1

A PROJECT REPORT ON
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
IN WIPRO
SUBMITTED TO:
UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI
ACADEMIC YEAR
(2015-16)
SUBMITTED BY:
RAHUL SHAH
ROLL NO: 31
M.COM PART-I (BUSINESS MANAGEMENT)
(SEMESTER 2)
PROJECT GUIDE:
PROF S.N.CHITALE
VPMS
K.G. JOSHI COLLEGE OF ARTS &
N.G. BEDEKAR COLLEGE OF COMMERCE
(THANE)

VIDYA PRASARAK MANDAL, THANE

K. G. JOSHI COLLEGE OF ARTS &

N. G. BEDEKAR COLLEGE OF COMMERCE

CERTIFICATE
OF
PROJECT WORK
This is certify that
Mr. / Ms.

_______________________________________________ Of

M.Com. (BUSINESS MANAGEMENT ) Part.: ____ Semester

:_____ Roll No. : _____ has undertaken & completed the
project work titled ___________________
______________________________ during the academic year
__________
under the guidance of Mr. / Ms.
___________________________________
Submitted on _____________ to this college in fulfillment
of the curriculum of MASTER OF COMMERCE ( BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT )
UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI .
This is a bonafide project work & the information
presented is True & original to the best of our
knowledge and belief .

PROJECT GUIDE

EXTERNAL EXAMINER

DECLARATION

I RAHUL SHAH studying in MCOM Part-1 hereby declare that I have

done

project

on

reference

RESPONSIBILITY IN WIPRO

to

CORPORATE

SOCAIL

As required by the university

rules, I state that the work presented in this thesis is original in

nature and to the best my knowledge, has not been submitted so
far to any other university.
Whenever references have been made to the work of others, it is
clearly indicated in the sources of information in references

Student
(AMRITA BHAT)

Place: Thane
Date:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It gives me great pleasure to declare that my project on CORPORATE SOCIAL

RESPOSIBLITY IN WIPRO have been prepared purely from the point of view of students
requirements.
This project covers all the information pertaining to CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY IN WIPRO .I had tried my best to write project in simple and lucid
manner. I have tried to avoid unnecessary discussions and details. At the same time it provides
all the necessary information. I feel that it would be of immense help to the students as well as
all others referring in updating their knowledge.
I am indebted to our principal Dr. Mrs. Shakuntala A. Singh Madam for giving us such an
awesome opportunity. I am also thankful to our coordinator Mr. D.M. Murdeshwar Sir and also
librarian and my colleagues for their valuable support, co-operation and encouragement in
completing my project.
Special thanks to Prof. S.N.CHITALE my internal guide for this project for giving me
expert guidance, full support and encouragement in completing my project successfully.
I take this opportunity to thanks my parents for giving guidance and for their patience and
understanding me while I am busy with my project work.
Lastly I am thankful to God for giving me strength, spirit and also his blessings for
completing my project successfully.

INDEX
SR
NO
.

CONTENTS

PAG
E
NO.

1.

INTRODUCTION

2.

CORE ELEMENTS

3.

IMPLIMENTATION GUIDANCE

1
1

4.

ISSUES AND CALLANGES

1
2

5.

CORE BENEFITS ANALYSIS

1
5

6.

CSR IN INDIA

1
7

7.
8.

CSR
STRATEGIES
FOCUS
ON
OPREATION
RATHER
THEN
COMPETITIVCE ADVANTAGE
COMPANY PROFILE

1
9
2
1

9.

CSR ACTIVITIES OF WIPRO

2
4

10.

CONCLUSION

3
8

11

BIBLIOGRAPHY

3
9

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

INTRODUCTION

Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate

citizenship or sustainable responsible business/ Responsible Business) is a form of
corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. CSR policy functions as
a self-regulatory mechanism whereby a business monitors and ensures its active
compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards and international norms.

With some models, a firm's implementation of CSR goes beyond compliance and
engages in "actions that appear to further some social good, beyond the interests of
the firm and that which is required by law." CSR aims to embrace responsibility for
corporate actions and to encourage a positive impact on the environment and
stakeholders including consumers, employees, investors, communities, and others.
The term "corporate social responsibility" became popular in the 1960s and has
remained a term used indiscriminately by many to cover legal and moral
responsibility more narrowly construed.
Proponents argue that corporations increase long term profits by operating with a
CSR perspective, while critics argue that CSR distracts from business' economic
role. A 2000 study compared existing econometric studies of the relationship
between social and financial performance, concluding that the contradictory results
of previous studies reporting positive, negative, and neutral financial impact, were
due to flawed empirical analysis and claimed when the study is properly specified,
CSR has a neutral impact on financial outcomes.
Critics questioned the "lofty" and sometimes "unrealistic expectations" in CSR or
that CSR is merely window-dressing, or an attempt to pre-empt the role of
governments as a watchdog over powerful multinational corporations.
Political sociologists became interested in CSR in the context of theories of
globalization, neoliberalism and late capitalism. Some sociologists viewed CSR as
a form of capitalist legitimacy and in particular point out that what began as a
social movement against uninhibited corporate power was transformed by
corporations into a 'business model' and a 'risk management' device, often with
questionable results.

CSR is titled to aid an organization's mission as well as a guide to what the

company stands for to its consumers. Business ethics is the part of applied ethics
that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that can arise in a
business environment. ISO 26000 is the recognized international standard for CSR.
Public sector organizations (the United Nations for example) adhere to the triple
bottom line (TBL). It is widely accepted that CSR adheres to similar principles, but
with no formal act of legislation.

