Dalmia Bharat Group wins FICCI CSR Award for Environment Sustainability
Mumbai, 29th July, 2020: Dalmia Bharat Group, a leader in India’s core manufacturing space since 1939, has won an award for Environment Sustainability at 18th FICCI CSR award ceremony, organized by FICCI. The award recognizes efforts of companies in integrating and internalizing Corporate Social Responsibility. Shri Anurag Thakur, Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Government of India graced the ceremony as Chief Guest and presented the award to Mr. Mahendra Singhi, MD & CEO, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd. and Mr. Vishal Bhardwaj, Group Head, CSR, Dalmia Bharat Group and CEO Dalmia Bharat Foundation, who represented the company at this virtual ceremony.
Expressing gratitude on receiving the coveted award, Mr. Mahendra Singhi said, “We are extremely honoured by this recognition. As a responsible corporate, we firmly believe in doing our bit and giving back to the society in the best possible manner. Enabling communities to use their natural resources in order to build sustainable environment is important for enhancing their livelihood. Also, 2020 is going to be a critical year, thus, we are completely aligned with the mission to accelerate a global shift to clean energy.”
As a company, Dalmia Bharat Group believes in supporting communities to create a sustainable environment by effectively managing their natural capital. Their pan-India ‘synergistic water conservation approach’ revolves around three different interrelated and multi-faceted components based on water conservation, integrated development of watersheds and communities and the application of measures to increase water efficiency. Through this initiative, they have treated 25,000 hectares of land under Integrated Watershed Management Project and constructed more than 900 Water Harvesting Structures like Farm Ponds, Village Ponds, and Check Dams. It has touched the lives of over 2 Lakh people across 10 states, leading to 20 percent Increase in Crop Yield and 15 percent average Increase in Income.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vishal Bhardwaj, Group Head, CSR, Dalmia Bharat Group and CEO Dalmia Bharat Foundation, said, “We are extremely delighted on receiving this award. Being one of the oldest business houses in the country, Dalmia Bharat Group appreciates the responsibility of upholding sustainable practices in business. Due to this water program, there has been a considerable increase in farmers’ income which will only grow in the coming years. We will continue the efforts to shape our communities with initiatives aimed at enabling them to achieve their maximum potential.”
Apart from this, the company is also working closely with the local communities to change their mindsets and replace the traditional source for energy with clean energy. They have assisted communities to gain access to a reliable and cleaner source of lighting through distribution of solar lighting systems like lanterns, study lamps, streetlights, and home lighting systems. So far, Dalmia Bharat Group has promoted more than 25,000 Solar Household Lighting Solutions and installed 535 Solar Streetlights, making night time commuting safer especially for women. Also, with the installation of fuel-efficient cook stoves, the company has successfully converted 8,000 kitchens to clean kitchen with shift to cleaner fuels and efficient fuel usage device. This has led to reduction in 41,724 tons of CO2 Emission, annually.
About FICCI CSR Award
FICCI instituted India’s first Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award in 1999 to encourage corporate participation in inclusive growth. The FICCI Corporate Social Responsibility Award is today renowned and recognized as the benchmark that identifies the most socially responsible Indian corporates. Over the years, a number of companies, both public and private, have been recognized for their innovative programmes.
About Dalmia Bharat Group:
Dalmia Bharat Group (www.dalmiabharat.com) is a leading Indian conglomerate with a strong presence in Cement, Sugar and Refractories. The Group has a turnover of over 11,000 crore. Dalmia Bharat commenced operations in 1939 and has played a defining role in India’s manufacturing sector. The group has significant market presence in each of its sectors of operation. Its cement business has grown exponentially since 2006 in terms of capacity and production and the company is a leader in the specialty cements space. Dalmia Cement is the only cement company in the world to have the lowest carbon footprint. In sugar, the group is a prominent generic player catering to most of the leading businesses in India. The Group also caters to an enduring and growing customer base in the refractories business and has forayed into sustainable power/energy.
