Having a car is not only about the convenience of transportation. It is about having a sense of success and prestige. This is why the passenger vehicles industry plays a huge role in developing countries such as India. Maruti Suzuki India, holding the largest market share in the passenger vehicles space in India, plays a major role in the country’s growth and development through its operations as well as CSR.
In FY2021-22, Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) spent Rs 100.7 crore in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. A calculation of the total amount spent on corporate social responsibility for the year came to 2.67% of the company’s net profit. In accordance with the priorities for national development, the corporation implements Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes in the areas of community development, skill development, and road safety.
1. MSIL’s COVID-19 Response
Maruti Suzuki India through its CSR program has been supporting the government and local community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiatives include setting up of oxygen generation plants, providing ventilators, oxygen cylinders and protective medical clothing, and supporting the local community with food, water and dry ration.
During the reporting period, the Company facilitated the installation of 26 oxygen generation plants in various hospitals, along with Suzuki Motor Corporation and vendors. In addition, the Company along with Suzuki Motor Corporation, donated around 1,000 oxygen cylinders and 25 ventilators to strengthen the health infrastructure of the country.
2. Community Development CSR Initiatives by Maruti Suzuki India
The CSR of Maruti Suzuki India seeks to engage with the local community through village administration bodies (Panchayat) and village leaders to understand their diverse perspectives on local problems and find solutions to some of the most pressing issues. Based on the local context, the community development initiatives are focused on improving health, education, water and sanitation, and common community infrastructure.
2.1 Health Initiatives
A multi-speciality hospital has been set up at Sitapur, Gujarat in partnership with Ramanbhai Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Zydus Hospitals, Ahmedabad. The hospital has been operational with 50 beds since April 2021, and the facility is spread over 7.5 acres. It provides out-patient services, emergency care and super[1]specialty medical services in the areas of radiology, ophthalmology, physiotherapy, gynecology, cardiology, orthopedic, urology, nephrology and general surgery. During the reporting period, the hospital treated more than 25,000 patients. Along with quality health care services, it provides ambulance facility and organises health camps in the villages. The hospital has benefited 25 villages by improving accessibility to quality tertiary health care services. In addition, the hospital facilitated patients to avail the benefits of Aayushman Bharat Yojana, a Government Health Insurance scheme.
2.2 Education Initiatives
The Company has set up a school at Sitapur, Gujarat in partnership with Podar Education Network to provide quality education to children of Hansalpur, Becharaji and other nearby villages. The school focuses on the holistic development of children by imparting best academic practices and inculcating moral values, discipline and ethics. Primary school, from nursery to Class V, has been operational since April 2021, and during the reporting period, around 150 students were enrolled.
2.3 Village Development Projects
Since the project’s inception, the Company has set up 28 water ATMs in 25 villages to supply drinking water to community members at an affordable price. Over 58 million litres of drinking water have been provided since the commencement of the project. The water ATMs are self-sustainable as the operations and maintenance costs are met with user fees. The Company has also constructed 4,455 individual household toilets to help villages achieve open[1]defecation-free status.
Support for door-to-door household waste collection and sweeping has been provided in 15 villages. Through the waste collection activity, over 37 tonnes of domestic waste have been collected from around 15,000 households each day. The mechanised organic waste management facility at Manesar processed more than 650 tonnes of solid waste during the reporting period.
The Company lends its support in strengthening of the common infrastructure in villages through initiatives such as laying of paver street, upgradation of panchayat office and development of community park.
3. Skill Development Projects by Maruti Suzuki India
The CSR of Maruti Suzuki India directs its skill development initiatives to enable the youth to undergo technical training on trades relevant to industrial employment.
3.1 Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM)
The Company has established two Japan[1]India Institutes for Manufacturing (JIM), one in Gujarat and the other in Haryana. Since 2017, around 1,200 students have been trained in these institutes. A new JIM is being set up at the International Automobile Center of Excellence (IACE) located at Gandhinagar, Gujarat and the students will be enrolled from the academic year 2022-23.
The courses taught at JIM are recognised by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) and the institutes are accredited by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan. Training courses are offered in the domain of automobile manufacturing, maintenance, and service such as Mechanic Motor Vehicle, Mechanic Auto Body Painting, Electrician, Welder, Mechanic Diesel Engine, Mechanic Auto Body Repair, Technician Mechatronics and Fitter. Unique features of JIMs include mini-vehicle assembly line, engine assembly line, safety lab, virtual welding simulators and spot-welding equipment that provide hands-on training to the students to make them industry ready.
