THE COMPANY I ADMIRE THE MOST FOR ITS CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
1. THE COMPANY I ADMIRE THE MOST FOR
ITS CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
SUBMITTED BY:
NEETHU THRESA JACOB (F11096)
SWARUPARANI SAHU (F11116)
SECTION: B
2. THE COMPANY I ADMIRE THE MOST FOR ITS CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
TITAN INDUSTRIES
INTRODUCTION:
Titan Industries is the world's fifth largest wrist watch manufacturer and India's
leading producer of watches under the Titan, Fastrack, Sonata, Nebula, RAGA, Regalia,
Octane &Xylys brand names. It is a joint venture between the Tata Group, and the Tamil
Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO). Its product portfolio includes watches,
accessories and jewellery, in both contemporary and traditional designs. It exports watches to
about 32 countries around the world with manufacturing facilities
in Hosur, Dehradun, Goa and manufactures precious jewellery under the Tanishqbrand name,
making it India's only national jewellery brand. It is a subsidiary of the Tata Group.
The company has a well-defined policy on social responsibility. Its corporate social
responsibilitystrategy is a process of balancing the relationships with a variety of stakeholders
in thecommunity. They assist the community at three levels: (i) as a member of the Tata
Group, (ii) as acorporate entity and (iii) fostering the spirit of volunteering at the individual
level. The company alsocontribute to the initiatives taken by the Tata Group.
Titanâs CSR strategy includes elements related to good governance, human rights,
environmental protection and sustainable development, as well as community, social,
economic and cultural development. The companyâs business plan refers to providing micro
business opportunities and support to poor village women and individual jewellery artisans
(karigars); employing disabled persons; taking environmental protection initiatives;
sponsoring educational institutions and programs and offering scholarships; supporting health
care projects; and abiding by the Tata Code of Conduct which is the base fabric on which
they operate.
Among the CSR initiatives, twokey programs have helped Titan to learn about the
process of embedding human rights concepts in business practice. The first program
promotes differently-abled employees and the second promotes empowerment to
disadvantaged women employees.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a Titan Value and is embedded in their
Governing Objective. It is a step further than legal or regulatory compliance, a conscious and
3. free pledge to improve the world around us. It has human, social and environmental
dimensions.
As a building material producer, the companyâs products contribute to the multiple
social values provided by concrete structures, such as safety, durability, economy, resource
efficiency and connecting people. At the same time, they realize that their operations impact
the environment and neighbouring communities. They commit to mitigate and reduce these
impacts by âDoing Less Harmâ.
In their endeavour to Do less Harm, they recognize that there are win âwin
opportunities which they aim to pursue. Titan industries continue to pursue business goals in
a socially responsible manner, contributing to the well-being of the employees, their families,
neighbouring communities and society at large, in short âDoing More Goodâ. Their CSR
commitment is not only an ethical, values â driven endeavour, but also a value-creating good
business practice, enhancing their reputation, strengthening the license to operate and
improving their competitiveness. Just as important, it is a source of pride and motivation for
their people, adding to their ability to attract and retain good people.
Titan considers their CSR engagement as a proactive and on-going self-improvement
and continuous learning process, adapting to an ever changing complex business and social
environment. Essential to this endeavour is listening, engaging, communicating and building
mutual trust with our stakeholders.
CSR Vision of the company is:
âTo pursue at all times our business goals and create value, in an ethical and socially
responsible manner, doing less harm, and endeavouring to do more goodâ.
They state that to achieve their Vision they implement the following practices:
Our business practices are guided and based on our Titan Values and our code of
conduct.
Safety is our top business priority aiming to achieve an accident and incident free
work environment.
We are committed to sustainable growth, integrating human, environmental and
social elements into our business decisions.
We aim to continuously improve our environmental and social performance,
measuring our impacts and contributions, and assessing our environmental and
social footprint.
4. We aim to build trust with all our stakeholders by communicating openly and
transparently, and seeking engagement to understand the impact of our operations
and their concerns.
We share our know-how, experience and best practices in areas relevant to our
business to add value and contribute to the well-being of our neighboring
communities.
We value our employees and follow human resources practices that promote
equal opportunity in recruitment, employment and development, regardless of
gender, ethnic origin, religion etc., respect individuality and are consistent with
national laws and international voluntary guidelines, such as the UN Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
We deal with our supply chain in accordance with our Group and Regional
Procurement Code of Conducts.
We voluntarily engage in and support partnerships and business networks that
promote our business goals and CSR vision, such as the U.N. Global Compact,
WBCSD/CSI, the E.U. Alliance for CSR, the U.S. Concrete Joint Sustainability
Initiative etc.
