Communities
Communities
Being a value-driven organisation and a brand with a purpose, we have been working relentlessly for the upliftment of various communities, including farmers. We believe that long-term economic value can be generated only through the creation of lasting social value in an interdependent and interlinked ecosystem of which we are a part.
In the Parachute Kalpavriksha programme till date
benefitted from the Digital Literacy Programs
water capacity created under Jalaashay program
supported through the United Against COVID program
The Parachute Kalpavriksha Foundation was launched on September 2, 2017 (‘World Coconut Day) to create value in the lives of coconut farmers by helping them enhance their productivity, livelihood and overall quality of life. It is a separate non-profit entity (80G certified).
To transform India’s coconut cultivation practices in a sustainable manner, the programme works on a three-pronged principle as illustrated here:
Cumulative acreage enrolment
1,28,818 acres in FY20
enroled in Parachute Kalpavriksha programme till date
21,043 till FY20
On-field agronomists engaged
60 in FY20
digitally-enabled trainings conducted for farmers to enhance productivity
150 in FY20
enhancement in productivity rates
15% in FY20
To provide continual scientific and outcome-based learning to farmers, the Kalpavriksha Knowledge Centre (KKC) was set up in FY21. The main aim of this Centre is to impart knowledge to farmers regarding best management practices for coconut farming with the help of SMEs. Farmers undergo training under the guidance of experts in areas such as pest, disease, water management and so on. Classroom learning is followed up by open house group discussions to clarify doubts. In the last part of the learning module, farmers get to visit our Kalpavriksha demo farm.
trained through webinars in the KKC programme in FY21
Tech-enabled media and social media platforms have been leveraged to increase our outreach and impact for this programme, especially during the pandemic times.
reached through digital engagement initiatives in FY21
Our Agri Business Centre (ABC) is an agri clinic where farmers can obtain farm care inputs along with a plethora of technical services. Additionally, to support those coconut farmers who cannot normally afford purchasing farm machineries, the ABC provides access to high-quality farm equipment on hire. ABC also provides them access to labourers to work on their farms on need basis, along with inputs. These agri-ventures are established with the help of local entrepreneurs who provide services like hiring of farm equipment like Rotavator, power tiller, sale of inputs along with labour services at affordable prices.
Currently, there are three ABCs, two of which are in Pollachi and one in Thanjavur. Given their success, more such centres are planned to be set up.
serviced by agri centres in the past two years
“After the intervention of the Kalpavriksha team, number of nuts have increased from 80-90 to 110-120 nuts/year. I have also attended a meeting in KKC, which helped me to know more about the coconut varieties and water management techniques.”
Manikandan, Bodipalayam village
“I have been enrolled with Kalpavriksha for the past one year. Based on the advice from the Kalpavriksha team, I have done soil testing in my farm, sown sun hemp, and applied fertiliser based on the results. This has helped me increase the number of nuts from 10,000-12000 to 15,000 nuts.”
Raj Kumar, Pollachi
In FY21, Marico partnered with the Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists (FIA) to enhance employability and socio-economic livelihoods of bee-keepers in India. Financial aid of `5 Lakhs was provided for developing common facility centre (processing plant, quality control lab etc.) for the proposed KVIC, SFURTI Beekeeping Cluster, Thiruvananthapuram, for housing a Natural Pure Honey Hub (NPHH).
Ravi, a coconut farmer from Devanampalayam in Pollachi taluk of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu, faced multiple challenges in his farm, including decreasing water table, shedding of coconuts and others that minimised the yield and hence his income. He came to know about Parachute Kalpavriksha Foundation through other farmers in his village and enrolled in the productivity improvement programme. After regular visits from the Kalpavriksha team, he started understanding the importance of various management activities in coconut farming. He also attended training sessions at KKC, Perundurai, where he was able to understand the root causes of the problems he faced in his farm. On the basis of the knowledge he had gained, he undertook measures that significantly improved his coconut yield. In order to deal with the unavailability of water, he enrolled with the Jalaashay programme, which supported him in the construction of his own farm pond to harvest rainwater. He has since observed good improvement in the water table levels, which have contributed to the productivity increase. With better water availability, he has also started cultivating pulses as an inter-crop in his farm and thus supplemented his income from coconuts.
