We believe that every bit counts to make the world a better place.
Our corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are the cornerstone of how we interpret our ‘purpose’, which is to be distinctive and mindful in our involvement with communities. We strive to uplift the overlooked, to strengthen those with potential, and to create an impact that amplifies and perpetuates positive change. Our CSR objectives contribute towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) as well as to India’s developmental objectives. Because we believe that every bit counts in making the world a better place.
CSR 1.0 - Initiated the CSR journey with need-based contributions to organizations that required support for their projects.
This focus area was completely researchbacked and thought through, and resonated with our belief and capability of powering Indian entrepreneurship over the last two decades.
First CSR event “Live Pitch” conducted along with Dasra, to identify three NGOs and projects in the Women Entrepreneurship area for support. Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), Deshpande Foundation, Antarang Foundation onboarded.
Impact Day, our second annual CSR event, organized with existing NGO partners.
Four new NGOs from Women Entrepreneurship and Sports Education pitched for grants.
Avenders also pitched for an NGO of their choice.
Healthcare added as the third focus area. First grant given to Breach Candy Hospital Trust.
COVID-19 declared as pandemic and CSR projects in Women Entrepreneurship and Sports Education came to a halt. By July 2020, NGO partners resumed work and aligned to the new normal.
Centre for Wildlife Studies and Hinduja Hospital Trust.
COVID-19 emergency relief becomes the priority. 80% of annual budget allocated to new NGOs – SEEDS Foundation, Project Mumbai, ACT Grant, and Rotary Club of Delhi Premier to augment their ongoing work.
Pune Metropolitan District Association added under our Sports Excellence vertical.
Launched the 'Returnable Grant' model in partnership with the Collective Good Foundation to take women entrepreneurship to the next level. Over 1,000 women entrepreneurs were impacted within a year through these rotational funds.
209 employees engaged through 5 activities in the ‘Joy of Giving Week’.
Vrutti and Kherwadi Social Welfare Trust added under the Women’s Entrepreneurship Vertical. Rotary Magnum Trust and Fortis Foundation added under the Healthcare vertical.
227 employees volunteered through 11 volunteering initiatives and completed 281 hours.
Shainbi lives with her husband and three children, relying on his daily wage labor income totaling INR 21,000/- monthly, insufficient for their needs. To boost their finances, she started working part-time on another farm, earning INR 4,000/- monthly, and invested in a tailoring machine hoping for steady income, though it varied seasonally.
Introduced to Swayam Sakhi FPO in 2022, she enrolled to diversify her skills. After Avendus' entrepreneurship training and receiving funding in January 2024, she invested in goats for a livestock business, aiming to earn INR 8,000-11,000/- per goat over the next four months.
Planning to reinvest profits, Shainbi looks forward to expanding her livestock venture for increased income.
For years, Vanita Pisal was unaware of her latent talents. Stitching blouses, she earned around INR 3000-4000/- monthly. In 2023, she joined 'Stree Swavlamban', a Yuva Parivartan Project supported by Avendus. Immersed in the project's supportive community of women and skilled trainers, she underwent a remarkable transformation. Vanita mastered advanced tailoring, bag-making, and fashion designing. She proudly shares, "Today, with a wider knowledge of designs, my customer base has grown, and I now earn between INR 7000-8000/- per month. My husband and family are proud of my achievements, and I have gained immense confidence."
Mrs. Smita Kashinath Panchal, a twenty-four-year-old who faced adversity growing up without her father and losing her mother at a young age. She got married off by her uncle at 21. Living in challenging circumstances with low income, she fulfilled her role as a wife and mother without much hope for her own future. However, in 2019, with the support of Block Coordinator, she enrolled in the EDP training program offered by SSP, despite facing resistance from her in-laws due to the additional time commitment required.
