Digital transformation solutions company, UST has won the ‘Mahatma Awards 2022 for CSR Excellence in the Community Initiative’ category. The Mahatma Awards were founded and instituted by social entrepreneur and philanthropist, Amit Sachdeva, better known as ‘The CSR Man of India,’ and supported by the Aditya Birla Group.
‘Doubling down efforts’
Smita Sharma, Global Programme Manager - CSR and Sustainability, UST and Rajan Aggarwal, CSR Ambassador at its Noida Centre, received the award at a ceremony held in New Delhi on the eve of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The award recognised UST’s CSR efforts driven by a corporate commitment to ‘transforming lives’ across education, health, livelihood, environment, and disaster relief, a spokesperson for the company said.
Sunil Balakrishnan, Chief Values Officer and Global Head for Development Centre Operations, UST, said the award reflects the progress achieved since its Office of Values and Culture was established in 2019. Smita Sharma said the award is a source of encouragement for doubling down these efforts to build a more sustainable planet. UST had already won the ‘Best Environment Protection Initiative of the Year - 2022’ at the Indian CSR Awards 2022.
Climate change challenge
The spokesperson said UST aims to provide accessible, equitable, and quality education to 20,000 children this year by providing critical training, funding education for children with special needs, and investing in child-friendly community libraries. It will also support mental health programmes, substance abuse prevention campaigns, and maternal health drives.
It also recognises that climate change is amplifying the effects of natural disasters and has adopted a two-pronged approach emphasising disaster relief, as well as sustainability and environmental protection. The CSR campaigns also prioritise preservation of forests and other key environmental systems. The UST Welfare Foundation supports the effort as implementation partners. The programmes integrate with COLORS, the company’s employee engagement framework.