Water is one of Marico’s core sustainability impact areas by virtue of which we strive to ensure water security to people for domestic and agricultural use in less rain-fed areas.
Jalaashay, our flagship initiative, aims to promote effective conservation and management of water across the country. A parallel aim is also to replenish more water back to the community than that Marico uses for its operations by capacity creation.
The key activities under this initiative, include dam desiltation, farm ponds construction, community awareness programmes to promote water conservation, rainwater harvesting and optimise water usage.
We have created a cumulative water storage potential of around 215.05 Crore litres till FY21 through desilting of water bodies across Maharashtra, UP, MP Karnataka and Rajasthan and construction of farm ponds across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.
Cumulative water storage potential created through desilting water bodies and construction of water storage facilities in various states
In collaboration with Society for Development Alternatives, Marico conducted a series of tank rejuvenation projects to strengthen the tank ecosystem and local livelihood across 15 villages of the Niwari district of Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh. As a droughtprone region with critical water scarcity concerns, low rainfall and gradually declining groundwater levels, the farmers in Bundelkhand were facing critical challenges in managing the quality and quantum of their yields. Under Marico’s Jalaashay programme, substantial efforts were made to not just improve the availability of water for irrigation purposes but also safeguard the overall productivity of the region so as to sustain healthy livelihoods for the communities.
Pradhan
Dhamna village, Niwari district
Cleaning and deepening of water tanks increased storage potential by from 26-64%
Improved crop yields and quality of produce
Creation of bunds to prevent soil from the fields entering into the tanks
Increase in water levels helped provide sufficient potable water for communities as well as livestock
Increased water availability allowed farmers to take up aquaculture and generate additional profit
Afforestation initiatives: bamboo, Neem, Sheesham and Teak trees planted in collaboration with farmers
Training programmes were conducted for farmers focusing on organic farming with vermicomposting techniques
Training on sustainable land use and response to shifting climate patterns
Farmers in the Dhamna village produced both kharif crops as well as wheat, gram, peas and mustard which was not practiced in past 4-5 years due to unavailability of water. The storage capacity was 67,163 cum of the tank before deepening and increased to 169,405 cum after the rejuvenation program. Currently the total water storage capacity of the tank reported is 236,573 cum
Savitri Kushwah
a 50-year old farmer from Kacchipura village in Niwari
Empowering India 2.0 to lead with excellence.
The pandemic has affected our lives in multifarious ways, from detrimental health impacts to socio-economic downturns and radical shifts in the status quo of our daily lives. One of the areas that have undergone substantial impacts due to the pandemic is the overall functioning of educational systems worldwide. The scenario for India is no different; educational institutions and infrastructure, especially for underprivileged children have witnessed a massive haul in their overall functioning thus leading to long-term gaps in overall literacy and social empowerment quotient of the country.
The Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala (NSPF) Initiative, however, decided to use this emerging challenge as an opportunity to impart accelerated learning to its beneficiaries (students and teachers from all over country) by harnessing the power of technology. To address the educational lacunae that were being induced into the country, the NSPF decided to adopt a 3-pronged principle to deliver incremental impact to the communities.
Amongst a multitude of problem statements, the NSPF decided to concentrate its efforts on English learning solutions for government school teachers. Fluency and confidence in English communication has been a continuing area of concern for teachers in governmental schools. With the pandemic-induced hauls, this issue matured into critical problem that needed immediate solutions.
In collaboration with our NGO Partner, LeapforWord, NSPF designed a tech-enabled English Literacy programme that directly addressed the gaps in English communication. The programme was conceptualised on an algorithm that translated English to Sanskrit and vice versa, thus enabling accelerated English learning as a subject and not as a language. Vernacular-based classroom instructions made the learning process really simple and empowered the teachers to confidently impact the learning to their students.
A. WhatsApp based English Literacy Programs: Simplifying Teachers’ Lives and Enabling better teaching
WhatsApp Enterprise model-based learning programs were designed to upgrade the teachers’ capabilities on learning and imparting English literacy. Engaging formats that were innovative, practical and rural-ready in nature were deployed to create measurable and value-adding outcomes from the programme.
