Giving back for a more equitable society

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) isn’t simply about ticking off boxes mandated as per regulations. Rather, for organizations like the Mumbai headquartered Allcargo Group, giving back has been a way of life.In fact, the Group’s CSR arm, Avashya Foundation, was instituted even before Indian laws made it mandatory for corporate entities to give two percent of their net profits over the last three years for CSR expenditure as per Section 135 of India’s Companies Act, 2014.

“At Allcargo Group, our CSR is an acknowledgment of the contribution of various forces in the company’s growth story, and therefore, it is our turn to give back to create a discernible difference in someone’s life. By enshrining Care for Environment and Society as a core value for Allcargo Group, our senior leadership and management has clearly indicated the kind of corporate entity it is – one with a soul, a clear conscience and a responsibility towards the wider community and the environment”, says Dr. Nilratan Shende, General Manager, CSR, Allcargo Logistics.

Avashya Foundation, works with a carefully selected set of partner NGOs, chosen for their expertise and proven track record of creating tangible change in their respective spheres of transformation.

Holistic philosophy of giving back

Allcargo’s CSR philosophy has a comprehensive and holistic approach of enabling life and living through a variety of measures – specifically 36 initiatives that fall under six broad categories: Education, Environment, Health, Women Empowerment, Disaster Relief and Sports.

The group’s vision is to promote people-centric inclusive development, while encouraging active community participation. Through these various initiatives, the company has impacted over 300,000 lives so far.

Avashya Foundation’s comprehensive approach embraces a variety of initiatives from supporting communities at the grassroots level, increasing the earth’s green cover, to skilling the youth, nurturing India’s future sports champions, and more.

Affordable, accessible public healthcare

As the pandemic demonstrated, good health is the cornerstone of a thriving economy. Therefore, quality healthcare must not be viewed as a privilege, but as a necessity.

In order to facilitate this, the Avashya Foundation’s interventions in public health include medical camps, nutritional and medical support, including diagnosis and surgery for destitute persons, leprosy patients and those affected by terminal diseases.

Its Jeevan and Jeevan Coping with Cancer initiative that focus on supporting patients and their families with medicines, treatment, operation, investigation support, counselling, etc. was recently recognized as the Best CSR Initiative – Health Care at the Global CSR Excellence Leadership Awards. It is a testimony to the group’s commitment to help those in need.

Skilling the youth

To unleash the potential of the youth, Avashya Foundation puts in efforts to bolster them with employable skills.

Allcargo’s Multi-Skill Development Centre, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK), situated at Bokadvira, Uran, in Maharashtra, builds the human capital of those living in close proximity to the port by offerings training in six logistics-related areas. It is the first such centre in the country to offer skill training in logistics.

Empowering the youth in this manner helps them find gainful employment, and prepares them for the road ahead as working professionals.

Conserving the environment, protecting communities

With a passion to help conserve the environment, Avashya Foundation has planted more than 7 lakh fruit-bearing trees to help green the Earth’s cover, under its Maitree program.

These trees can absorb over 1 crore kg of carbon, and are also an additional source of income for tribal farmers in the area, who are equipped with knowledge on how to care for them.

In Dhamni, a village in Raigad District in Maharashtra, adopted Avashya Foundation, farmers are given the requisite support to use sustainable agricultural practices, which are beneficial for the environment.

Extensive community outreach also takes place during situations of disaster, to help mitigate challenges for the underprivileged. When the COVID-19 pandemic left marginalized communities like tribal farmers and transgender communities without access to food and other essentials, Avashya Foundation reached out with relief supplies, as it has with various other natural disasters.

Empowering women

Empowered women lie at the heart of an empowered society. To this end, in addition to various other measures in the sphere of gender, the Allcargo Group supports three immensely talented budding lady golfers: Avani Prashanth, Pranavi Urs and Sneha Singh so that they may realize their true potential and in the near future, bring glory to the country.

Conclusion

With a culture of giving ingrained in Allcargo Group, its CSR wing, Avashya Foundation works tirelessly with its partner organizations to deliver impact for communities in India and build a more equitable and inclusive society.