We aim to be active in civic efforts and the process to advance the use and
benefits of our products and preserve the long term viability and economic
prosperity of our industry.
We encourage and recognize individual initiative and voluntarism in community
and civic activities at all employee levels, both related and unrelated to our
business.
We are committed to periodically having our CSR practices and reports
externally assured.
The company thus believe that Corporate Social Responsibility is not an externalised
activity nor is it only philanthropy. It is an internal process reflecting the soul of the
Company.
5. Titan's Community Development Policy - Experiencing the joy of sharing
Titan's initiatives improve the quality of life of the communities in which it operates.
Titan builds partnerships for the social development of the communities in which it operates.
Titan alsofocuses on initiatives, which can be sustained by the communities in which it
operates.
Titan has holistically integrated the CSR process and has programs covering the following:
Employing the physically challenged.
Women's empowerment: Partnering with self-help groups amongst rural women for
outsourcing components, bracelets - the Meadow Project with Myrada.
The Titan school and the Titan Foundation for Education -:a primary school currently
enrolling 300 students.
The Titan Scholarship meant for students in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri based on
the criteria of academic performance and socio-economic background.
The Titan Township -building a sustainable community in Hosur providing a home to
1300 residents.
Community Development Forums - Eye care camps, Eye donation initiatives - Aids
Awareness- Programs for the differently abled - No tobacco drive, Children's
programs.
Volunteering in Hosur, Corporate Office as wells as Regions.
Partnering with NGOs like CRY, Concern India and Ashraya.
Improving the quality of life for children - the TATA -TCCI -TITAN BalBhavan
Children's park project at Cubbon Park , Bangalore .
Awards and recognitions
The community appreciated and recognized Titan industries by awarding them:
The Government of Tamil Nadu's award for being the "Largest Employer of the
handicapped". This award was conferred on us in the years 1993 and 1996.
The Mother Teresa award for the best Corporate Citizen in 1998.
The Helen Keller Award in 1999.
FICCI-SEDF award in 2001-02 for Social Responsibility.
The Rotary Club of Bangalore Award for the Corporate Citizenship. The PHDCII
Award for Good Corporate Citizenship.
6. TITAN AND THE ENVIRONMENT - ISO 14001 but going beyond Compliance
Titan's products and services have very little or marginal impact on the environment.
Titan adheres to all related legal and statutory requirements. The Company is also extremely
conscious of environmental issues and has been recognized in this regard by the Hosur
Industries Association. The Company's environment control results are continuously
monitored with respect to both TNPCB and International Finance Corporation (World Bank)
norms. The Company has been certified under ISO 14001 EMS standards. The Company is
proactive in its approach towards the Environment and is compliant with statutory and
regulatory requirements. The Watch, Jewellery as well as the Precision Engineering
Divisions are certified under ISO 14000:2004 Environment Management System Standards
and under ISO 9001:2000, Quality Management Systems Standards.
Initiatives taken:
Minimizing the use of cyanides in plating by adopting non-toxic PVD technology.
Eliminating the use of ozone-depleting substances ahead of the Montreal Protocol
deadline.
Minimizing the use of plastic packaging with eco-friendly materials.
Adopting Vermi-composting for the conversion of garden / vegetable waste in to
useful manure.
Piloting the study of conversion of industrial waste into useful civil materials.
Promotion of rainwater harvesting at manufacturing locations.
Waste water treatment with efficient effluent treatment and use for industrial cleaning
and gardening.
Recycling brass scraps.
Rainwater harvesting in 3 manufacturing locations.
Results:
Energy consumption per watch reduced by 41%.
Cumulative Energy savings - 26 Lac kwh.
Water consumption per watch down by 47%.
Daily plant water consumption reduced by 28%.
Brass scrap recycling back to process - saving during 2002 - 03 Rs.62 Lacs
7. Titan Industries is a signatory to the Global Compact and is committed to the
implementation of the 10 principles of the Global Compact. Titan Industries is also guided by
the principles of the Global Reporting Initiative.
There is a process of continuous dialogue and feedback with employees, respective
departments and business partners, to ensure adherence. E.g. Labour standards are complied
with as per the laws of the land and there is no evidence of any employment of child labour.
CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY
Titan Industries has a clearly defined policy on Corporate Sustainability. The
approach of its policy continues to be at three levels, the first one being at the Group level
where it works closely with the Tata Council for Community Initiatives, the nodal apex body
for facilitating Tata Group initiatives.
At the Company level, key initiatives have been:
Engaged 330 rural women through self-help group and provided them opportunities
for various outsourced activities in manufacturing/assembling of Watches, Jewellery
and Precision Engineered products.
