Using digitech to deliver social initiatives in pandemic

New Delhi: FOR over a quarter of Century, ITC has traversed several defining milestones in its quest to be a global exemplar in sustainability. This voyage has been inspired by ITCs vision to put 'Nation First, making sustainability the bedrock of its corporate strategy.

Responding to the unprecedented humanitarian crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, ITC had put in place several measures that were not only aimed at providing relief and succour to the most vulnerable but also to support value-chains that could generate livelihoods during these trying times and beyond.

Leveraging digital to reimagine CSR outreach during the pandemic

The situation demanded ITC to speedily rise to the occasion and reimagine new ways of reaching out to its beneficiaries. In this endeavour, ITC's 'Mission Sunhera Kal' CSR team was inspired by the organisational imperative to drive digital transformation across functions and value chains as a part of ITC's future-ready strategy. The CSR team harnessed several virtual, social and digital-media innovations to drive social initiatives. Thus, over 6100 WhatsApp groups were formed with 4.4 lakh farmers for ITC's Agri and Forestry initiatives. Similarly, over 1,060 WhatsApp groups were formed with 18,000 sanitation workers for the Company's interventions on solid waste management. ITC's Mother & Child Heath initiatives also connected over 4,800 Anganwadi workers through various digital platforms.

Commenting on the initiatives, Ashesh Ambasta, Executive Vice-President & Head, Social Investments, ITC Ltd, said, "Motivated by ITC's organisational imperative to leverage digital technologies across functions, we embraced virtual platforms during the pandemic to ensure smooth progress of our social initiatives. In addition to leveraging existing virtual platforms to connect common interest groups, we also produced user-friendly digital content, imparted training to stakeholders, comprising our partner NGOs, government officials, CBO members, etc., to use these digital platforms and content and connected all stakeholders through a seamless integrated system at a time when physical interactions were limited. Going forward, such experiences will help us re-imagine new ways of innovating and expanding our sustainability endeavours".

While physical interactions got restricted, ITC came out with innovative models of last mile connect for dissemination of information, mobilization of resources and for training and monitoring the field work across CSR projects.