Udaipur : Hindustan Zinc, India's only and the world's second-largest integrated zinc-lead-silver producer, received the CSR Journal's Fourth Edition CSR Journal Excellence Awards 2021 during the ceremony in Mumbai. The award was presented to the company for its two flagship CSR projects, the Zinc Football, which promotes grassroots football in India, and the Sakhi, which empowers the women entrepreneurs of the future. The chief guests of the event were the Hon'ble Ministerof Road Transport and Highways - Shri. Nitin Gadkari Ji,the Hon'ble Governor of Maharashtra - Shri. Bhagat Singh Koshyari Ji and Hon'ble Minister of Finance & Planning, Forest - Shri. Sudhir Mungantiwar ji.On behalf on Hindustan ZincMs. Anupam Nidhi - Head CSR, received the award.
On this occasion, Mr. Arun Misra CEO – Hindustan Zinc Ltd. said “It's an honour to receive the prestigious CSR Journal Excellence Awards 2021 for our projects - Zinc Football Academy and women empowerment initiative, Sakhi. We at Hindustan Zinc believe that the relation between an organisation and its communities is symbiotic. As the organisation grows, the responsibility towards community also grows. Hindustan Zinc adheres to its core philosophy of giving back and when the efforts are being recognized, it reaffirms the commitment towards the same”
The CSR Journal Excellence Award recognises and honours companies for their outstanding contributions to achieving long-term social transformation. The Excellence Awards 2021 highlights responsible leadership from individuals and organizations in humanitarian initiatives, honouring innovative and best practices in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility across seven award categories. Agriculture and Rural Development, COVID-19 Relief, Education and Skill Training, Environment, Health and Sanitation, Sports, and Women Empowerment and Child Welfare are among the categories.
As a responsible corporate, Hindustan Zinc is committed to fostering and enhancing the communities in which it operates. Through frequent initiatives and investments in their growth, development, and welfare, it strives to enable the holistic growth of everybody. With the philosophy that "every child should have the opportunity to play," Zinc Football has developed 12 community football facilities where 350+ boys and girls get football training from certified coaches. Its ambition is to generate future football stars for the state and country by nurturing talent. A residential academy with world-class facilities and the country's first-ever 'technology-hinged football training' centre is at the core of this endeavour in Zawar.
Sakhi, the company's other significant initiative, has spread across the state of Rajasthan. The flagship project aims to bring rural women together in self-help groups (SHGs) and strengthen their leadership, skill development, and entrepreneurship skills. Spices, pulses, and pickle-based micro-enterprises with 250+ women have been established to train these SHG women to become rural entrepreneurs. Project Sakhi has also united the women craftsmen under the brand Upaya, which is now touching urban cities. Business Sakhis worked hard during COVID-19 to increase sales of items made in operational communities. The Sakhi members assisted the CSR team in reaching out to the most impacted communities with food and other necessary supplies during the pandemic.
As a socially responsible corporate, Hindustan Zinc has been relentlessly working towards improving the lives of rural and tribal people residing near its business locations. The company is amongst the top 15 CSR spenders in India and is currently reaching out to 700,000 people in 184 villages in Rajasthan, 5 in Uttarakhand and 16 villages in Gujarat.