Some of the key features of this digital learning platform:
A 24x7 virtual helpdesk to resolve any queries or technical glitches faced by the teachers while using the platform.
Creative learning assets like conceptual videos, practice worksheets aligned to curriculum and engagement-based activities like quizzes, polls etc for learning evaluation were developed
Freely accessible and downloadable report formats were developed for teachers and their respective students from the platform
We used systems to its full potential, sharing rich and meaningful content with our beneficiaries to make them English Literate
One of the noteworthy examples from the NSPF English Literacy Programme was the WhatsApp-based Teacher Empowerment initiative titled, “Humara ghar humara vidyalaya” launched in collaboration with the State Education Department of Madhya Pradesh.
content files consumed
quizzes solved
avg. time per concept
avg. time per quiz
live chats with teachers
teacher queries resolved
teacher calls managed
| Grade 2-5 | Grade 6-8 | |
|---|---|---|
Baseline Assessment |
27% |
39% |
Quiz on Quiz Score |
72% |
79% |
Capabilities developed till now
Can read any simple single syllable words. (Grip, Male, Pray)
Can read multi syllable words with and without tail. (Caption, Fraction)
Know common sight words and common action words. (Drink, Jump)
PROFILING BENEFICIARIES
Vijay Laxmi Chaurasia
Teachers who can teach history can create it as well
Profession: Social Science Teacher who also teaches English for Stds.: 5th to 8th due to the absence of a dedicated teaching faculty in her school for the subject
Aspirations: Enabling her students to grow and excel in their lives
Value Addition: Registered for the English Literacy Programme and used online modules to learn the language herself as well as teach her students through digital platforms.
Vijaylaxmi was awarded the ‘Teacher Hero’ title for her contributions to push India’s literacy journey forward
Vishruta Singh
Mohalla class in the lap of Mother Nature!
Profession: Government school teacher from Bhopal, MP.
Aspirations: Run community learning programs in open spaces
Value Addition: Registered for the English Literacy Programme and used the structured learning modules to develop customised content for her Mohalla classes.
In her words, “Our education system was not well prepared for this unwanted situation. But the content shared digitally with us helped us in this current situation we all are going through. Amidst all the chaos and disturbance, NSPFs ‘English Literacy Program’ made sure that the teachers receive the structured content. This allows me to prepare at my own convenience and deliver the same.”
Salma Qureshi
Leading with Determination!
Profession: Government school teacher from Seoni district, MP.
Aspirations: Make a difference in the lives of each of her students
Value Addition: Registered for the English Literacy Programme in the last year of her service and used the extensive study materials to offer customised lessons to her students. She distributed printouts of these materials to her students and also maintained a daily register on their individual learning growth curves.
Salma’s efforts set an example of determination and doggedness in transforming the lives of her students
Ratna Gosavi
Enhancing the fun-factor ’ in learning!
Profession: Government school teacher
Aspirations: Taking extra efforts to make learning ‘fun’ for her students so that they can grasp every concept in a complete manner.
Value Addition: Registered for the English Literacy Programme and used the quizzes and other content modules to design various ‘fun-based engagement activities’ for her students. This accelerated learning approach not just helped students understand the subject well but enhanced their interest levels to participate in the fun quizzes that challenged their learning abilities.
Aparna Yerkuntwar
A teacher who is never off duty!
Profession:Retired school teacher from the district of Ujjain
Aspirations: To do whatever it takes to make her students’ learning journeys a continual one inspite of the pandemic-induced challenges!
Value Addition: Registered for the English Literacy Programme and used the same to engage with her students on a regular basis, monitoring the daily progress of their learning potential.
Ganga Prasad Sharma
Leading with Determination!
Profession: Social activist who lost his ability of movement due to an unfortunate road accident.
Aspirations: Although completely bed-ridden, Ganga Prasad wants to do his best in imparting education to as many students as possible.
Value Addition: Registered for the English Literacy Programme and leveraged the digital modules to scale up his efforts in touching more lives through quality education.