DEFINITIONS
Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by business
to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while
improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of
the local community and society at large.
Operating a business in a manner that meets or exceeds the ethical, legal,
commercial and public expectations that society has of business.

CORE ELEMENTS
The CSR Policy should normally cover following core elements:
1. Care for all Stakeholders: The companies should respect the interests of, and
be responsive towards all stakeholders, including shareholders, employees,
customers, suppliers, project affected people, society at large etc. and create value
for all of them. They should develop mechanism to actively engage with all
stakeholders, inform them of inherent risks and mitigate them where they occur.
2. Ethical functioning: Their governance systems should be underpinned by
Ethics, Transparency and Accountability. They should not engage in business
practices that are abusive, unfair, corrupt or anti-competitive.
3. Respect for Workers' Rights and Welfare: Companies should provide a
workplace environment that is safe, hygienic and humane and which upholds the
dignity of employees. They should provide all employees with access to training
and development of necessary skills for career advancement, on an equal and nondiscriminatory basis. They should uphold the freedom of association and the
effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining of labour, have an
effective grievance redressal system, should not employ child or forced labour and
provide and maintain equality of opportunities without any discrimination on any
grounds in recruitment and during employment.
4. Respect for Human Rights: Companies should respect human rights for all and
avoid complicity with human rights abuses by them or by third party.

10

5. Respect for Environment: Companies should take measures to check and

prevent pollution; recycle, manage and reduce waste, should manage natural
resources in a sustainable manner and ensure optimal use of resources like land and
water, should proactively respond to the challenges of climate change by adopting
cleaner production methods, promoting efficient use of energy and environment
friendly technologies.
6. Activities for Social and Inclusive Development: Depending upon their core
competency and business interest, companies should undertake activities for
economic and social development of communities and geographical areas,
particularly in the vicinity of their operations. These could include: education, skill
building for livelihood of people, health, cultural and social welfare etc.
particularly targeting at disadvantaged sections of society.

11

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE
The CSR policy of the business entity should provide for an implementation
strategy which should include identification of projects/activities, setting
measurable physical targets with timeframe, organizational mechanism and
responsibilities, time schedules and monitoring. Companies may partner
with local authorities, business associations and civil society/nongovernment organizations. They may influence the supply chain for CSR
initiative and motivate employees for voluntary effort for social
development. They may evolve a system of need assessment and impact
assessment while undertaking CSR activities in a particular area.
Independent

evaluation

may

also

be

undertaken

for

selected

projects/activities from time to time.

Companies should allocate specific amount in their budgets for CSR
activities. This amount may be related to profits after tax, cost of planned
CSR activities or any other suitable parameter.
To share experiences and network with other organizations the company
should engage with well established and recognized programmes/platforms
which encourage responsible business practices and CSR activities. This
would help companies to improve on their CSR strategies and effectively
project the image of being socially responsible.
The companies should disseminate information on CSR policy, activities and
progress in a structured manner to all their stakeholders and the public at
large through their website, annual reports, and other communication media.

12

ISSUES & CHALLENGES

Many companies think that corporate social responsibility is a peripheral issue for
their business and customer satisfaction more important for them. They imagine
that customer satisfaction is now only about price and service, but they fail to point
out on important changes that are taking place worldwide that could blow
the business out of the water. The change is named as social responsibility which is
an opportunity for the business. Some of the drivers pushing business towards CSR
include:
The Shrinking Role of Government: In the past, governments have relied on
legislation and regulation to deliver social and environmental objectives in the
business sector. Shrinking government resources, coupled with a distrust of
regulations, has led to the exploration of voluntary and non-regulatory initiatives
instead.
Demands for Greater Disclosure: There is a growing demand for corporate
disclosure from stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, employees,
communities, investors, and activist organizations.
Increased Customer Interest: There is evidence that the ethical conduct of
companies exerts a growing influence on the purchasing decisions of customers. In
a recent survey by Environics International, more than one in five consumers
reported having either rewarded or punished companies based on their perceived
social performance.
Growing Investor Pressure: Investors are changing the way they assess
companies' performance, and are making decisions based on criteria that include
ethical concerns. The Social Investment Forum reports that in the US in 1999,
there was more than$2 trillion worth of assets invested in portfolios that used
screens linked to the environment and social responsibility. A separate survey by
Environics International revealed that more than a quarter of share-owning
Americans took into account ethical considerations when buying and selling

13

stocks. (More on socially responsible investment can be found in the 'Banking and
investment' section of the site.)
Competitive Labour Markets: Employees are increasingly looking beyond
paychecks and benefits, and seeking out employers whose philosophies
and operating practices match their own principles. In order to hire and
retain skilled employees, companies are being forced to improve working
conditions.
Supplier Relations: As stakeholders are becoming increasingly interested in
business affairs, many companies are taking steps to ensure that their partners
conduct themselves in a socially responsible manner. Some are introducing codes
of conduct for their suppliers, to ensure that other companies' policies or practices
do not tarnish their reputation. Dr Ratnam said the concept of CSR
had different meanings depending on the stakeholder and that depending on the
specific situation of the enterprises expectations can also vary. A CSR project can
begin in response to a crisis or adverse publicity that a company may suffer. The
motive for launching CSR can vary between philanthropy or notions of corporate
citizenship. In India, over time, the expectations of the public has grown
enormously with demands focusing on poverty alleviation, tackling
unemployment, fighting inequality or forcing companies to take affirmative action.
Lack of Community Participation in CSR Activities: There is a lack of interest
of the localcommunity in participating and contributing to CSR activities of
companies. This is largely attributableto the fact that there exists little or no
knowledge about CSR within the local communities as no seriousefforts have been
made to spread awareness about CSR and instil confidence in the local
communitiesabout such initiatives. The situation is further aggravated by a lack of
communication between thecompany and the community at the grassroots.
Need to Build Local Capacities: There is a need for capacity building of the local
non-governmentalorganizations as there is serious dearth of trained and efficient
organizations that can effectivelycontribute to the ongoing CSR activities initiated
by companies. This seriously compromises scaling upof CSR initiatives and
subsequently limits the scope of such activities.

