snapshot of how individual industry sectors are performing on CSR and a comparison between the sectors.
The study and ratings present a comprehensive picture of the state of CSR in India, and provide an effective base for industry associations, government bodies, researchers and academia, and NGOs to work together with corporates in improving society.
Mr. R. R. Vederah, Managing Director, BILT, said, “We thank Karamayog CSR Ratings for honouring BILT. This acknowledgement recognises BILT’s philosophy of linking business sustainability to the sustainable development of the people and communities we work with and the environment in which we operate.”
Ms. Yashashree Gurjar, Head – CSR, BILT, said, “BILT recognises the symbiotic relationship that exists between businesses and society. The Karmayog CSR rating has further motivated us to make efficient use of our resources, core competence, skills, location and funds for the benefit of society and the environment, and to find meaningful solutions to the problems faced by India today.”
Karmayog's first CSR study, conducted in 2007, has enabled several developmental work in India. Government bodies such as the Reserve Bank of India and the Petroleum Ministry are recommending both CSR expenditure and reporting by companies under their purview, and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has recommended that social work activities be reported in the annual report. This reflects a growing demand from stakeholders for more responsible behaviour and contribution to society by companies.
Notes to Editor
About BILT:
Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT), part of the US$ 3 billion Avantha Group, is India’s largest manufacturer of writing and printing (W&P) paper. BILT’s subsidiaries include Sabah Forest Industries (SFI), Malaysia’s largest pulp and paper company, and BILT TreeTech Limited (BTTL), which runs BILT’s farm forestry programme in several states in India.
BILT has six manufacturing units across India, which give the company geographic coverage over most of the domestic market. BILT has a dominant share of the high-end coated paper segment in India. The company accounts for over 50% of the coated wood-free paper market, an impressive 85% of the bond paper market and nearly 45% of the hi-bright Maplitho market, besides being India’s largest exporter of coated paper. BILT is the first Indian paper company to feature among the global top 100.
About Avantha Group:
The US$ 3 bn Avantha Group is one of India’s leading business conglomerates. Its successful entities include BILT, Crompton Greaves, The Global Green Company, Avantha Power & Infrastructure, Solaris ChemTech, Salient Business Solutions, and Avantha Technologies. International subsidiaries include Pauwels, SFI, Intergarden, Ganz, Microsol, Sonomatra, MSE Power Systems and Puszta Konzerv.
The Group has business interests in diverse areas including power transmission and distribution equipment and services, paper and pulp, energy and infrastructure, food processing, farm forestry, chemicals, IT and ITES. Led by Gautam Thapar, Avantha demonstrates strong leadership globally and emerges as a focused corporate, leveraging its knowledge, leadership and operations, adding lasting value for its stakeholders and investors.
CSR at BILT:
As part of its CSR, BILT works with more than 200,000 people living in remote parts of the country on a wide range of issues including livelihood enhancement, health and education. Formation and strengthening of community-based organisations like self help groups and youth groups, andcapacity building thepanchayat members are an important focus of the programme. The company offers skill training and also helpscommunities set upsmall enterprises through the provision of micro finance at the village level. BILT’s CSR initiatives have been widely recognized, and have been conferred with various awards, including TERI Award for CSR (2003-04), Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Award for CSR (2005-06), Businessworld FICCI- SEDF CSR Award (2005-06), Asian CSR Award (2005-06), Golden Peacock Global Award for CSR in Emerging Economies (2007), Intel - AIM Corporate Responsibility Award (2007) and TERI Corporate Award for Business Response to HIV/AIDS (2008).