Though it is reward enough for Tata Steel to see a village empowered, to have women self help groups become self reliant and to imbue village youth with leadership qualities, recognition always adds lustre to the ongoing effort.

Mr A N Singh (right) receives the TERI Award for Corporate Social Responsibility from Mr Vijay Kelkar

The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI) Award for Corporate Social Responsibility 2002-03, among the most prestigious in the country, is one such recognition for Tata Steel’s corporate citizenship and sustainable initiatives effort. Also worth mentioning is the fact that Tata Steel is the only company in the country to be invited to be a part of the UN-led Global Compact Forum, which had pledged to translate the UN’s human rights, labour and environment policies into practice.

Mr Arun Narayan Singh, Deputy Managing Director (Corporate Services), Tata Steel received the award on behalf of the company on February 4, 2004 during the CEO Forum of the ‘Delhi Sustainable Development Summit’ (DSDS) 2004. The award was presented to him by Mr Vijay Kelkar, Advisor to the Union Finance Minister.

Tata Steel has committed itself to returning to the community resources received from it as part of the business process. It, therefore, sets aside a considerable amount of material and management resources for development activities in rural areas, for tribal communities and for the peri urban and urban communities. These welfare and development activities encompass income generation projects, health & hygiene programmes, empowerment efforts, family health programme, AIDS Awareness initiatives, sports, and assistance to local administrations at the time of national calamities.

Many of the company’s initiatives such as the family planning programmes and rural development initiatives were launched much before the state governments and Central government conceived of them.  

Family initiatives, basic health care and sports are the focus of Tata Steel’s CSR effort