14

Issues of Transparency: Lack of transparency is one of the key issues brought

forth by the survey.There is an expression by the companies that there exists lack
of transparency on the part of the localimplementing agencies as they do not make
adequate efforts to disclose information on their programs,audit issues,
impact assessment and utilization of funds. This reported lack of transparency
negativelyimpacts the process of trust building between companies and local
communities, which is a key to thesuccess of any CSR initiative at the local level.
Non-availability of Well Organized Non-governmental Organizations: It is
also reported that thereis non-availability of well organized nongovernmental
organizations in remote and rural areas that canassess and identify real needs of the
community and work along with companies to ensure successfulimplementation of
CSR activities. This also builds the case for investing in local communities by
wayof building their capacities to undertake development projects at local levels.

15

COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS
In competitive markets cost-benefit analysis of CSR initiatives, can be examined
using a Resource-Based View (RBV). According to Barney (1990) "formulation of
the RBV, sustainable competitive advantage requires that resources be valuable
(V), rare (R), inimitable (I) and non-substitutable (S)." A firm introducing a CSRbased strategy might only sustain high returns on their investment if their CSRbased strategy could not be copied (I). However, should competitors imitate such a
strategy, that might increase overall social benefits. Firms that choose CSR for
strategic financial gain are also acting responsibly.
RBV presumes that firms are bundles of heterogeneous resources and capabilities
that are imperfectly mobile across firms. This imperfect mobility can produce
competitive advantages for firms that acquire immobile resources. McWilliams and
Siegel (2001) examined CSR activities and attributes as a differentiation strategy.
They concluded that managers can determine the appropriate level of investment in
CSR by conducting cost benefit analysis in the same way that they analyze other
investments.
Reinhardt (1998) found that a firm engaging in a CSR-based strategy could only
sustain an abnormal return if it could prevent competitors from imitating its
strategy.

16

TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE

"People, planet and profit", also known as the triple bottom line form one way to
evaluate CSR. "People" refers to fair labour practices, the community and region
where the business operates. "Planet" refers to sustainable environmental
practices. Profit is the economic value created by the organization after deducting
the cost of all inputs, including the cost of the capital (unlike accounting
definitions of profit).
This measure was claimed to help some companies be more conscious of their
social and moral responsibilities. However, critics claim that it is selective and
substitutes a company's perspective for that of the community. Another criticism is
about the absence of a standard auditing procedure.
BRAND DIFFERENTIATION
CSR can help build customer loyalty based on distinctive ethical values. Some
companies use their commitment to CSR as their primary positioning tool,
e.g., The Co-operative Group, The Body Shop and American Apparel.
Some companies use CSR methodologies as a strategic tactic to gain public
support for their presence in global markets, helping them sustain a competitive
advantage by using their social contributions as another form of advertising.

17

CSR IN INDIA
CSR is not a new concept in India. Ever since their inception, corporates like the
Tata Group, the Aditya Birla Group,and Indian Oil Corporation, to name a few,
have been involved in serving the community. Through donations and charity
events, many other organizations have been doing their part for the society. The
basic objective of CSR in these days is to maximize the company's overall impact
on the society and stakeholders. CSR policies, practices and programs are being
comprehensively integrated by an increasing number of companies throughout
their business operations and processes. A growing number of corporates feel that
CSR is not just another form of indirect expense but is important for protecting the
goodwill

and

reputation,

defending

attacks

and

increasing

business

competitiveness.
Companies have specialised CSR teams that formulate policies, strategies and
goals for their CSR programs and set aside budgets to fund them. These programs
are often determined by social philosophy which have clear objectives and are well
defined and are aligned with the mainstream business. The programs are put into
practice by the employees who are crucial to this process. CSR programs ranges
from community development to development in education, environment and
healthcare etc.

18

For example, a more comprehensive method of development is adopted by some

corporations such as Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Maruti Suzuki India
Limited. Provision of improved medical and sanitation facilities, building schools
and houses, and empowering the villagers and in process making them more selfreliant by providing vocational training and a knowledge of business operations are
the facilities that these corporations focus on. Many of the companies are helping
other peoples by providing them good standard of living.
Also, corporates increasingly join hands with non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) and use their expertise in devising programs which address wider social
problems.
CSR has gone through many phases in India. The ability to make a significant
difference in the society and improve the overall quality of life has clearly been
proven by the corporates. Not one but all corporates should try and bring about a
change in the current social situation in India in order to have an effective and
lasting solution to the social woes . Partnerships between companies, NGOs and
the government should be facilitated so that a combination of their skills such as
expertise, strategic thinking, manpower and money to initiate extensive social
change will put the socio-economic development of India on a fast track.

