One stone, two birds: STL Tech believes in integrating Sustainable Development Goals with CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is no longer viable on its own. Aligning CSR initiatives along with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the new norm. As companies try to keep up with SDGs, CSR programmes have become a viable way to meet these goals. Healthcare is another area that STL Tech focuses on.

Tech company, STL, has perfected the seamless integration of SDGs into its CSR programmes. Its CSR initiatives are focused on four specific areas – Women Empowerment, Quality Education, Accessible Healthcare and Environment Protection. These four focus points form the core principle on which its CSR programmes are based.

Akanksha Sharma, Head CSR and Sustainability, STL, said that the company chooses to go this route because it believes that most issues have deeper underlying causes that can be addressed only through a multi-pronged approach involving multiple stakeholders. Therefore, STL Tech involves SDGs as part of its CSR vision so that all stakeholders can be engaged in solving the problems.

VISION AND ALIGNMENT: STL TECH

One only has to take a look at the CSR initiatives to realize this. When it comes to women empowerment, STL’s Jeewan Jyoti Women Empowerment Programme (JJWEP) is the perfect example. Created to impart vocational training and skills to women, the programme has benefitted over 18,000 lives across 100 villages in Pune. Thanks to the programme, women in these villages have become financial contributors to their families and turned into respected members of their respective communities.

Education programmes of STL Tech are exemplary in their own right, leveraging technology to ensure quality education and digital literacy amongst the underprivileged. Virtual classrooms and Pragyan have enabled over 4,37,000 children in Mumbai and Jaipur to access quality education.

Healthcare is another area that STL Tech focuses on. It’s Mobile Medical Unit provides much-needed quality healthcare services to tribal communities. The MMU initiative was started in Dadra & Nagar Haveli for the tribal communities who had no access to any basic healthcare facility. Conducted in partnership with the Indian Red Cross Society, the MMU provides health services to 24 villages in the region and has provided over 2,14,000 tribals with free checkups and medicines.

Last but not the least, environmental protection is another focus area that shapes STL’s CSR activities. Through the Green Belt, Gram Samrudhi and Jaldoot initiatives, STL conserved over 7,85,000 cubic metres of water and fought off drought-like conditions in 11 villages. Maintenance of 19,000 plantations and providing a livelihood for the local populace alongside reducing carbon footprint are also among its environmental initiatives.

STL’s activities are a reflection of the company’s vision and beliefs when it comes to CSR. Akanksha Sharma goes on to say that each and every CSR program of the company was designed to address issues in an all-inclusive way. This allows a deeper intervention that reaches the root cause of the problems and eliminates it at the base. STL’s unique approach has impacted over 1.32 million lives till FY 2019-20.

Reiterating the company’s stand when it comes to CSR and SDGs, Akanksha says, “I firmly believe collaboration is key to driving the sustainability agenda as it cannot be just about your operations. It has to be actioned across the entire ecosystem together with partners from that network, creating an ongoing ripple of change.”