Talking about Kerala, the first things that flash on the mind are the magical backwaters, greenery, pristine beaches, spice and tea plantations and Ayurvedic therapies. Dubbed as ‘God’s Own Country’, one of the most beautiful states of India, Kerala is known for its backwaters and serene surroundings.
Located between the Western Ghats mountains and the Arabian Sea, scenic beauty of the tea gardens, beaches, waterfalls, houseboats, and wildlife sanctuaries make Kerala a preferred destination for tourists from other parts of India as well as from across the world. Today,let’s take a look into the top CSR projects in Kerala:
Where does Kerala stand
As per data from National CSR portal, in the financial year 2020-21, the total CSR expenditure in Kerala has been Rs 283.78 crores, with a total of 409 companies investing in 15 districts of the state under 10 different sectors.
Top 3 districts
The top 3 districts to get CSR benefits in Kerala are respectively Ernakulam (amount spent towards CSR 58.27 cr), Thrissur (40.46 cr) and Palakkad (12.68 cr). Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Kannur, Malappuram, Kollam and Wayanad feature among the rest of the top 10 districts enjoying CSR benefits in the state.
Top 3 sectors
The top 3 sectors in which most of the CSR activities have been performed in the state are
• Health, eradicating hunger, poverty and malnutrition, safe drinking water, sanitation (CSR spent 108.07 cr)
• Education, differently abled, livelihood (CSR spent 78.47 cr)
• Rural development (CSR spent 36.58 cr)
Top 3 companies
The top three companies spending for CSR in Kerala in FY 2020-21 are respectively The Federal Bank Limited (32.18 cr), Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited (28.51 cr) and Manappuram Finance Limited (27.66 cr).
The Federal Bank Limited
Federal Bank is personal, NRI and business banking partner for a growing expanse of customers across India. The Bank, which operates in urban as well as rural areas, is driven by the quest to be one of the most admired banking institutions in the country.
The bank focuses on values like commitment to excellence, agility, relationship orientation, ethics and sustainability.
Corporate Social Responsibility is a major component of the operating philosophy of the Federal Bank Limited.
The CSR activities of the Bank are performed by Federal Bank Hormis Memorial Foundation, a charitable trust set up by the Bank in 1996, in memory of its Founder KP Hormis.
‘The Bank desires to make a meaningful contribution for the improvement of those people who are at the bottom of the social pyramid, and thereby act as socially conscious, well governed and successful corporate citizen of the country, maintaining highest standards of corporate governance with the cooperation and involvement of its employees, constituents, society, shareholders and other stakeholders including the Government,’ Federal Bank mentions in its CSR policy.
Highest spender for CSR in Kerala in the FY 2020-21, Federal Bank has spent 32.18 cr towards CSR activities in the state. Some of their major CSR projects in FY 2020-21 in Kerala include:
–Funding for Kerala blind school society at Ernakulam
–Supporting St Gregorious Hospital at Ernakulam
–Providing support to St Antonys Special School at Kottayam
— Providing support to We Care Centre Kanjirappally
— Providing support to Sos Childrens Village
— Providing support to Medical Trust Hospital, Mundakkayam
— Providing support to Sree Chithratirunal Institute For Medical Sciences and Technology
Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited
Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Ltd (KEIL) is a public limited Company based at Ambalamedu, near Kochi. This facility was established on the directive of the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on hazardous waste for treatment and disposal of hazardous waste generated from industries in the State of Kerala. It mainly deals with hazardous waste management, e-waste management, laboratory and bio-medical waste management.
The Government of Kerala appointed Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) as nodal agency for setting up a Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility for management of hazardous waste within the state. KSIDC established KEIL as a Special Purpose Vehicle with the participation of 85 industries in the State. The company disposes hazardous waste generated in various industries in Kerala State in engineered landfills.
The company mentions in its CSR policy, ‘Through its business activities, KEIL aims to create economic value and to actively contribute towards the development of a sustainable society. Going beyond just the statutory and legal requirements, the Company shall focus on adopting Environmentally Sustainable business practices in normal operations, work towards innovative management of waste, prudent energy management and biodiversity conservation.’
Second highest spender for CSR in Kerala in the FY 2020-21, Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited has spent 28.51 cr towards CSR activities in the state focusing mostly on rural development. Some of their major CSR projects in FY 2020-21 in Kerala include:
–Supplying sanitizers, masks, soaps and lotions to containment zone areas in Vadavucode Puthenkurishu Grama Panchayat
–Providing printers and laptops to the Puthencruz village office
— Installing convex mirror at road crossings
Their major pan India project in the said FY was providing buckets to households for waste collection for which the company spent 68.25 cr.
Manappuram Finance Limited
Manappuram Finance Ltd. is one of India’s leading gold loan NBFCs. Promoted by V.P. Nandakumar, the current MD and CEO, the origin dates back to 1949 when it was founded as a pawn broking and money lending firm in the coastal village of Valapad (Thrissur District) by his late father V.C. Padmanabhan. Incorporated in 1992, Manappuram Finance Ltd. has grown at a rapid pace.
The company mentions in its CSR policy, ‘We, at Manappuram Finance Ltd., believe that our business is built around strong social relevance of inclusive growth by supporting the common man in fulfilling their financial needs. We equally believe that creation of large societal capital is as important as wealth creation for our shareholders. As a responsible societal organization, we are committed towards the above objective and are keen on developing a sustainable business model to ensure and activate our future growth drivers.’
Third highest spender for CSR in Kerala in the FY 2020-21, Manappuram Finance Limited has spent 27.66 cr towards CSR activities in the state focusing mostly on education and healthcare projects mainly in Thrissur district. Some of their major CSR projects in FY 2020-21 in Kerala include:
–The company has funded Mukundapuram and Mageet Schools at Thrissur
— They have spent towards providing for skill training for students
— The have spent for providing students with coaching for higher education for CA/Entrance
— The company also supports various educational institutions and organizations
–They have been providing for ambulance service, Ayush and other projects
— The company has provided Covid-19 related aid like food, masks and sanitizers to backward students
— The company has donated towards free dialysis for the ailing
— The company has also spent for building gyms, fitness and yoga centres
— They have also supported community development programs, housing projects etc
Other companies contributing towards CSR in Kerala
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, Cochin Shipyard Ltd, Kitex Childrenswear Ltd, Reliance Industries Ltd, Sobha Ltd, Muthoot Fincorp Ltd and Cochin International Airport Ltd feature among the rest of the top 10 companies spending towards CSR in Kerala.
