Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd spent a record Rs 1,184.93 crore in fiscal year ended March 31 on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that spanned oxygen delivery during second wave of the pandemic, education and healthcare, according to the company’s latest annual CSR Report.
“Through FY 2021-22, Reliance put social responsibility initiatives, health and well-being of communities at the top of its agenda,” the report said.
This went beyond supporting employees as well as their extended families and was aimed at caring for the most-at-need across India in the face of an emergency.
“During FY 2021-22, Reliance contributed Rs 1,184.93 crore towards supporting a number of need-based, impactful CSR initiatives,” it said.
The initiatives were spearheaded by Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the company led by Nita M. Ambani.
“The past two years have been about ‘seva’ or service to humanity,” the oil-to-telecom-to-retail conglomerate said. “While the year 2021 started off with a lot of hope, it also marked the severest second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic – the largest humanitarian crisis that has affected the world and our country.”
Through the pandemic, Reliance said it worked to fulfil the emerging, urgent needs of the nation during the unforeseen pandemic situation while working to empower communities to rebuild their lives.
“This was not about Corporate Social Responsibility. This was about saving, securing and reviving lives, and dreams and hopes for a better future,” it said.
During FY 2021-22 (April 2021 to March 2022), Reliance undertook a range of initiatives through its pillars of work including rural transformation, health, education, disaster response along with sports for development initiatives.
Detailing its pandemic response, the report said over 8.5 crore free meals were distributed to frontline workers and vulnerable communities. Reliance produced 1,000 tonne of oxygen every day during the second wave and provided it free to states for over 1 lakh patients. Besides, it set up 2,000+ beds hospital for Covid care.
Under its rural initiative, it created 121 lakh cubic meters of water harvesting capacity, assuring irrigation to over 5,600 hectares of land for at least two cropping seasons. It also helped 10,896 rural households meet nutritional needs and trained 22,000 members of self-help groups.
“Most importantly, its COVID-19 response to support the nation and its people, was rolled out through five missions, continued to pivot and intensified through the year, based on the urgent and emerging needs,” it said. “Mission Oxygen and Mission Vaccine Suraksha were rolled out to meet the needs of the nation for medical oxygen and community vaccinations.”
The other missions including Mission Anna Seva, Mission COVID Infra and Mission Employee Care were strengthened and sustained, based on the emerging COVID-19 situation.
“Across India, Reliance worked to support community development, institution strengthening and quality education in schools and to better lives of communities while enabling quality healthcare delivery, especially during the pandemic-induced circumstances,” the report said.
Reliance works to create transformational change across India, to build a stronger, inclusive nation by enabling lives and livelihoods. “All through the year, the concerted action reinforced the promise that every available resource would be deployed to meet the needs of the most vulnerable communities across India.
