Corporate social responsibility : Tata Group


Code Of Honour

The term 'corporate social responsibility' is of relatively recent vintage. Not so the philosophy of social responsibility that underlines the Tata way of conducting its businesses, and the manner of its interactions with all the constituents that come under the canopy of corporate social responsibility. The multitude of initiatives the Group has nurtured from its earliest days flows from a wellspring of voluntary, as opposed to obligatory commitment.

Corporate Governance: Principles first

An implicit sense of ethical business conduct has been the cornerstone of the Tata way in the corporate governance sphere. On issues ranging from customer care and business excellence to financial propriety and more, explicit rules and regulations supplement the traditional values on which the Tata Group companies has been shaped.

Employee Relations: A feel for people

With some 2,46,000 members in its diverse and widespread family, the Tata Group is more than just another employer. The Group's many pioneering initiatives to benefit and empower employees have few parallels anywhere in the world, and it has blended its traditional benevolence with evolving human resource methodologies to deliver a whole lot beyond mere jobs

Environment: Green at heart

The Tata ethos places a special emphasis on environmental and ecological issues. The Group's efforts to preserve and regenerate the environment find expression in the slew of projects and programmes in has undertaken in and around its facilities and operations.

Community Initiatives: caring and sharing

From health and education to livelihoods and women-children welfare, from tribal hamlets in Jharkhand and the rural outback of Gujarat to the high ranges of Kerala and disadvantaged villages in Andhra Pradesh — the community work being undertaken by the companies and trusts of the Tata Group touches a multitude of Indians across the land. Beyond purely social work, this support extends to individuals and institutions pursuing artistic and sporting excellence.


CSR initiatives taken by Tata group companies

Tata Chemicals ltd.

Committed to sustainable development

Central to the corporate philosophy of Tata Chemicals is its passionate commitment to the social development of the communities in which it operates

Improving the quality of life and fostering sustainable and integrated development in the communities where it operates is central to Tata Chemicals' corporate philosophy.

This objective of social responsibility is equally well-entrenched in the minds of its employees, who play an active part in providing financial support and empowering rural communities to chart their own development.

Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL) set up the Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD) in 1980 to promote its social objectives for the communities in and around Mithapur and Babrala, where its facilities are located.

The Society works to protect and nurture the rural populations in and around TCL's facilities, and helps people achieve self-sufficiency in natural resource management, livelihood support and the building of health and education infrastructure.

Taking into account the different geographical spread of the two regions and their individual subcultures, different agricultural, economic and development programmes have been implemented in Mithapur (in Okhamandal) and Babrala.

Though it has initiated a slew of programmes, the main elements of Tata Chemicals' community development policy are:







In addition to the Society's relief and infrastructure activities, a host of programmes have been initiated to encourage self-sufficiency and to ensure that the Tata tradition of dedicated social responsibility is carried forward. Some of the initiatives that TCSRD is involved in are:


Tata Consultancy services

Our commitment to the social development of the communities around us mirrors that of the Tata Group. We believe our expertise in information technology can make a difference to the lives of the underprivileged and the less fortunate.


Information technology can be a critical and reliable instrument for social development and change, especially in a country such as India. TCS recognises this fact, and we understand the responsibility that organisations like ours have towards the wider communities that we operate in.

Our commitment to social welfare is a reflection of the Tata Group's ideal on this front. Towards that end, we have devoted considerable resources and effort in using information technology to solve, or at least mitigate, social problems in India.

Some examples:







Tata Mators


Green Matters: Tata Motors, a Company that cares about the future...
True to the tradition of the Tata Group, Tata Motors is committed in letter and spirit to Corporate Social Responsibility. It is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, and is engaged in community and social initiatives on labour and environment standards in compliance with the principles of the Global Compact. In accordance with this, it plays an active role in community development, serving rural communities around its manufacturing locations.

