| As a Company that continuously strives to be
‘Citizen First’, ITC attaches critical importance to its responsibility to
contribute to the ‘Triple Bottom Line’, namely the augmentation of economic,
ecological and social capital. This commitment finds expression in the Company’s
sustainable development philosophy, which recognises the need to not only preserve but
also enrich precious environmental resources while providing a safe and healthy workplace
for its employees. ITC’s social development initiatives harmonise the
Company’s goal to create shareholder value with making a substantial contribution to
society. The thrust of the Company’s social sector investment is in four areas: (a)
Web-enablement of the Indian farmer through the e-Choupal initiative; (b) Natural resource
management, which includes wasteland, watershed and agriculture development; (c)
Sustainable livelihood creation, comprising genetic improvement in livestock productivity,
economic empowerment of women and (d) Community development, with focus on primary
education and health & sanitation.
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Web-enablement of the Indian Farmer |
The e-Choupal Initiative
The Company continued to scale up the e-Choupal network during the year. This
pioneering initiative comprising 5,200 choupals, currently reaches out to over 3.5 million
farmers in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
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The e-Choupal initiative, apart from imparting
knowhow and facilitating price discovery for the farmer, is fast becoming a two-way
distribution channel for goods and services. Pilot projects initiated in the previous
years were ramped up towards attaining commercial scale. Goods and services worth nearly
Rs.50 crores were sold during the year, primarily in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh,
comprising agri-inputs, FMCG products, vehicles, consumer durables, insurance products and
other marketing services. Nearly 40 companies, both from the public and private sector,
are already being served by the network. The e-Choupal is now being regarded as a
reliable delivery mechanism for resource development initiatives. Its potential is being
tested through pilot projects in healthcare, education, water management and cattle health
management with the help of non-governmental organisations.
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Natural Resource Management |
Wasteland Development - Social and Farm Forestry
During 2004-05, 1,765 hectares of wasteland were brought under plantations through
social forestry, taking the cumulative total to 4,643 hectares. The project today covers
14 mandals, 224 villages and 6,400 poor households, with the strength of total area under
plantation touching 19 million saplings. |