Over 600 needy students in the disciplines of Vocational, Medicine & Engineering
have benefited from Titan Scholarship program.
The Jewellery Division started the concept of Karigar Park by providing equipment,
material and training to Karigars so that they can work directly under the supervision
of the Division and earn money on job-work without any exploitation. At present
there are more than 400 Karigars working on six Parks.
The Company has established a Basic Training Centre to impart technical skills to
youth from lower economic background to make them employable. Currently 96
students are studying in the centre.
At the individual level, Titan volunteers comprising the Community Development Forum
have taken up comprehensive vision care program in and around Hosur with a
leading Super Specialty Eye Hospital in Bangalore. Eye camps are being conducted and an
eye care clinic has been opened in Hosur to cater to the needy and poor.Other programs
include programs for skill development for rural women, infrastructure improvement in
villages and creating awareness on hygiene and clean environment.
8. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) poses an integral part of the TITAN Groupâs
philosophy and to a great extent directs and drives the way they operate and exercise business
activity since our beginning.
A short definition to define the companyâs approach is given by them as
following:âWe understand the term Corporate Social Responsibility to refer to the whole
range of activities, programs and services to our stakeholders (internal and external) which
we have organized voluntarily and are implementing above and beyond those activities
required of us by legislationâ.
TITAN has endorsed many initiatives in the CSR front; it has joined Jacques Delorsâ
Group âagainst Social Exclusionâ, founded the Greek Network for Corporate Responsibility,
signed the UN Global Compact in 2002 and participates in the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
USJEâs CSR Policy is implemented in those areas where the TITAN Group has
particular knowledge and experience â the necessary condition for the added value we intend
to generate. Therefore, the three areas on which concentrate our efforts are:
1.Education
2. The environment
3.The health and Safety in the workplace
CSR RELATED PROJECTS
Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainable development play a pivotal role in the
operations of TITAN Group and Cementarnica USJE AD and they have been part of our
culture for decades.
They have embedded them into their corporate strategy and value system not only out of a
sense of responsibility, but primarily because they are convinced that they benefit both the
societies in which they operate as well as their stakeholders.In 2008, Cementarnica USJE
implemented many CSR related projects and activities for its own employees:
âą Donations in kind
âą Additional severance payments (retirement or disability)
âą Money aid to employees
âą Monetary âreimbursementâ to next of kin (natural death)
âą Career counselling for employees children
âą Christmas childrenâs parties
âą Scholarships for employees and their children
9. âą Program of vocational guidance for staff children
âą Additional vacation bonus
âą Christmas gift vouchers
âą Woman Day
âą Doctor for ladies
âą Bonus
âą Jubilee prizes (Continuous service in the Company)
In addition, Usje provided its CSR support to the community and society at large:
1. Annual Scholarship Program
Two scholarships are provided annually to top university students for MBA studies at
the ALBA University in Athens, Greece. CementarnicaUSJE AD covers the full cost of
tuition plus a monthly allowance for living expenses. In 2009/2010 Usje extend its
scholarship program on providing scholarships for graduated prospectus students at the
postgraduate studies on Faculty for Economy at the Unevirsety St. Kirilus and Metodius.
2. Horticultural arrangement of the yards of the elementary schools in the Municipality
of KiselaVoda
Planting trees and flowers as well as horticultural arrangement of schoolyards in the
elementary schools in the Municipality of KiselaVoda.
3.Vocational Training Program for Young unemployed from Neighboring Communities
Young unemployed participants have been acquainted with practical and theoretical
knowledge for mechanical maintenance, cement producing, Health & Safety and
environmental issues to enhance and support their professional prospects.
10. TATA INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS: Creating Value for Children with Learning
Disabilities
Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) has, over the past few years, been using its project
management and teaching skills tohelp children with learning disabilities in Mumbai and
Kolkata. It started with contributing funds to the LearningDisabilities Clinic at the
LokmanyaTilak Municipal General (LTMG) Hospital in Mumbai and has now blossomed
into amuch broader and deeper engagement.
TIS works on multiple levels and helps children with learning disabilities financially,
clinically and with their curriculum.Development of software, creating special books and
other educational literature etc are its key activities. Thecompanyâs employees also volunteer
in the schools to teach and use a learning disabilities awareness kit.Additionally, the company
organizes the annual Tata Interactive Learning Disability Forum, a knowledge
sharingplatform. The resultant benefits have been the incorporation of learning disability in
medical and B Ed syllabi andchanges in government policies.TIS, has also created a database
on children with learning disabilities to improve information management. More than1000
children who face learning problems have been certified as learning disabled and 480 schools
have registered fora learning disabilities certification and have begun spreading awareness
about the condition.