Tata Motors believes in technology for tomorrow. Our products stand testimony to this.Our annual expenditure on R&D is approximately 2% of our turnover. We have also set up two in-house Engineering Research Centres that house India's only Certified Crash Test Facility. We ensure that our products are environmentally sound in a variety of ways. These include reducing hazardous materials in vehicle components, developing extended life lubricants, fluids and using ozone-friendly refrigerants. Tata Motors has been making conscious effort in the implementation of several environmentally sensitive technologies in manufacturing processes. The Company uses some of the world's most advanced equipment for emission check and control.

Tata Motors concern is manifested by a dual approach –

1) Reduction of environmental pollution and regular pollution control drives
2) Restoration of ecological balance.

Our endeavors towards environment protection are soil and water conservation programmes and extensive tree plantation drives. Tata Motors is committed to restoring and preserving environmental balance, by reducing waste and pollutants, conserving resources and recycling materials.

Reducing Pollution:

Tata Motors has been at the forefront of the Indian automobile industry's anti-pollution efforts by introducing cleaner engines. It is the first Indian Company to introduce vehicles with Euro norms  well ahead of  the  mandated dates.  Tata  Motors'  joint venture with Cummins Engine Company, USA, in 1992, was a pioneering effort to introduce emission control technology for India. Over the years, Tata Motors has also made investments in setting up of an advanced emission-testing laboratory.

With the intention of protecting the environment, Tata Motors has upgraded the performance of its entire range of four and six cylinder engines to meet international emission standards. This has been accomplished with the help of world-renowned engine consultants like Ricardo and AVL. These engines are used in Tata Motors vehicles in the Indian market, as well as in over 70 export markets.

Tata Motors is constantly working towards developing alternative fuel engine technologies. It has manufactured CNG version of buses and followed it up with a CNG version of its passenger car, the Indica.

Restoring Ecological Balance:

Tata Motors has set up effluent treatment facilities in its plants, to avoid release of polluted water into the ecosystem. In Pune, the treated water is conserved in lakes attracting various species of birds from around the world thus turning the space into a green belt.

Tree plantation programmes involving villagers and Tata Motors employees, have turned acres of barren village green. Tata Motors has planted as many as 80,000 trees in the works and the township and more than 2.4 million trees have been planted in Jamshedpur region. Over half a million trees have been planted in the Poona region. Tata Motors has directed all its suppliers to package their products in alternate material instead of wood.

Community Development:

The Company's Community Service Division works through various societies to improve the conditions of neighbouring villages - encouraging economic independence through self-initiated cottage industries and contributing to community and social forestry, road construction, rural health, education, water supply and family planning.

Tata Motors has been making numerous well-planned efforts in the area of rural development, with specific focus on the following:


Health & Sanitation:

Mobile health service staff provide preventive and curative health services under the "Health For All" programme. They train village health workers in conducting the same. Safe drinking water facilities are provided to ensure health of the villagers.


Employment Generation:

Tata Motors encourages self-sufficiency with the aim to improving the confidence,  morale and  lives of its employees and their dependents. The Company has worked on some novel ideas around its townships. Employees' relatives at Pune have been encouraged to form various industrial co-operatives engaged in activities such as re-cycling of scrap wood into crates and furniture, welding, steel scrap baling, battery cable assembly etc. The Tata Motors Grihini Social Welfare Society caters to employees' women dependents'. The women folk make a variety of products, ranging from pickles and uniforms to electrical cable harnesses etc.


Community Centres:

These centres are situated in various parts of Jamshedpur, Pune and some of their neighbouring towns. The centres regularly organise various programmes & neighbouring populations are encouraged to participate in these activities.



Tata Power

Mumbai: April 30, 2003: Tata Power, India's leading private power utility company today announced their latest community initiative, "Jan Jagrutti Abhiyan-Vidyut Suraksha", a public service awareness campaign for the masses in Mumbai on the occasion of "Electric Safety Week", starting from 1st May'2003 to 7th May'2003.