RECOGNITION
Jaishri Kiyawat
(IAS) Education Commissioner, MP
Appreciated Marico’s effort to ensure continuous English Education through DD MP and Radio for
2.4 Million students
Lokesh Jatav
(IAS), Commissioner – Rajya Siksha Kendra, MP
Appreciated our efforts on training 1 Lakh teachers in such short time using technology
B.Workbook Led Teacher Training Initiatives
In Alwar, under a MoU with Government of Rajasthan Government School Teachers were trained based on a unique teaching pedagogy that enabled students to learn English from regional languages. Through this initiative, workbooks were provided to 12,000 students studying in 2nd – 8th in FY21. 150+ teachers were provided with concept books and chart sets to ensure quality in-class trainings.
C.Remedial Learning Program
This initiative was aimed at ensuring that teaching is geared to the learning levels of students, thus reducing the overall gaps in the overall learning maturity profiles. In collaboration with the Govt of Haryana, this initiative was based on enabling teachers and students to effectively build grade appropriate skills on subjects like English, Math, Science, and Hindi.
D. Economic Empowerment Programme in collaboration with UNDP:
This intervention with UNDP was ideated to bridge the gap between needs and aspirations of young women and youth. This economic empowerment programme was kickstarted in FY21 and is currently being deployed in Madhya Pradesh.
As part of this initiative, a local employment marketplace model is also being considered. This is aimed at drawing synergies between needs and aspirations of young women and requirements from potential employers through establishment of collaborative platforms and provisioning of bridging skill and professional aptitudes.
Marico extended support to the government, citizens, support workers and medical fraternity, enabling united efforts at fighting the pandemic.
We pulled together our resources and efforts to make a difference through our #UnitedagainstCOVID19 efforts
Apart from these, Marico donated `1 Crore to various
COVID funds of Center and State
...will continue to invest
The year saw India grappling with a highdensity population and a fragile healthcare system that complicated its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To help the country in this critical hour, Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF), A.T.E Chandra Foundation and Harsh Mariwala, in his personal capacity came together in 2020 to create a first-of-its kind platform to identify and support innovations that address the COVID-19 crisis.
The Innovate2BeatCOVID Grand Challenge was thus launched to destress healthcare system by identifying affordable, scalable and innovative solutions related to personal protective gear, ventilator and other respiratory solutions. The programme called out to MedTech entrepreneurs, corporates and innovators from across the nation to meaningfully contribute towards managing the crisis.
Harsh Mariwala
Chairman
WINNERS AT A GLANCE:
Solutions that lead with Innovation, Social Inclusion and Scale
Saral Designs
Promptly innovated their sanitary pad making machine to make single use 3-ply masks sold at single digit prices
CREA
Breathable coveralls that can be used up to 12 hours; for front end healthcare workers but also for dentists, general practioners, policeman, healthcare workers
Shreeyansh Electro Medicals
Top-of-the-line full spectrum device for ICU, offers specifications on APR with imported ventilators; priced 70% lower
Nocca Robotics
Lightweight device (works on ambient air and in low pressure conditions), offers long hours of batter back-up in case of electricity failure; priced at ~30% of competitors’ market price
KPIT Technologies
Lightweight, compact portable basic device compatible for remote medical facilities, ambulances and home-care; priced at ~30% of competitors’ market price
were awarded to 5 winning solutions
Supported distribution of
as of March 2021
With scaled-up production and distribution systems, the identified winners continue to help the nation battle the emerging challenges by ensuring high quality medical equipment at affordable rates.
WINNERS’ VOICES
“We are extremely glad to be recognised by MIF’s Innovate2BeatCOVID Program…The guidance received from MIF’s pool of mentors on marketing strategy, quality processes and branding has helped us establish a scalable framework which will support us in handling our growth to the next level.”
Suhani Mohan
Co-founder, Saral Designs
“We were guided on market segmentation, positioning, and messaging which opened up certain sales opportunities for us and the team also helped us make deep inroads into some institutional markets. Thanks to team MIF for their mentoring and prompt support.”