Sustainability Initiatives: Physically Challenged Employees
One of the earliest CSR activities of Titan Industries Limitedhas been its policy of
providing employment to theDisabled. It adopted a very people friendly approach
inrecruitment, identification and training and subsequentplacement of these physically
challenged brethren.
Recruitment
Titanâs unique recruitment strategy meant combing thecountryside in search of
intelligent, capable, yet physicallychallenged candidates in the age group of 18 to
25.Appropriate selection procedures were adopted,depending on the nature of the disability.
The companyarranged counselling sessions with the families, to makethe transition into the
factory smooth.These employees are involved in polishing watch cases, strapping and
packingthe watches, assembling, sorting, buffing, making ornaments, etc. Titan
subcontractors also hirelarge numbers of disabled workers.
To make the initiative sustainable and to address the special needs of these
employees, thefollowing ongoing steps are taken: training to enhance technical competence,
11. computer literacy,non-discrimination policies, creating a conducive work environment by
creating an ergonomicworking area, effective grievance handling, and counselling to tackle
problems such asexploitation, marital conflicts and emotional problems. As a result of the
employment opportunityand other initiatives, Titan believes that the quality of life of these
employees has improved to a great extent.
Workplace modifications
Ergonomically designed workspaces were just asimportant. For example, the
provision of handrails makeswalking within the Titan factory effortless for physically
challenged employees.
Training - Skill and Career development
Several steps were taken to address their special needs like training to enhance
technical competence and Training in computerliteracy, especially to the hearing impaired.
HR policies
Additionally Titan also was far ahead of its times in terms of designing HR policies
relating to the employment of the Disabled likenon-discrimination in all policies including
promotions; creating a conducive work environment by effective grievance handling; and
counseling for problems like, exploitation, marital conflicts,(especially when the partner is
not disabled),emotional and otherbehavioural problems.Those with disabilities were housed
with regular employees, which contributed to their integration with the rest of the workforce.
Even work areas were made common.
EMPOWERING WOMEN â THE MEADOW Initiative
Management of Enterprise and Development of Women (MEADOW) began as a
program to helpcombat female infanticide in the Dharmapuri district, and to better the
standard of living ofwomen in these communities. Titanâs involvement started by hiring
women to make chappatis forthe factory workers. Later, they were asked to take care of the
laundry. In 1995, Titan joinedhands with Myrada, an NGO that works on social causes, and
started a bracelet-making unit.Satisfied with the professionalism displayed by these women,
Titan then decided to convert thebracelet unit into a privately held company, one owned and
run by the women themselves.MEADOW, a subsidiary that is solely dedicated to womenâs
empowerment, was thus born.To make the initiative sustainable, Titan began providing the
technical training and expertise ofrunning a business to MEADOW. Today, nearly 200
12. women of these villages own MEADOW.MEADOW has three women directors who have
seen the organization grow from its early days.Profits of the company are equally shared
among the employees with a significant amount beingadded every year to the corpus fund,
which takes care of the companyâs various needs and alsoraises the standard of living for the
employeesâ families.Titanâs association with the MEADOW program has helped to empower
200 women in theworkforce, who take pride in the fact that they have been involved every
step of the way inbuilding and running their company. They have reached levels of capability
where they candirectly negotiate with Titan in the annual revision of piece rates, handle all
purchases, control themovement of their vehicles, draw up work schedules, calculate
payments, follow up onreceivables, do the base work for meeting all statutory requirements
etc. In many cases, thesewomen have become the most important wage earners in their
families. Titan representativesmeet with MEADOW employees on a regular basis for weekly
and monthly production relatedmeetings and for periodic meetings on annual price
negotiations, new opportunities and majorprocess modifications.
In 1995 Titan in collaboration with MYRADA, a reputed NGO organized these
women into self-help groups and contractedlaundering of uniforms with them. It then
graduated into other modes of mutually beneficial relationship, culminating in thesewomen
being contracted to assembling of metal watch straps (bracelets). It was envisaged as a win-
win situation; Titan would getits bracelets and MYRADA would succeed in securing
livelihoods for poor women from the rural background. Titan provided themwith Capital
Equipment, besides training them in these skills.
Presently about 400 women are engaged in highly skilled operations spread over 14
units. The average annual earning is aroundRs. 1.50 lakhs. Most of the women have helped
their families pay off debts; have gone on to create assets like houses, purchase ofgold
ornaments for themselves etc. In short, they have become financially self-dependent.