Statistics reveal over the last 8-10 years, the number of accidents in the overheard lines has been increasing. The study carried out by Tata Power indicate, the major cause for accidents are primarily due to:

  1. Cable operators stringing cable wires close to the vicinity of the high tension lines
    b) Climbing on towers and roof tops under the high tension lines
    c)     Kite flying with metallic coated strings

  2. The accidents take place due to ignorance or lack of knowledge amongst the masses about the risk involved due to the above-mentioned reasons.

The total electrical accidents for the year 2002 with respect to Kite flying and TV Cable stringing cable wires has doubled in comparison to the year 2001, similarly accidents arising out of climbing on roof top and towers has increased three folds.

To commemorate this occasion, Tata Power is carrying a public service awareness campaign through volunteering in 18 locations across Mumbai educating the masses about the accidents that occur in and around the high-tension transmission lines in the city. The identified 18 locations cover Tagore Nagar-Vikroli, Pant Nagar-Ghatkopar, Ram Tekdi-Parel, Ambedkar Nagar-Mankhurd, Bihari Tekdi-Kandivili, Prabhudha Nagar-Wadala, Dinabandhu Nagar-Wadala, Social Nagar-Sion, Pratiksha Nagar-Sion / Koliwada, Bahandup Village-Bhandup, Thakkar Bappa Colony-Kurla, Amar Mahal-Chembeur, Charkop Malvani-Malad, Ganesh Nagar-Jogeshwari, Mumbra and Bhendipada.

Nine teams comprising of 80 volunteers will fan out across the selected areas to put up posters and to educate the general public through lectures, jingles and live skits. Through this public awareness campaign the company intends to arrest the increasing rate of casualties from the misuse of transmission lines/towers.

The Tata Power sponsored Lifeline Express - the world's first Hospital Train has changed the lives of thousands of underprivileged people of Maval and Mulshi Talukas, Khopoli and Karjat and the surrounding catchment areas of our Company.

Inaugurated on 14th Feburary,2003,at Lonavla, by Mr. Ashok Mohol, MP, the camp, which spanned thirty-five days, aimed at corrective surgery, free of charge, and focused on patients with cleft lip, cataract, polio caused defects and hearing impediments. In addition, the camp offered medical assistance and relief at an OPD.

To a large extent the success of the project goes to our volunteers who combed the targeted areas in a publicity campaign. They were supported by the doctors of the Primary Health Centres, anganwadi and school teachers, gramsewaks etc. Other publicity media including print, audio and visual displays were also employed for maximum coverage.

Over four hundred patients enrolled for Polio Corrective Surgery, out of which sixty cases could be operated upon. The others were administered medicines and physiotherapy or fitted with appliances.

Thirty of the seventy - three patients who had been screened for cleft lip surgery were operated upon by a team of experts in plastic surgery.

In keeping with the motto of the Tata Group, Tata Power has constantly given high priority to social concerns.

Environment Protection

Long before the present global ecological concern, Tata Power realised its moral and corporate responsibility towards environmental protection.

Pollution Control

Driven by its commitment to power generation harmonious with nature, Tata Power has taken concrete steps to sustain the ecological balance. Over Rs.100 crores have been invested on pollution control equipment at the Trombay Thermal Power Plant, to install:

Non-conventional Energy

Tata Power also shares worldwide concern for the depleting levels of conventional fuels and have planned to tap the non-conventional energy resources. To begin with, Tata Power has installed and commissioned an environment-friendly 110 KW Solar Energy Plant across the Walwhan Reservoir on an experimental basis.

Tata Power has made a foray in the renewable energy sector with commissioning of a 17 MW wind power project at Supa near Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.

Environment Education

Environment education must be made a concomitant of environment conservation. Tata Power has taken a lead in this direction.

Tata Tea

The welfare and the well being of Tata Tea's large workforce - about 34,000 employees and their families drawn largely from the weaker sections of the society is of paramount importance to the company. The company has put in dedicated effort and large expenditure, entirely voluntary, that has gone into upgrading the quality of life of the workforce.

Significant contribution to the country's social, cultural and environmental