The training proved to be transformative for Smita, she described it as an opportunity that changed her life. After completing the training, she embarked on various business ventures supported by her family, including biogas, agriculture, milk, flour milling, and tailoring, significantly increasing her monthly income to INR 10,000/-
Not only did Smita's personal development benefit her own life, but it also positively impacted her family dynamics, productivity, and sense of purpose. She learned valuable skills such as leadership and effective communication, emphasizing the importance of finding joy in one's work and taking initiative to overcome challenges. Grateful for the opportunities provided by Swayam Shikshan Prayog, Smita feels a sense of responsibility to pay it forward by empowering other women in her community. She believes that her success is not only measured by her own achievements but also by the positive influence she can have on others through sharing her knowledge and experiences gained from the training.
Jagadheeswari, who had devoted years to her salon business with limited financial success, experienced a remarkable turnaround thanks to the Avendus Vrutti Training program. This comprehensive program expanded her knowledge in skincare, hair treatments, and salon management, leading to noticeable improvements in service quality and ambiance. Clients noticed these enhancements, deepening their trust in Jagadheeswari's expertise. Completing a therapist class through Avendus Vrutti further solidified her clients' appreciation and understanding. Jagadheeswari credited the program, especially her trainer, for the profound impact on her professional journey. Avendus Vrutti not only enhanced her skills but also equipped her with essential social and financial capabilities, setting the stage for continued success in the salon industry.
Shaku Landage came from a typical farmer household, and agriculture was her family’s main source of income. When the rains kept getting scantier over consecutive years, the family’s financial condition drastically worsened. But Shaku was made of sterner stuff and would not let the whims of nature beat her. She had heard about Swayam Shikshan Prayog- Avendus project on the training that it provided to women like her to help them set up alternate businesses and become entrepreneurs. Shaku was determined to make a fresh start and enrolled herself for the training.
At the training, she learnt about ways to run small-scale dairy and vegetable businesses and she was eager to get started on her own. With the help of SSP and Avendus, she raised a loan of INR 30,000 and purchased a cow to start her dairy business. She worked hard and soon her business was giving steady profits and she was able to repay the loan.
SSP helped making Shaku aware of the many income-generation options and equipped her to exercise this option. Her dedication and hard work did the rest.
Aishwary, originally from Khargone district in Madhya Pradesh, faced a challenging experience at the 2023 Shooting World Championship in Azerbaijan. However, with the unwavering support of the OGQ team, who provided him with a physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coach, psychologist, nutritionist, and exposure to both domestic and international training, Aishwary regained confidence and approached the Asian Games 2022 with renewed positivity. His dedication and the team's assistance paid off as he made history by securing four medals, a remarkable achievement that positioned him as only the second Indian to accomplish such a feat. In a remarkable turn of events, Aishwary continued his winning streak by claiming another four medals at the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, China, his first ever appearance at the event, and later clinching the Gold Medal at the 15th Asian Shooting Championships held in November 2023, further solidifying his status as a rising star in the world of shooting.
Right shoulder instability and weakness, left shoulder mobility restrictions, left hip mobility and stability problems, chronic backache... the list was long, and time was short. Mirabai’s earlier performance at the Rio Olympics had been a disaster, with her mind caving in on the podium. She had frozen before the weights, unable to lift them. Though she had bounced back in the interim, with consistent wins at the highest international levels of her sport, her crippling health problems threatened to unleash the demons in her mind too. During this, the fluctuating pandemic wreaked havoc with the Olympic hopefuls’ training schedules. Mirabai’s coach decided to take her to the USA. Our partner, Avendus supports an NGO known as Olympic Gold Quest, along with Sports Authority of India, sponsored her 2.5 month-long trip for rehabilitation and training under a specialized American weightlifting coach. Under his expert monitoring, Mirabai regained both her fitness and confidence. Her Olympic silver for lifting a total of 202 kgs at Tokyo was the resulting outcome. We are proud of this achievement,
Sachin Khilari, a para-athlete supported by Avendus through CSR support to OGQ, has set a new Asian record with a throw of 16.21 meters, becoming a World Champion in Men's Shot Put F46 at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris.
We're thrilled to share this news and his success story!
Hailing from Sangli, Maharashtra, Sachin comes from a family of farmers. His dedication to the sport helped him defy all odds to claim victory, having started training for the shot put in December 2019. His journey is a true inspiration to us all.
Sachin is one of the many para-athletes supported by OGQ. We are a proud contributor to OGQ in their mission to help Indian athletes and para-athletes win Medals for India.