Upkar Sharma
Founder, CREA
“As part of the Innovate2BeatCOVID program, we received mentorship from industry stalwarts to help us lay out the most suited growth avenue for scaling up ventilator sales...”
Dr. Sudhir Waghmare
Founder, Shreeyansh Electro Medicals
“The recognition from MIF’s Innovate2BeatCOVID Program acted as a great validation for our medical technology innovation endeavours and pushed us to help the healthcare fraternity during the peak of the pandemic.”
Nikhil Kurele
Co-founder, Nocca Robotics
Since its inception in 2003, the Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF) has strived to fuel and nurture social innovation in India.
Scale-Up Program
This is a 360-degree philanthropic growth programme that provides deep-rooted mentorship to high potential innovations.
Key achievements till date
innovations scaled up
sectors
mentor hours per annum
mentors
Select cohort organisations have shown over 10x revenue growth through their association with MIF. 8 challenges closed in FY21 with quantifiable impact on the growth of the cohort organisation.
VERNACULAR COMMERCE
Distribution
10x increase in monthly sales; launched 2 new product categories leading to 7% increase in sales
FARM-LEVEL SOLAR DRYER
Supply chain
New product offering added leading to 20% increase in monthly sales
New product launch
New product offerings added leading to estimated ~10% increase in initial pilot qty. monthly sales
Treasury
Increase in runway by 4 months; increase in ROI by 2.5%
Fundraise
Raised $1.5 Million a pre-series A round within the target timeline (6 months) and upper valuation cap
FOOD-TECH COMPANY
Procurement
Forecasting accuracy improved from 91% to 96% of raw material (harvest) procurement
HEMP BASED FOOD
Online sales
Went live on 37 3P e-comm platforms; 3x increase in monthly sales; 8x ROI on online ad campaigns
Performance mgmt. systems
Started tracking KPIs as below; measurement through the mgmt. systems show improvements as follows:
Business-wise revenue grew by 100%
Repeat purchases grew by 65%
Burn rate reduced by 35% to reach target
New innovations on-boarded in FY21
MED-TECH
World’s first portable AI-powered foetal and labour remote monitoring device at <50% price
IOT
Mosquito count and species detection technology that provides analysis to control diseases and reduce in control treatment cost
AGRI-TECH
World’s first low-cost greenhouse for smallholder farmers at 80% less price that increases their incomes by 10-15x
MED-TECH
World’s first dual powered (grid power + hand cranked) defibrillator at 1/4th the price of exiting alternative defibrillators
Innovation for India Awards 2020
Hosted by MIF, this is India’s first platform known to unearth ‘next-big innovations’ way before their time.
HIGHLIGHTS FY21
Identified 6 pathbreaking winners across Business, Social, Start-Up and Global Game Changer categories.
Hosted the marquee event virtually for the first time in October 2020 amidst the pandemic; the learning curve has created new opportunities for a supplementary digital stream to expand reach
Major thematic areas in which most of the community initiatives for FY21 fall and corresponding beneficiaries
TOTAL
beneficiaries
spent on Other Initiatives in FY21
NER, Jalgaon, Puducherry, Perundurai
beneficiaries
Awareness programmes at government schools
Infrastructure support to enable skill building among underprivileged and differently abled
Vocational training to youth from nearby villages
School Infrastructure development
NER, Sanand, Jalgaon
beneficiaries
Infrastructure support to old age home and girls’ orphanage to improve health and hygiene
Health and hygiene awareness programmes for nearby villages and schools
NER
beneficiaries
Awareness sessions and plantation drive around units to improve green cover
NER, Jalgaon
beneficiaries
Support to district administration, police, orphanage and others
Marico Bangladesh
At Marico, our corporate philosophy is Making a Difference. We believe that the power of our business lies in our purpose of delivering inclusive growth, which would make a meaningful difference to the communities around us. During the COVID-19 period we devoted our efforts towards business continuity to sustain the livelihoods associated with the Marico system while also supporting the government and communities.
In FY21, Marico Bangladesh was recognised as Top CSR Contributor 2020 by Social Responsibility Asia.
