Care and commitment

Tata Chemicals' corporate philosophy goes beyond social responsibility to a passionate concern for the communities in which it operates.

Self-sufficiency
In 1980, the company set up the Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD), an organisation that works to protect and nurture rural populations in and around TCL's facilities, and helps community members achieve self-sufficiency in natural resource management, livelihood support and the building of health and education infrastructure. Taking into account the diverse geographical spread and the individual subcultures, different agricultural, economic and development programmes have been implemented in Mithapur, Babrala and Haldia.

Employment opportunities
The latest initiatives include setting up rural centres for business process outsourcing (BPOs) at Mithapur and Babrala, as employment opportunities for the rural underprivileged.

Local traditions
Local handicrafts have been given a boost through a branding exercise; the `Okhai' initiative will market rural handicrafts and garments in retail stores and on the internet. In Babrala a programme to foster the local Karjobi embroidery has also shown significant impact. At Haldia, ponds are an integral part of the local ecology; TCL has taken up several programmes that foster better pond management techniques.

Health initiatives
At Lake Magadi, Kenya, the company focused on food and water supplement programmes, health and education, and skill upgradation. Magadi Soda’s corporate social responsibility programme has won the Kenya Institute of Management’s Company of the Year Corporate Citizenship Awards six times over the last ten years. The programme has been recognised by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as a model for business and community partnership.