At the Government Higher Secondary School in Bharti Nagar, Medavakkam, Chennai, boys faced challenges due to poor sanitation facilities, leading to unsanitary conditions and discomfort. With the help of Avendus Capital Pvt. Ltd, Rotary Magnum Trust built a modern toilet block for the boys. This initiative immediately improved hygiene, dignity, and pride among the students, reducing embarrassment and discomfort. Better sanitation also boosted attendance, well-being, and academic performance. Students like Arjun Srinivasan and K Rajesh shared how the new facilities transformed their school experience, fostering enthusiasm for education. The positive impact extended beyond the school, benefiting the broader community. Parents and teachers acknowledged the importance of such infrastructure in supporting quality education. This successful project highlights the collaborative efforts of Rotary Magnum Trust and Avendus Capital Pvt. Ltd.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, the Himayalan state of Uttarakhand has recorded many deaths due to Covid-19. In terms of statistics, 3,828 deaths, or 59 per cent of the total deaths in the hill state of Uttarakhand, happened in the single month of May 2021. There was an acute shortage of medical supplies in the district hospital. In view of future waves associated with Covid-19 it was essential to augment the health infrastructure in advance to save as many lives as possible.
Through our NGO partner SEEDS, with the support from Avendus, medical supplies such as ventilators, masks, oxygen cylinders, gloves and PPE kits were provided to the District Hospital of Rudraprayag, to tackle the second and third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Avendus has partnered with the Fortis Foundation to provide subsidised or free treatments for the socially marginalized and deprived sections of the society. They ensure that their programs are efficient, sustainable, and relevant to those meant to benefit from them.
Rotary Magnum Trust’s mission is to bridge the education divide by building sustainable infrastructure for children in the deprived strata of the society and executing innovative and timely projects to bring about positive change quickly and efficiently. Avendus has partnered with Rotary Magnum Trust to build toilet blocks in government schools at Medavakkam, Chennai, benefiting over 600 students along with ramps and rails in other schools that has impacted over 2000 children.
Kherwadi Social Welfare Association is a nonprofit organization in India. KSWA aims to restore the Upliftment of underprivileged youth in India. The organization was established in 1928. It offers different vocational training programs for underprivileged youth and women. Avendus has partnered with the Kherwadi Social Welfare Association to create women entrepreneurs to increase their income by providing livelihoods and improve women's action in self-sustainability for personal and community development through skill development, social development, and financial and business development in the Maharashtra region.
It is a nonprofit organization that has been working in the social impact space for over 23 years as part of the Catalyst Group and has made a difference in the lives and livelihoods of over a million poor and marginalized individuals and households. Vrutti works through an ecosystem approach, integrating and delivering end-to-end services that empower small producers to graduate from poverty and uncertainty and become three times more profitable. Avendus has partnered with Vrutti to provide training on developing nano enterprises for beauty professionals for women in Maharashtra, Chennai, and Bangalore regions.
Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) is a non-governmental organization based in Pune, India. It was co-founded by Prema Gopalan and Sheela Patel in 1998 and aims to support female entrepreneurs in areas such as agriculture, health, and sanitation. Its work has been recognized by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Avendus supports SSP for their women entrepreneurship project in Maharashtra region through supporting dairy and Agri entrepreneurship initiatives.
Pune Metropolitan District Tennis Association (PMDTA) is committed to develop a sustainable program to promote tennis for children, youth, and adults. Avendus has partnered with Pune Metropolitan District Tennis Association (PMDTA) to support deserving tennis players to empower them for national and international level matches.
Avendus has partnered with Breach Candy Hospital Trust for the construction of new wing with 11 floors and 90 beds. As a part of this project more than 50 beds will be dedicated for the patients from low socio-economic sections.
Hinduja Hospital Trust focuses on health and believes that health education is the birthright of every individual. In line with this philosophy and one of these guiding principles “Work to Give”, P.D. Hinduja Hospital has been providing charitable treatment to the poor and needy since inception. Avendus has partnered with Hinduja Hospital Trust to provide charitable treatment to needy patients and to conduct rural camps for the underprivileged.