Marico was honoured with this award following a 2019-2020 CSR Survey published by SR Asia in which CSR practices, commitments and strategy across industries were studied.
Supporting National Efforts: Contribution of BDT 5 Million to Prime Minister’s Welfare Fund
In order to support the government’s efforts in the fight against COVID-19, Marico Bangladesh contributed BDT 5 Million to Prime Minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund.
Brands with a Purpose: Profit Pledge of Mediker Hand-Sanitizer and Hand-Wash
At a time when sales of personal hygiene products were at an all time high, Marico decided to launch its Mediker Hand-Sanitizer and Hand-washes with discounted prices and a profit pledge. All profits from the first 6 months (April to September) sales of Mediker hygiene products would be contributed to the Prime Minister’s Welfare Fund to support pandemic recovery efforts.
Community Sustenance: Food programme for 5000 families in Gazipur
During the initial period of the pandemic, Gazipur was of the most severely affected areas. Marico has both its manufacturing facilities in Gazipur and closely engages with surrounding communities. During the pandemic to ensure sustenance of low-income families, Marico with the operational support of FBCCI, conducted a month-long food relief programme to 5000 families in Gazipur.
Partnering with Peers: Contribution to MCCI
As an active and committed member of MCCI, Marico contributed BDT 0.5 Million to MCCI to partner with the Chamber initiative of aiding COVID recovery/relief programmes.
Frontline support: Media personnel, the forgotten heroes
Media personnel were risking their lives and were at the frontline during the pandemic to bring us updated news, critical awareness information. Marico provided hand sanitizers to media houses and also contributed to Dhaka Reporters Unity to provide support to media workers whose livelihoods or health have been impacted due to COVID-19.
Re-Skilling of Ultra-Poor Women
Marico partners with UNDP and the government in SWAPNO, a programme targeted at ultra-poor woman-led households across 22 districts in Bangladesh. During the cyclone Amphan and at the peak of the pandemic, these beneficiaries were severely impacted. Given this situation, UNDP worked quickly to re-skill women in making cloth masks and Marico supported the sale and supply of masks to ensure continuity of livelihoods.
EMPLOYEE AND VALUE CHAIN WELFARE
Employment Security
No reduction in direct or indirect workforce and livelihood security for all persons involved in the Marico business value chain
Livelihood Security
Early payment of salaries to all direct and indirect workforce
All festival bonuses ahead of time
Increment in salaries as per regular (non-COVID) cycle
Safety allowance
Unconditional safety, humanitarian allowance to all distributor, depot and outsourced workforce to purchase essential safety and precautionary materials
Health Security
COVID-19 screening and testing, insurance coverage for COVID-19 related hospitalisation for all members
Marico South Africa
SCHOOL MASKS DROP-OFF PROGRAMME BY HERCULES
Educational institutes across the globe, were severely impacted by the pandemic-induced hauls. In July 2020, the schools in South Africa started to gradually resume operations. Hercules used this opportunity to embark on a campaign that reinforced strict protocols to ensure kids’ safety and hygiene in school premises. Between July to October 2020, Hercules visited schools in selected provinces and handed out material such as face masks, hygiene posters and flyers to educate learners on personal hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this way, Hercules helped enable learners to become advocates for spreading awareness and assist in prevention. The educational material dropped off at schools informed learners about the best ways of ensuring a good hygiene regime, and this further can help spread the word within their communities.
SALON DROP-OFF PROGRAMME BY ISOPLUS AND BLACK CHIC
Salon businesses were critically hit by the pandemic related restrictions in South Africa. In June 2020, once salons were provided permission to resume business, Marico South Africa took on the socially responsible route to aid in protecting stylists at their place of work and also let them know that the business cared for them. Activation teams were mobilised to drop off COVID-19 care packages for stylists which included branded ISOPLUS and BLACK CHIC face masks, posters regarding hand washing and sanitising, signage boards for the reception area, brand posters and information leaflets, as well as product for trial and to get them back on their feet for the commencement of business. Hercules Hand Sanitizers, a recently launched MSA NPD, was also distributed to salons. This was received exceptionally well by stylists and salon owners as their feedback cites.
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