ITC's Corporate Social Responsibility - Generating Livelihoods and Environmental Capital

ITC's Corporate Social Responsibility - Generating livelihoods & environmental capital

Philosophy & Policy

Recognizing that business enterprises are economic organs of society and draw on societal resources, it is ITC's belief that a company's performance must be measured by its Triple Bottom Line contribution to building economic, social and environmental capital towards enhancing societal sustainability.

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Target Groups - ITC's CSR engagement is focused on two of its key stakeholder groups

Rural communities across India where ITC has agri-business operations, a large majority of whom are small and marginal farmers.

Communities residing in the vicinity of ITC's units - mainly rural, but also in semi-rural and urban locations.

Both groups face multiple challenges which make it virtually impossible for many to step out of the poverty trap. ITC's initiatives target the most marginalised in the community, working towards building grassroots capacity, equipping them with knowledge and empowering them with choice so that they can take actions to gain economically, environmentally and socially.

Strategy - This has led to the development of a 2-horizon strategy

The core objective of ITC's CSR initiatives is to secure the livelihoods of these marginalised communities not just for today but also for the future.

Interventions directed towards making current livelihood sources - primarily agriculture and allied activities - more productive, profitable and sustainable, i.e. ITC's e-Choupal initiative and programmes for Watershed Development, Afforestation, Sustainable Agriculture, Livestock Development and Women's Economic Empowerment.

Interventions aimed at creating capabilities for tomorrow by assisting communities to put in place vital socio-economic infrastructure and equipping them to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities, i.e. ITC's programmes for supporting Primary Education, Skilling & Vocational Training, Health & Sanitation and Solid Waste Management.

Creating Highly Collaborative Multi-stakeholder Partnerships is a key element in ITC's model. In most initiatives, ITC works in close collaboration with NGOs and target communities. NGO's are Project Implementation Agencies, interacting directly and extensively with target communities who have the final say in major decisions - ensuring that the interventions are suited to their needs and thus have the best chance of sustained success in the long run.

Other organisations - academic/technical service providers/financial institutions, etc, from both the public and private sectors - are brought in as required so that the best appropriate expertise is made available.

ITC also considers state and central governments to be important stakeholders, especially vital in amplifying the scale of its CSR programmes through public-private partnerships.