In addition to industry skills, students are trained on soft skills and Japanese shop-floor practices in the areas of safety, quality, discipline, punctuality, Kaizen, 3G, and 5S. The soft skill curriculum has been developed by the Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS), Japan under the guidance of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan.
Both the JIMs provide training under the Dual System of Training (DST) scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). DST is an amalgamation of theoretical training imparted through ITIs and practical training imparted through the industry. DST enables industry linkages and provides hands-on experience to students on latest technologies. During the reporting period, the first batch of over 190 DST students completed their industry training for seven months at the Company’s plants in Haryana and the Suzuki Motor Corporation plant in Gujarat
3.2 Upgradation of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI)
The Company supported 30 government[1]run Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) across 10 states and 1 Union Territory in the country. The interventions are focused on training programmes related to the industry’s shop-floor requirements, behavioral and functional skills, and industry work culture. Over 6,500 students were trained during the reporting period.
Automobile Skill Enhancement Centres (ASECs) in ITIs impart training on trades such as Mechanic Motor Vehicle (MMV), Auto Body Repair (ABR) and Auto Body Paint (ABP). During the reporting period, over 1800 students were trained through ASECs at 39 Government ITIs.
3.3 Apprenticeship Programme
Through the apprenticeship programme for Industrial Training Institute (ITI) students, over 3,000 aspiring youth from various ITIs were trained at the Company’s manufacturing facilities and were given a monthly stipend. The apprentices got an opportunity to engage with the Company’s experts and improve their employability skills by working on the shop floor.
4. Road Safety Initiatives by Maruti Suzuki India
Driven by the commitment to make Indian roads safer, the CSR of Maruti Suzuki India undertakes various initiatives, augmenting government efforts to improve driving skills through awareness campaigns, professional driving training, and automation of traffic enforcement and license issuing system.
4.1 Improving Road Safety through IDTR
To provide driving training and education, the Company has set up eight Institutes of Driving and Traffic Research (IDTR) and 23 Road Safety Knowledge Centres (RSKC) in association with six state governments. In December 2021, IDTR at Raipur, Chhattisgarh commenced its operations.
The IDTRs use scientifically designed test tracks, driving simulators and a well-defined curriculum to conduct learner, refresher and evaluation courses for drivers of light motor vehicles, heavy motor vehicles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and forklifts. The IDTRs imparted quality and safe driving training to varied types of drivers including commercial drivers, police personnel, corporate employees and tribal youth. The IDTRs and RSKCs have trained over 300,000 drivers during the reporting period and nearly 4 million drivers over the past 20 years.
4.2 Strengthening Driving Licence Tests through ADTT
The Company has partnered with the Delhi Transport Department to set up 12 Automated Driving Test Tracks (ADTT) in Delhi. The centres have specially designed tracks to conduct driving tests. They are also equipped with high-resolution cameras to capture real-time footage of tests and analytics-based assessment tools to help in the issuance of driving licenses more transparently and efficiently. As of 31st March 2022, over 370,000 candidates have taken tests at ADTTs. In addition, two ADTTs are operational in IDTR Dehradun, Uttarakhand and IDTR Aurangabad, Bihar.
4.3 Traffic Safety Management System
The Traffic Safety Management System (TSMS) project has been implemented for the Delhi Police at 13 road junctions with high traffic density. The project aims to improve compliance with traffic rules, thereby reducing accidents. The TSMS comprises 3D radars and high-resolution cameras that capture traffic violations such as over-speeding, red-light violation, stop line violation and wrong side driving happening at traffic junctions. The information on violations is transmitted to the central control room of Delhi Traffic Police for manual validation, from where e-prosecution slips are sent to violators by SMS with a weblink that shows the evidence. Between February 2019 and March 2022, more than 3.3 million e-prosecution slips were issued.
Conclusion
The focus on the long-term projects of the CSR of Maruti Suzuki India has allowed it to have a deeper and more permanent impact on society. This will not only aid the country in achieving its Nationally Determined Contributions to Sustainable Development Goals but also help the country achieve its target to be a developed country by 2047.