13. Mr. Perfect â An Initiative of Jewellery Division, Titan Industries Limited
The Indian Jewellery market is huge, estimated at Rs. 90,000 Crores. Though the
market is huge, the approach hasbeen very traditional with over 3 lakh retailers. It is still
viewed as a cottage industry or in the unorganized sector withmore than 10 lakh goldsmiths
working in primitive, unsafe and unhygienic conditions. Jewellery is still
completelydependent on the human skills of the goldsmiths, called Karigars.The visible
impact of such abysmal work conditions is the diminishing Karigar fraternity. Jewellery
making is no longer
an attractive career option, characterized as it is by abysmal work conditions and low wages
and in some areas itborders on bonded labour. All these lead to high burnouts. The average
work span of a traditional craftspersonworking in these conditions is about 25 to 30 years,
with most of them starting as child labour and their work life comingto a halt by about 40
years of age. Most of them end up with poor eyesight, dystrophy in the back and lower limbs
andlungs. All these lead in turn to lower productivities and thus diminishing their earning
potential.
In such a dismal scenario of Jewellery making, Jewellery Division entered with a
mission of âto continuously createwealth for all our stake holders, by transforming the
Jewellery business and by being the gold standard in design,shopping experience and ethical
practiceâ.Mr. Perfect aims to improve further their work conditions etc in line with modern
processes as existing in ourmanufacturing plants. Amongst its guidelines are a commitment
to provide a right layout / environment incorporatingright process of Jewellery making, right
equipment aimed at enhancing quality with an emphasis on safety, ergonomicsand hygiene
for the Karigars. It aims at a multifold increase in the earnings of the Karigars and
improvement in theirwork-life span on account of improvements in productivity, thereby
benefitting the Company by way of reducedinventory, thus ensuring a smile on the face of the
Karigar.Through this initiative the division is trying to ensure that the traditional Indian skill
14. of gold making does not die down.The division is also attempting to collaborate with the
National Skill Development Council.
Titan Scholarship Scheme
The Titan Scholarship scheme was formally announced on 11.3.1992 by
Mr.A.L.Mudaliar, then Chairman of Titan IndustriesLimited. Starting with 35 students in
1992, over 780 students of ITI, Diploma, Engineering, Medicine and Arts and
ScienceGraduates have till date benefited from this scheme.The objective of the scheme was
to identify and encouragemeritorious but economically underprivileged students
ofDharmapuri, a designated backward district of Tamil Nadu topursue higher education in
various fields by awardingscholarships for the entire period of their higher education.
A process of continuous improvement has been instituted based on periodic impact
studies of the scholarship scheme. Newinitiatives like awareness programs on career
enhancement, motivation and career guidance have also been introduced.There is also a plan
to adopt an ITI in the area around our manufacturing plant in Hosur, either at Salem or
Namakkal.
PHILANTROPHY
With a purpose to identify really good organizations and also causes with which Titan
could associate as part of its Corporate SocialResponsibility, a totally new exercise was
attempted in the current year. A detailed questionnaire / template were created
andorganizations which were seeking support were asked to respond. The response was
tremendous.
A cross â functional team consisting of members from Business Excellence,
Logistics, Commercial, Goldplus, Fastrack butinterested in community development was
constituted define the process.The CSR team evaluated over 90 applications and identified
the following three NGOs with whom Titan could partner for the currentyear.The due-
diligence team, after intense deliberations evolved âEducation with noticeable impact with
clear focus on employability ofdifferently abled and socially / economically underprivilegedâ
as the Evaluation Criterion.
Corporate responsibility begins at home
Titan Industries believes that corporate responsibility begins with the employees. The
company ensures that the harmony, peace and inclusive approach at work place are
15. maintained. Efforts are made to engage the employees in programs designed to fulfil our
ecological and social responsibility. Various work-place initiatives are conducted to achieve
this: War on Waste - an initiative that reduced the impact of manufacturing operations on the
environment. At Titan Industries, Corporate Social Responsibility is more than philanthropy -
it is an internal process that reflects the soul of the company.
CONCLUSION
Titanâs engagement in CSR appears to be grounded in the companyâs vision and sense
of its rolein Indian society. Human rights-related CSR seems to be fully integrated into its
business modelso as to be a way of life for the corporation. As such, there do not appear to be
tensions betweenthe companyâs desire to do business and its desire to promote CSR.Titanâs
philosophy wasencapsulated by Mr.Chakravarti, speaking in October 2004 at a conference in
Hong Kong:âSimply put, Business is no more than a trustee of society, environment and the
community. Whatcomes from the people must go back to the people. In short, we try and
remember the very reason and basis of our existence as a Company - is for the society. If
society is sustained, so will we beâ