Collective Good Foundation (CGF) provides comprehensive project implementation solutions for the development sector. They work closely with companies, non-profits, and foundations to address some of the most challenging issues in healthcare, education, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), and women's empowerment. Avendus has partnered with CGF to empower women through the returnable grant model project in the Maharashtra region.
Olympic Gold Quest is a program of the Foundation for Promotion of Sports and Games, a Not-for-Profit Company, which is committed to bridging the gap between the best athletes in India and the best athletes in the world thus helping Indian athletes to win Olympic Gold medals. Avendus has been supporting OGQ for the training of athletes for Olympic and Paralympics.
“Best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” – Mahatma Gandhi
As a part of CSR engagement, Avendus focuses on employee volunteering. Through various events and field visits employees engage in spending quality time with our CSR project beneficiaries.
Avendus celebrated World Environment Day in collaboration with the Seva Charitable Trust, an NGO dedicated to environmental conservation and preservation, at Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai. At the Avendus office, 38 enthusiastic employees volunteered to create 312 seedballs and 40 planters, sowing seeds of methi, radish, okra and other microgreens. The employees found the activity immensely satisfying, as it provided them a sense of fulfilment towards environmental stewardship.
Avendus, in collaboration with Samhita-CGF, hosted ’Stree – Agents of Change,’ a CSR event aimed at establishing a consistent forum for social impact stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions and drive initiatives focused on women's entrepreneurship.
The event featured speakers from prominent organizations, including SIDBI & CGTMSE, USAID, CGAP, Kotak Foundation, Mastercard, DXC Technology, Ambuja Foundation, Vrutti, EquiLead Initiative, JSW Foundation, Reliance Foundation, Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Udaiti Foundation, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME), and Ekstep Foundation/ONEST, who shared valuable insights on the theme.
The success stories of Jayashree Koli, Tejaswini Gurav and Vanita Pisal from our NGOs were undoubtedly the highlight of the day, emphasizing the power of well-designed programs, innovative financing mechanisms and the significant untapped potential of women entrepreneurs that can be unlocked with guidance, training and financial support.
Rohan Bopanna, program mentor with our NGO partner PMDTA, engaged in an insightful conversation with the senior leaders and sports enthusiasts at Avendus on April 25, 2024. He discussed his efforts to promote sports excellence by identifying young talent and preparing them to win prestigious slam titles and Olympic medals in the future. Bopanna also shed light on PMDTA's unique program, ‘Doubles Dream of India, tailored for Indian doubles players.
Kishor Patil, Co-founder, CEO & Managing Director of KPIT Technologies, and President at PMDTA, elaborated on PMDTA's initiative to empower deserving Indian doubles tennis players with the necessary resources to pursue tour and challenger titles.
Avendus spearheaded a tree plantation drive through project Vasundhara, at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, in partnership with The Gaia Foundation. Driven by a collective commitment to environmental conservation, Avenders, accompanied by their families, actively planted over 120 trees. The initiative also saw significant involvement from women beneficiaries associated with our partner NGOs, namely Kherwadi Social Welfare Association and Vrutti who played a crucial role in making this impactful initiative a success.
The joy of giving week at Avendus included a financial donation drive, a gratitude dinner for our support staff and their families, NGO stalls by partners such as Swayam Shikshan Prayog, Vrutti, and Mann Deshi Foundation, an organ donation campaign by Hinduja Hospital Trust, and an inspiring fireside chat with Ms. Rani Sarnobat, an Arjuna award-winning pistol shooter, supported by our partner Olympics Gold Quest.
Volunteering with the OSCAR foundation - 10 volunteers participated in team building and English language development activities with underprivileged children. More than 12 children from the OSCAR foundation were invited to the Avendus Mumbai office for an exposure visit.
Volunteering with NGO Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled - 10 volunteers visited NGO Samarthanam Trust for the disabled in Navi Mumbai. They guided more than 10 specially-abled students by helping them in interview preparations.