19

CSR STRATEGIES FOCUSING ON PROTECTION RATHER

THAN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
A CSR strategy that is focused on avoiding regulatory liability and maintaining a license to
operate in the current business will neither lead to current competitive advantage nor
an imagination of future business models. Managing regulations, risk and
legitimacy (license to operate) is also reflected in the main capabilities emphasized
by the respondents: ethical behavior, social accountability and stakeholder engagement.In
order to leverage its CSR/sustainability strategy for competitive advantage, an
organization needs the advanced capabilities of organizational learning and
sustainable innovation. These two capabilities are

building sustainable business

models that will lead to future sustained competitive advantage.

AN ARTICLE ON CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN INDIA:
Putting Social-Economic Development on a Fast Track by Ramya Sathish
mentioned that many CSR initiatives are executed by corporate in partnership
with Non-governmental
organizations
(NGOs)
who
are well versed
in working with the local communities and are experts in tackling specific social
problems. For example, SAP India in partnership with Hope Foundation, an NGO
that
works
for
the
betterment
of
the poor and the needy
throughout India,has been working on short and long-term rebuilding
initiatives for the tsunami victims. Together, they also started The SAP Labs Center
of HOPE in Bangalore, a home for street children, where they provide food,
clothing, shelter, medical care and education. CSR has come a long way in India.
From responsive activities to sustainable initiatives, corporate have clearly
exhibited their ability to make a significant difference in the society and improve
the overall quality of life. In the current social situation in India, it is difficult for

20

one single entity to bring about change, as the scale is enormous. Corporate have
the expertise, strategic thinking, manpower and money to facilitate extensive social
change. Effective partnerships between corporate, NGOs and the government will
place Indias social development on a faster track.

AN ARTICLE ON TRUST AND CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:

Lessons from India, authors mentioned Spirituality and Corporate Social
Responsibility have had a deep-rooted connection in India. A phenomenon that has
preceded the coining of the term CSR, the link between the karma as espoused
by sacred Indian texts and initiatives anchoring corporate as responsible citizens
has been amply evident in India since the early days.
This is widely divergent from the perspective of corporate social responsibility in
Western economies as reflected in the observation by Arthur Page, vice president
of public relations at AT&T for around 20 years and former advisor to the US
President: all business in a democratic country begins with public permission
and exists by public approval .
Viewed from this perspective, public relations professionals are the custodians of
trust for the corporate world. While the global spotlight today focuses on debates
on corporate trust, India can proudly flaunt a head start in this arena. Yet, before we
present Indias case, lets briefly scan some recent happenings, particularly in the
US, that led to an erosion of trust in Corporate Inc. worldwide.
Education is the most preferred area of CSR for Indian companies, with 85% of the
companies surveyed engaged in it, followed by health (67.5 per cent) and rural
development and livelihoods (57.5 %).

21

COMPANY PROFILE

Wipro
Limited (Western
India
Products
Limited[1])
is
an
Indian multinational IT Consulting and System Integrationservices company
headquartered in Bangalore, India. As of December 2014, the company has
154,297 employees servicing over 900 large enterprise & Fortune 1000
corporations with a presence in 61 countries.[7] On 31 January 2015, its market
capitalisation was approximately 1.63 trillion ($26.3 billion), making it one of
India's largest publicly traded companies and seventh largest IT services firm in the
World.[8]
To focus on core IT Business, it demerged its non-IT businesses into a separate
company named Wipro Enterprises Limited with effect from 31 March 2013. [9] The
demerged companies are consumer care, lighting, healthcare and infrastructure
engineering which contributed approximately 10% of the revenues of Wipro
Limited in previous financial year.[10][11]Recently Wipro has also identified Brazil,
Canada & Australia as rapidly growing markets globally and has committed to
strengthen the presence in the respective countries over the next 5 years.

WIPRO GROUP OF COMPANIES

22

Wipro Ltd.
Wipro Limited is a global company provider of comprehensive IT solutions and
services, including Systems Integration, Consulting, Information Systems
outsourcing, IT-enabled services, and R&D services.
It is also a value added reseller of desktops, servers, notebooks, storage products,
networking solutions and packaged software for international brands.[54]
Wipro entered into the technology business in 1981 and has over 140,000
employees and clients across 54 countries today. IT revenues stood at $6.2 billion
for the year ended 31 March 2013, with a repeat business ratio of over 95%.
The business model at Wipro Technologies Ltd is an industry aligned customer
facing model which gives greater understanding of customers businesses to build
industry specific solutions.

Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting

Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting (WCCLG), a business unit of Wipro Limited
operates in the FMCG segment offering a wide range of consumable commodities.
Established in 1945, the first product to be introduced by WCCLG was vegetable
oil, later popularised under the brand name "Sunflower Vanaspati". It offers
personal care products, such as Wipro Baby Soft and Wipro Safewash, toilet soaps
like Santoor and Chandrika as well as international brands like Yardley. Its
portfolio of lighting solutions includes products like Smartlite CFL, LED,
emergency lights and more.
Through its customer-centric products and acquisitions, Wipro Consumer Care and
Lighting has become a fast-growing company in the FMCG segment.
Wipro Infrastructure Engineering
Wipro Infrastructure Engineering is the hydraulics business division of Wipro
Limited and has been in the business of manufacturing hydraulic cylinders, truck

