Under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme to promote Health, Education, Employability and the Environment, Tata Motors has reinforced its commitment towards nation building, touching lives of over 7 lakh people, of which nearly 40% belong to SC and ST communities, said a company statement, adding the operations have grown exponentially over the years in line with the vision of the Tata Group founder, Jamsetji Tata. The four key thrust areas by the company’s CSR interventions are: 

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1. AROGYA: Building and Strengthening Healthcare Facilities 

Under this programme, the company has focussed on eradicating malnutrition in children under five year age and providing safe drinking water especially in drought-prone tribal hamlets/habitations. In FY19, over 3 Lakh people benefitted from this programme and over 90% of the malnourished children brought to sustained healthy zone, besides ensuring water security across 450 habitations. 

2. VIDYADHANAM: Augmenting Primary Education System 

This programme is engineered to improve academic performance of secondary/college going students through targeted approach by instituting need-based financial support, special coaching classes, etc. Tata Motors is the first corporate in India to support IIT Bombay under Affirmative Action (AA) for Financial Aid Programme (FAP) program. 

Over 1 lakh students were engaged through this programme and they helped in improving pass percentage in government schools from 55% in FY 2015 to 80% in FY 17.  

3. KAUSHALYA: Enhancing programmes on Employability 

Under this programme, the company focuses on training unemployed youth in three segments – auto trades, non-auto trades and agriculture & allied activities. On receiving NSDC certification, students find employment opportunities in open market, including Tata Motors’ ecosystem. The company also engages with community based groups of women and farmers and helps them earn supplementary income through agriculture and allied programmes. Tata Motors ran an exclusive driver training batches of 50 women in partnership with Ambika Motors in Pune, and the company is currently training another batch of 50 SC women in collaboration with Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

Tata Motors has skilled over 1 lakh youth and farmers, and 56% have found employment in selected trades, while 4% of the trained youth started their own enterprise. The initiative has helped people increase their annual income by Rs 1 lakh.

4. VASUNDHARA: Nurturing sustainability through environmental programmes 

Tata Motors through its concentrated efforts has strived to increase the green cover through sapling plantation, enhancing environmental awareness among communities. Under this programme, over 11 lakh saplings were planted and their survival rate remained significantly high (85%). Notably, 90% plants are indigenous. Over 89,000 people, mostly young children, were sensitized about the environmental cause. The company also helped in 27% reduction of wood demand due to adoption of fuel efficient cooking stove. 

5. AADHAR: Inclusive, Equitable and holistic development of society 

Tata Motors has institutionalized Tata Affirmative Action Programme (TAAP), known as Aadhar, practising positive discrimination for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) in case of Employment and Entrepreneurship and higher coverage in CSR led programmes. Under Integrated Village Development, which focuses on holistic development of a tribal village/hamlet, Tata Motor collaborated with Sahabhag, the CSR Cell of Maharashtra government. 

The pilot project has witnessed improvement in the quality of 3000 tribal lives of Pathardi gram panchayat in Jawhar block of Palghar district where 70% of the resources for village development came from the government.

Over the last five years, the company has touched over 2.45 million lives, invested over Rs 100 cr and has brought per beneficiary cost down from Rs 740 in 2014-15 to Rs 332, the company added.