Volunteering and exposure visit with NGO Kherwadi Social Welfare Association - 3 volunteers visited NGO Kherwadi Social Welfare Association’s centre in Bandra. They guided more than 30 disadvantaged youth in soft skills development, mainly in self-introduction. Also, 10 students from the NGO visited the Avendus Mumbai office for their exposure visit, and 7 volunteers guided them in resume building and interview process.
As a part of project Swasthya, a medical check-up camp was organized in association with Hinduja Hospital Trust.60 specially abled students from NGO Samarthanam Trust were given a complete medical check-up.4 volunteers from Avendus assisted students and doctors during this camp. The camp included check-ups related to vital signs, hygiene parameters, basic screening for skin, lungs, eyes, oral check-up, and nutrition deficiency.
Project Eklavya aims at mentoring women entrepreneurs through eight eight-week journey where our volunteers guide them in their business expansion and soft skills improvement. Women entrepreneurs are selected by our partner NGO, Swayam Shikshan Prayog, from our known cohort in the Latur district in Maharashtra. A total of 12 volunteers and 16 women beneficiaries are part of Project Ekalavya.
The following topics are covered under project Eklavya:
In 2019-2020, Avendus Group collaborated with 5 NGOs focusing on two areas - Women Entrepreneurship and Sports Training. Over the past year, our relationship with these partners has only grown stronger.
This time around, we hosted Avendus Impact Day 2020, where current partners, new NGOs and passionate Avenders presented their vision for the coming year. With an ambition to deepen our impact, we celebrated our NGO partners’ inspiring stories and their plans for the future, all of which ensured that the event was a roaring success.
In partnership with Avendus CSR, Antarang has launched its ‘career ready’ program. The idea is to champion women’s entrepreneurial dreams by connecting young and eager students with experienced mentors from Avendus for a period of one year.
"It takes six grams of gold to lift the worth of a nation."
Arjuna
Award
winner and CEO of Olympic Gold Quest, Viren Rasquinha, visited
Avendus to
shed light on the benefits of investment in sports. He introduced
the
Avenders to OGQ and explained its mission to put India on the global
map by
helping Indian athletes win gold medals at the Olympics.
Avenders embarked on their first field visit with our partners at Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP). We met 70+ small business owners in Wagholi and Osmanabad, which will aid us on our journey of helping marginalized women become self-sufficient entrepreneurs.
Avendus visited Sarola in Latur, Maharashtra with our CSR partners Swayam Shikshan Prayog. We had the privilege of meeting trailblazing women entrepreneurs who are collectively building sustainable dairy and allied agriculture businesses.
In 2019, Avendus held “Live Pitch”, as a first CSR event, and invited eight NGOs working in women entrepreneurship to present their projects to an eminent panel of jury members. The ones selected would win grants from Avendus. It was our honor to host Mrs. Rajshree Birla, Mr. Amit Chandra, Ms. Samina Vaziralli and Ms. Ameera Shah, who were all well-known philanthropists, as our jury members for that event.
They picked two winning pitches. Our first winner, Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), has been empowering grassroot women’s collectives for the last 20 years, and has helped 1.5 lakh women to become entrepreneurs. Second winner, Antarang Foundation envisions a world in which every young person passionately and productively pursues a career of his/her choice. They have transformed the lives of over 50,000 vulnerable youth, especially young women. Through this event, employees were involved in creating leadership and awareness about our CSR projects.
Joy of Giving Week celebrated in 2022 at Avendus with its NGO partners with following objectives
As an impact of this event
Avendus has organized employee engagement visits to our CSR project site. Two such visits were conducted with our partner NGO Swayam Shikshan Prayog at the field site in Latur – Maharashtra region. SSP had been providing training to women in these regions in areas like dairy farming, cattle care, improving milk quality, organic farming of vegetables and pulses and vermicomposting.
These visits focused on
Employee engagement visits were helpful for employee volunteers to get exposure to CSR programs supported by Avendus and sensitized for one of our thrust areas - women's entrepreneurship.
As a part of support to Sports education Avendus in partnerships with NGOs empowers players in table tennis, football and supports athletes including para-athlete to participate in various national and international competitions.
Friendly matches have been organized between these players and Avendus employees to sensitize employees and to engage them with our project beneficiaries.