23

cylinders, and their components and solutions since 1976. This division delivers
hydraulic cylinders to international OEMs and represents the Kawasaki, Sun
Hydraulicsand Teijin Seiki range of hydraulic products in India. It has entered into
partnerships with companies like Kawasaki and aerospace giant EADS.The
commitment to quality has made Wipro Infrastructure Engineering the second
largest independent manufacturer of cylinders in the world. The company has
recently ventured into water treatment systems and solutions to cater to the needs
of various industries.
Wipro GE Medical Systems Limited
Wipro GE Medical Systems Limited is Wipros joint venture with GE Healthcare
South Asia. It is engaged in the research and development of advanced solutions to
cater to patient and customer needs in healthcare. This partnership, which began in
1990,[75] today includes offerings like gadgets and equipment for diagnostics,
healthcare IT solutions and services to help healthcare professionals combat
cancer, heart disease, and other ailments. There is complete adherence to Six
Sigma quality standards in all products.
SUSTAINABILITY OF WIPRO
Wipros approach to sustainability is structured on enabling itself, as an
organisation, and its customers to be more ecologically sustainable. It is driven by
issues considered important to employees, India current and future generations,
customers, investors, suppliers, and the community as a whole. Wipro has been
ranked 1st in the 2010 Asian Sustainability Rating (ASR TM) of Indian companies
and is a member of the NASDAQ Global Sustainability Index as well as the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index.

24

CSR ACTIVITIES OF WIPRO

WOMEN OF WIPRO: EMPOWERING WOMEN TO CREATE THEIR
FUTURE
The Women of Wipro (WOW) council launched various initiatives to facilitate,
enable and empower women employees. Panel discussions with internal women
leaders, mentoring programs for high potential women, workshops and
development programs and a Women of Wipro website enable women to grow in
their careers.These initiatives have ensured a consistent increase in women
representation in various levels in the company over the last few years.
Representation of women in Wipro has increased from 19% in 2004 to 29% in
2010.
ENABLING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
While Wipro has always attempted to be an equal opportunity employer with zero
tolerance for discrimination of any kind, we have added greater focus by
consciously creating more career opportunities in Wipro for people with
disabilities. As a visible change, access guidelines have been made an integral part
of our building guidelines so every new building is designed for better
accessibility.
The changes made to recruitment, training and other policies enable persons with
disabilities to build meaningful careers in Wipro. The past year saw us recruiting
from management and technical campuses and through consultants to welcome
persons with disabilities into mainstream roles. They have recruited 20 such people
in the last 2 years. Structured education to sensitize our managers on diversity,
anti-discrimination and anti-harassment through classrooms as well as online
programs. They believe that these efforts have laid the foundation for a diverse
talent team in the future.

25

Their efforts were recognized in the form of NCPEDP Shell Helen Keller Award
for 2009 given to Wipro as an organization and to one of our employees for being a
positive Role Model amongst the physically challenged people
IT IS FAR GREATER TO SUSTAIN THAN IT IS TO CREATE.
Wipro is built on a foundation of values - Spirit of Wipro. These values drive
Wipro. Acting with Sensitivity is one of the three values and is manifested in our
approach to stakeholders & ecology. Our journey towards ecological and social
sustainability is an integral part of Wipros view of Good Citizenship. As a
responsible global organization Wipro would like to lead the way in sustainability
practices.
ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY AT WIPRO
It is an accepted fact that the current path to economic progress is ecologically
unsustainable. This brings us to the moot point of choices.
The most obvious being that if each one of us - organizations and individuals in the
global society, adopt an ecologically sustainable path, we have the best chance of
shaping a secure and happy future.
EcoEye is Wipros initiative towards ecological sustainability that has today
become a concerted organization-wide program. Its this lens of ecological
sustainability that is transforming the way we do business and engage with all our
stakeholders.
Their sustainability framework is pivoted on engaging with multiple stakeholders
in areas of vital and common interest, founded on an unchanging bedrock of
integrity and values.
Their customer stewardship program in Sustainability offers an integrated portfolio
of solutions in Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, Water Treatment, Green Lighting,
Green PCs, Green Datacenters and IT for Green Software Solutions.
Wipros Green PC is a complete case study in sustainable product design, energy
efficient operations and extended responsibility for e-waste. Wipros Green PC

26

models are 100% Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant.

Recently we launched a model that goes beyond RoHS compliance and is
PolyVinylChloride (PVC) and Brominated Flame Retardants (BFR) free. 100% of
our laptop models and 70% of our desktop models are Energy Star 5 rated.
These ratings represent an energy efficiency of 10-15% and thus enable customers
to save energy and reduce their corresponding Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.
Wipro was the first Indian IT company to launch an extensive take back program
in 2006 for customers to return their end-of-life desktops and laptops. With more
than 16 such collection centers across India, it has set the standard for responsible
e-waste management.
WE LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNITY LIVES IN US.
Social Sustainability
A sustainable business does not exist in a vacuum. Its sustainability is directly
related to the well being and sustainability of the society in which it is embedded.
Wipro's social an community initiatives are based on the belief that business has a
clear responsibility to contribute to the creation of a just, equitable and humane
society.
For almost a decade now, we have been engaged in social transformation
initiatives. From the time we began, we decided to engage in social issues with
sensitivity, rigor and an open mind, and most importantly with responsibility. This
led to wide consultations and brainstorming, resulting in our decision to work in
three areas:
School education, through Wipro Applying Thought in Schools
Towards increasing employability, through Mission10X
Towards addressing the immediate concerns in society, through Wipro Cares
Wipro Applying Thought in Schools (WATIS)

