With an aim to enhancing competitiveness of its businesses, tobacco major ITC has decided to help its vendors incorporate and adopt best practices.

In its 'Sustainability Report-2006', the company said it had so far helped 120 such vendors supporting its FMCG business. In the incense stick business, the company sources products from eight vendors, all in the cottage industry sector, and predominantly employ women. Four of these vendors have earned the ISO 9001 certification.

The company has also initiated water conservation measures on a large-scale. As part of its watershed development projects, 325 villages in 16 districts, benefiting 15,506 farmers, have been covered A total of 1,011 water harvesting structures have been created and these structures provide critical irrigation to 10,277 hectare of farmland. This has led to an additional storage potential of 18.99 million kilolitres (MKL).

"These measures have made ITC a 'water positive' company for four consecutive years. Compared to the net fresh water consumption of 4.62 MKL in 2005-06, the company has created potential storage of 19.60 MKL through its water harvesting efforts, both within its units and in moisture-stressed districts of the country," report said. In the next five years, the company plans to bring 50,000 hectare land under soil and moisture conservation programme through creation of 1,500 additional water-harvesting structures leading to an additional potential storage of about 28 MKL.

As for the solid waste management measures, the company has initiated three plans to reduce solid waste within the company and make it a 'zero solid waste' company in the next two years.

“The report further said: "Major emphasis is on reduction of waste per unit of output so that the total generation of waste comes down significantly, ensuring recycling of all the wastes generated by the company's operations and maximising reuse of the wastes as raw material. As a result of the first two steps during 2005-06, 78.7 per cent of all wastes generated was recycled. ITC hopes to become a 'zero solid waste' company in the next two years through 100 per cent recycling/reuse.