27

WATIS is a focused initiative towards systemic reform in school education in

India, to improve the quality of education. A partnership of over 30 organizations
with specific projects on the ground is at the core of this initiative, involving over
1000 schools across 17 states.
We continued our journey this year by expanding our reach to a wider community.
Some of the key themes of the work were:
An initiative to create quality literature for children and about education
We supported a two year project for writing a book titled What Did You Ask At
School Today? by Kamala V. Mukunda and was published by Harper Collins.
Strengthening the Wipro Education Fellowship network
Launched in 2007, this program provides individuals with opportunities to create
shareable learning for schools and the larger education community.
The assignments are either commissioned books, research/documentation
assignments, creating good educational literature or even working on a specific
school intervention or Wipro project based on needs. Two Junior Fellows have
completed their Fellowship and we currently have 7 Fellows working on projects
in two broad areas:
learning, observing and documenting the experience in some of our school
projects
a project of own interest, related to school education or childrens literature
Expanding the community of partner organizations
A new Holistic School Engagement project was initiated with Center for Education
and Voluntary Action (CEVA) in Chandigarh. We work with the New Public
School (NPS), Chandigarh in creating a teaching-learning environment based on
experiential and participative practices.

28

We partnered with Udaan-Janvikas, Ahmedabad to help the organization build a

resource center for educators. Udaans work is with children who primarily depend
on government schools and the work is focused on influencing the government
school system.
We initiated a new project with The Teacher Foundation in 12 schools in Bangalore
which aims at making schools emotionally safe places, where the interaction with
children is sensitive.
We are currently working on 22 long-term projects with 20 partner
organizations,10 of which are Holistic School Engagements.
Extending advocacy efforts to parents and teachers on the importance of
conceptual understanding in the learning process
This year we reached out further by recording student misconceptions as videos to
schools and also conducted teacher and parent workshops. We engaged with
around 500 schools and educators through these sessions. This gives teachers and
parents insights into how children think about various concepts and thus better
support the learning process. We have made these videos available to more than
9,000 schools.
Mission10X
Mission10X, a not-for-profit trust of Wipro, places great emphasis on the creativity
of the learner. It also aims at enhancing the learning ability of engineering
institutions in India and their response to the challenges of employability.
Our affiliations with institutes and universities saw distinguished thinkers,
educationists and leaders from the academia provide the necessary stimulus to be
thrust into the right path.
To facilitate this exchange and create a web enabled community of engineering
faculties, we augmented the Mission10X portal with storage and access
mechanisms. Faculties across the country are now able to create engineering assets,
document and share them using the portal. Currently the number of innovative
assets (in 18 engineering disciplines) stands at 3,370.

29

Mission10X set out to reach and empower 10,000 engineering faculties with
innovative learning methodologies by September 2010. The year 2009-10 saw an
accelerated growth aided by affiliations with reputed universities and by end of
year the mission has successfully empowered over 7,777 faculties across 19 states
in India.
Wipro Cares
The focus of Wipro Cares is on education & healthcare for marginalized
communities, and environment & disaster rehabilitation.
Education: We work with partners to create an engaging atmosphere where
children can spend a few hours a day at informal learning centres. These centres
double up as bridge schools and aim to get out-of-school children back into the
mainstream.
Some of our initiatives aim to provide additional support to bright students from
poor families by providing books or opening up their world through interactions
and motivation.
Healthcare: Our mobile clinics reach the communities around our factories and
provide healthcare to those who cannot come to the centre. We provide primary
health care services and focus on both preventive and curative treatment.
Environment: Wipro Cares undertakes activities in the community under its
EcoEye charter. We have adopted and developed Lake Manikonda in Hyderabad.
This year we worked to increase its water holding capacity, built a bio-fence and
installed a water purifier system to ensure that the incoming water is clean.
Disaster Rehabilitation: In areas affected by disasters, Wipro Cares works on
rehabilitation, to provide long term support to the community, to restart their lives.
In 2009-10, Wipro Cares ran a pilot project in parts of Bihar affected by the Kosi
river breach. We provided ecologically sustainable infrastructure such as ecosanitation, solar lights and rain water harvesting in the community of Mandal
Thola in Puraini village.

30

We have also provided solar street lights, cobbled streets, raised platforms as
shelters for animals, raised hand-sets and cleaned open wells among other
activities.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Reaching out to create new opportunities
Our commitment has never been limited to the processes and projects we execute
in our daily functions at Wipro Technologies. Over the years, we have developed a
clear road to realize our vision of taking our success to other sections of society
who struggle to care for their own basic needs.
Wipro Cares
Realities keep changing in an unpredictable world. In the midst of this there arise
crises that need to be immediately attended to and through Wipro Cares we strive
hard to address this. From community relief and rehabilitation in times of disasters
to education opportunities, health and wellness programs for the needy, we make
sure that our work touches every level of society who needs our help. Our Wipro
Care program is executed with the help of our employees who are free to volunteer
their services and other recognized voluntary organizations who make sure the goal
is never out of focus.
Wipro Applying Thought in Schools
Education is recognized as a key investment in Wipro, not only within, but also
marked and leveraged as a social initiative. Through the Applying Thought in
Schools initiative, we take our tagline seriously enough to build a network of social
organizations committed to education reform. Education quality, research and
interventions are clearly defined that our program explores.
Eco Eye
Our commitment to the ecology around us is as strong as our every endeavor. We
believe that the future lies in sustainable solutions that will never interfere with our
environment. With the formation of Eco Eye, we are now a business that

31

incorporates

better

ecological

balance

in

every

project

we

execute.

Wipro Cares
Wipro Cares is our community initiative that helps marginalized communities
living in our neighborhoods. This initiative is organized as a trust and works with
funds donated by Wiproites and these funds are in turn matched by Wipro.
Our Operations
Wipro Cares works on the model of channelizing voluntary employee efforts to
contribute to the needs of the neighboring communities.
Volunteers become members of the local chapter and few may emerge as leaders.
These chapters in different locations proactively identify projects based on the
requirement of the community in that location.
These projects are then evaluated by the project head and the central team to be
approved by the trustees.
We have launched Wipro Cares projects in the following areas:
Education
Healthcare
Environment
Disaster Rehabilitation
Wipro Cares has also volunteered efforts in various areas where extreme
circumstances
required
humane
interventions.
Education
Wipro strongly believes that education is the basic enabler and through Wipro
Cares we work with NGOs who in turn work with underprivileged children. We
offer them opportunities for holistic development, run bridge schools and also train
them in vocational skills. While supporting these education activities we also train
teachers to engage with children who come from struggling backgrounds.

32

Education Projects Back to the Future A learning center for children

We work through an NGO called Towards Future to provide learning opportunities
and bridge schooling. Our primary objective is to prepare the children to go to
regular schools. We also provide them a nutrition supplement in this center.
Supporting girls to complete their high school
We work through an NGO called Rockfund that encourages and enables girls to
pursue their education till 10th standard by providing them financial support. This
is done through close interactions with the childs parents and the schools. The
parents have to commit their support in allowing the child to study.
Impact
The girls are motivated to pursue their education further
They are also encouraged and prompted to perform better in their studies because
if they do not achieve the required goals then the funding may be stopped
Teachers Training Center - Parivartan
We work through an NGO called Door Step School to educate, train and equip
teachers to educate migrant children.
Impact
If the teachers are trained, then the children get comfortable with them thus
reducing drop-out rate
The trained teachers have successfully taken the number of beneficiary children
up to 600 per year
Community Center to fulfill the need of children and adolescents
Our Work
We work with an NGO called Swadhar to address the needs of children of all ages
in a particular area

33

Impact

The confidence of children has risen and the drop-out rate has reduced
Adolescent girls have adopted skills such as tailoring, jewelry-making and other
crafts, thus helping them to earn a small living
The community is gradually responding to the concept of a library and are
engaging themselves in reading books and newspapers in their leisure time
Healthcare
Rural Health Program
Wipro Cares launched Project Sanjeevani, its first rural healthcare project, on the
6th of November 2009, in Aurangabad district. It was launched in partnership with
Savitribai Phule Mahila Ekatma Samaj Mandal (SPMESM), a reputed NGO, which
has extensive experience in working in rural healthcare.

The project will cover nine small villages, all situated in and around Wipros Waluj
factory. Over the next three years, Project Sanjeevani aims to build a sustainable
Primary Healthcare system with the involvement of the local population. Towards
this aim, the project will:

Provide quality primary health services by operating a Mobile Health Clinic

Strengthen the local Anganwadi institutions to improve the attendance of children
so as to ascertain and improve their health
Identify and treat malnutrition cases in the project area
Identify and register pregnant women and provide them with basic medical
services
Create awareness regarding personal hygiene, diet and vaccination through
awareness programs and counseling sessions
Environment
Wipro is aware and concerned about the state of the global environment and
ecology. We believe that it is extremely important to create and maintain a
sustainable environment in the community around us. Wipro Cares has been

34

continuously working in various areas that contribute to a sustainable environment

and some of these initiatives are reflected here.
Ecological Development of a lake in Manikonda, Hyderabad
The Manikonda Lake, measuring an area of about 8.84 acres, has been drastically
shrinking over the last few years due to the developmental activities around it. Our
objective was
to develop a bio diverse lake eco system
improve the water holding capacity
create roosting and nesting sites for local and migrant birds and
develop weed patches as feeding and breeding grounds for birds
We developed a unique niche for bio diversity by creating a natural habitat using
locally available silt, stones, plantation of native species of trees, herbs and rooted
macrophytes. This has significantly increased the number of birds such as herons,
kingfishers and ducks visiting the lake.
Transplantation of trees in Bangalore
Till date, we have transplanted 40 trees from busy roads in Bangalore into public
places. Another 30 trees have been transplanted into our own campuses.
'Less Plastic for Me' campaign
Along with an NGO called Saahas, that works in the area of waste management,
we are creating awareness regarding the ill-effects of use of plastic. In this
endeavor we have:
Worked with and educated people at supermarkets, malls and shops
Introduced common collection centers for used plastic in schools, apartments and
super-markets
Worked with specific audience in apartment blocks and residential lay-outs to
involve them in our campaign
Worked with educational institutions through various clubs and active groups to
motivate students to reject the use of disposable products on campus and ensure

35

the collection and recycling of products used

Interacted with officers of the department of environment and ecology, state
pollution control board and city municipal corporation to introduce them to the
program and to elicit support from them
Disaster Rehabilitation
At Wipro Cares, we believe that the victims of disaster need our help and
encouragement to rebuild their lives after natural calamities. Hence, we engage
them to understand their needs to be able to provide them the support that will help
them create a self sustainable environment.

Gujarat earthquake relief

Provided mobile physiotherapy units
Helped build a health center with a
physiotherapy unit to provide care to
patients

Orissa cyclone relief

Built a cyclone shelter equipped with
a siren, life jackets and HAM station
This center also works as a school
and is equipped with blackboards and
bench

Our work in tsunami affected areas in Tamil Nadu

We have spent considerable time to understand the needs of the affected people and
plan the rehabilitation program in this region. Given below are the details of the
work that we have executed in the tsunami affected areas in India.
Pushpavanam Village
Our work in Pushpavanam village focused on creating livelihood, building houses
and insuring the people against a similar disaster in future.
Evolved a cost effective but labor intensive solution to reclaim 100.25 acres of
agricultural land
Coastal tree plantation done in this village against the destructive recurring flood
Added additional infrastructure to four of the existing schools, catering to over
500 children

36

Built toilets and provided clean drinking water to the village to ensure hygiene
and good health
Naluvedapaty
Reconstructed houses that were damaged by the tsunami
Supported the village and helped reconstruct 35 earthquake and cyclone-free
homes as per the government norms in Naluvedapaty

Kasturba Kanya Gurukulam

We worked with the Kasturba Gurukulam, a 65-year-old institution in Vedaranyam
in Nagapattinam district, started by Mr. Vedaratnam, a freedom fighter, who
donated all his land for this institution. It is a well-known pioneering institution
that provides vocational training and education, and also helps girls to find jobs. In
this regard we have taken the following initiative:
We are constructing a school cum dorm facility
The dorm will accommodate 600 girls and the school will facilitate the integration
of spacious classrooms, laboratories and libraries
Sustainability
Bringing environment consciousness to the forefront
Sustainability is not just about protecting our natural environment, it also involves
creating a better community, promoting a vibrant social network and reviving
economic growth. Wipros sustainability initiatives are based on the belief that
businesses today have a clear responsibility to contribute to the creation of a just,
equitable and humane society.
WIPRO initiatives in this area cover:
Sustainability Disclosures Providing a clear picture of the sustainability
initiatives recognized and undertaken by Wipro.
Eco-eye A platform dedicated to showcase Wipros eco-initiatives and track the
path that Wipro has undertaken to enable eco sustainability.

37

Diversity Reflects the diverse culture at Wipro and extends opportunities to

individuals who can make a difference in the organization.

Wipro develops eco-sustainability

Energy and GHG efficiency
25% improvement in energy efficiency in the last 6 years due to adoption of
green building standards based on LEED framework
44% reduction in use of printing paper through effective automated controls
and behavioral changes
Water efficiency
32% of water requirement met through water recycling and harvesting
Waste management
Four biogas plants convert food waste to cooking fuel translating into a net
reduction of 100 tons per annum

Wipro enables eco-sustainability initiatives for customers

Builds Green Data Centers that consume 10-20% less energy
Operates green certified (LEED) buildings that offer better working
environment and economy
Helps in greening existing buildings that save energy and operational costs
Consults factories to go 'Green' and work efficiently under an eco umbrella

38

CONCLUSION
Wipro faced many barries when it first started, the biggest as its CEO mentioned in
an interview with Forbes was that they were looked as a joke being a consumer
care company going into technology. That's why they changed their name from
Western India Products Limited to Wipro. It was about the credibility. But they
invested a lot in R&D and talent.
Wipro put plenty of support money into building custom solutions and into
building a strong after-sales service network that was not very prevalent in those
days.
Today the IT industry is strong and so its Wipro. Wipro has presence around the
world and even in Latin America where it has been difficult for them to acquire the
experience. Wipro is a company that keeps growing, and expanding around the
world.Wipro is doing recruitment from American, European campuses and are now
starting Japanese campuses. They are setting up a center in Atlanta, where they will
be recruiting from universities, and would like to build up to 500 people. They'll
probably have two more centers in the U.S., typically in low-cost areas, university
towns. Community sensitivity and visa concerns make this essential, and it makes
sense to have a local cadre, apart from employees gained through acquisitions.
Wipro Cares is Wipros community initiative focused on certain key developmental

39

issues faced by underserved and underprivileged communities. It is a trust formed

in the year 2003 that seeks to work with communities proximate to Wipros center
of operations. Wipro Cares is currently engaged in 16 projects across India.
Through seven of its health care projects in four states of India Wipro Cares is
providing more than 75000 people in 53 villages access to primary health care.
More than 47000 children benefit from the five education projects in five Indian
cities. Their project in social forestry has helped plant more than a lakh trees, and
has at the same time provided livelihood to around 80 farmers. Our projects in
disaster rehabilitation have helped rebuild the lives of people affected by
Karnataka Floods, Bihar Floods, Japan Tsunami, Hurricane Sandy, Philippines
Cyclone, Uttarakhand Floods, Odisha Floods and many more. Employee
engagement is an integral part of Wipro Cares where they encourage employees to
volunteer with their partners, acting thus as catalysts in bringing about positive
change.

WEBLIOGRAPHY
www.google.com
www.wikipedia.com
www.investopedia.com
www.economictimes.indiatimes.com
www.businessdictionary.com
www.csr.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CSR YEAR BOOK 2014-15 ALMANAC

CSR As a Management Idea Ethics in Action
Strategic management (Mcom part 1) by Michael vaaz
Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company
and Your Cause - by Philip Kotler (Author), Nancy Lee (Author)
Corporate Social Responsibility: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly- By
Subhabrata Bobby Banerjee

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Implementing Corporate Social...- Subhasis Ray, S. Siva Raj

Corporate Social Responsibility - Madhumita Chatterji