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Corporate Social Responsibility
At HCL Technologies, our ability to deliver on our mission continues to be rooted in part to our strong corporate social responsibility toward the communities in which we live and work. Whether it is collaborating with global forums, local communities, or governments and charity organizations; contributing to crisis relief funds for Ukraine or COVID-19; contributing to the efforts for a greener world or environment preservation; providing education and employment to under-represented groups and communities; or offering health and food assistance – HCL proudly holds the CSR flag as an integral part of its growth journey.
Built on a strong foundation in India
In India, HCL Technologies implements its Corporate Social Responsibility agenda through its CSR arm, the HCL Foundation. With a cumulative investment of more than ₹ 900 Cr, the Foundation has impacted more than 3.7 million lives across 22 states and three union territories of India. In recognition of these efforts, HCL Technologies received the prestigious Corporate Citizen of the Year Award 2021 from The Economic Times for championing social change and good governance.
Today, the HCL Foundation drives five flagship programs – HCL Samuday for integrated rural development; HCL Grant to empower non-profits for community-led rural upliftment; HCL Uday to address developmental issues in urban areas; Clean Noida to transform into one of the cleanest cities in India; and HCL Harit for environmental action. In addition, various other special initiatives are undertaken by the HCL Foundation. These include – Power of One, Sports for Change, the HCL Foundation Academy, My E-Haat, and response to humanitarian crises and disaster mitigation. These programs are designed to bring about lasting positive impact on people and the planet through long-term sustainable programs that focus on education, health and sanitation, skill development and livelihood, environment, and disaster risk reduction and response. Child protective strategies, inclusion, and gender diversity remain central in all initiatives of the HCL Foundation, ensuring equitable development and opportunities for all.
Rural Programs
Driven by a commitment to create self-reliant villages, HCL Samuday and HCL Grant work with local communities to seed sustainable, transformative models and solutions, and create a source code for rural transformation.
HCL Samuday, implemented in Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh, takes an immersive approach, engaging deeply into the rural communities to build the most needed assets and infrastructure, and then galvanizing the local communities to take charge.
During FY22:
- 104,072 students and 33,981 neo-literates accessed and benefitted from education initiatives
- 49,812 outpatient department clinics and diagnostic services were made available through telemedicine, and 40,895 people received mobile health clinic services
- 5,040 women across 720 self-help groups were trained in financial management
- Reliable green electricity from 32 solar mini-grids made available to 4,000 households
- 370 acres of land reclaimed under the VASUNDRA Program by applying gypsum in land with high pH for 1,848 farmers
- 2,083 farmers trained at the CATT center in advanced agriculture practices
- 1,688 households connected with a regular piped water supply through tap connection
- 3,814 tons of solid waste were managed and 675 garbage vulnerable points eliminated
HCL Grant takes an expansive approach to achieving sustainable rural development by supporting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in path-breaking work across three thematic categories of environment, education, and health. HCL Grant has committed ₹ 95.75 crore with an aim to reach 2.3 million people. So far, more than 844,000 lives have already been touched. As part of the environmental initiatives, more than 65,000 acres of land have been brought under sustainable community governance. The partnerships across various remote corners of the country have ushered in the emergence of innovative community-led solutions and enabled the delivery of solutions at scale.
The HCL Foundation conducts emergency rescue missions to save biodiversity through Mobile Veterinary Service unit.
Urban Programs
With a bold vision to create a future in which cities embrace their most vulnerable citizens and services converge to offer a life of dignity and self-respect, the HCL Foundation is creating a model for urban socio-economic and environmental development.
HCL Uday leverages the scale of the government, the expertise of NGO partners and the volunteering spirit of its employees to bridge the access gap and reach the city’s poorest residents with quality services. It works through an integrated community development approach using a convergence approach to create a comprehensive and holistic model of urban development.
In FY22, HCL Uday continued its efforts to enable and empower communities to realize their full potential. Reaching out to more than 560,000 (60% women) people in 11 Indian cities, HCL Uday works toward providing comprehensive care and services across various verticals, including early childhood care and development, education, skill development and livelihoods, and health, water, sanitation and hygiene. Programs provide holistic health care and development, mainstreaming children into schools, training, public health improvements, and support of collectives.
Clean Noida is implemented in full partnership with its citizens and the Noida Development Authority. The program works toward creating awareness about proper waste management practices and evolving structured, technology-driven systems and practices for efficient management of waste in the city. Clean Noida is HCL’s commitment to transform Noida into one of the cleanest cities in the world. Clean Noida programme has been appreciated by Noida Authority, for the project’s immense contribution, which has helped Noida to become;
(i) India’s cleanest medium city (3-10 lac population),
(ii) 4th cleanest city (1-10 lac population) and
(iii) awarded 5-Star Garbage Free City (GFC) rating, in Swachh Survekshan 2021.
The HCL Foundation supported rug weaving center run by rural women.
Environmental Action
HCL Harit The green initiative aims to conserve, restore, and enhance indigenous environmental systems and respond to climate change in a sustainable manner through community engagement. HCL Harit is operational in nine states of India. Key achievements during FY22:
- Afforestation and Habitat Restoration: 180,984 saplings were planted, taking the total sapling count to 467,240
- Water Conservation: 25 waterbodies rejuvenated, taking the cumulative count to 78
- Animal Welfare: 29,512 animals were treated and protected, taking the cumulative count to 50,982
- Environment Education: 4,001 people benefitted, taking the total reach to 7,515
- Coastal & Marine Conservation: ~290,000 mangrove saplings raised for plantation; ~20,500 kgs ghost nets collected and ~4,000 Olive Ridley eggs relocated to the hatchery
The HCL Technologies Foundation Director Nidhi Pundhir and HCL Technologies CMO Jill Kouri visiting partner NGOs in Noida, India.
HCL CEO & Managing Director, C Vijayakumar and HCL Foundation Director, Nidhi Pundhir felicitating Jerlin Anika (center), Sports for Change scholarship recipient, who won three Golds in Badminton for India at the 2022 Deaflympics.
HCL Technologies Foundation works to expand access to education in India.
Special Initiatives
Sports for Change: Aimed at enabling balanced participation, excellence and holistic development through a high-quality and inclusive sporting experience for children and youth from disadvantaged communities.
- 21,000+ athletes reached
- 113 sports scholars recognized through scholarships
- 89 students admitted to reputable colleges through sports quota
- 104 students participated in national and state level competitions
HCL Foundation Academy: A global platform for collaborative learning and solution thinking to the world’s most challenging socio- economic and environmental problems.
- 36,800+ reach
- 46 webinars hosted
- 3 cycles of 3 courses underway
- 7 partnerships
- 142 learners certified
- 2 cycles of CSR courses completed
- 167 learning hours clocked
My E-Haat: Promoting India’s rich heritage and finest handicrafts, www.myehaat.in portal enables thousands of artisans, especially women, to leap over exploitative systems and connect directly with customers.
Power of One: It is an HCL employee volunteering and payroll giving program based on the belief that a small contribution made by the employees or time spent in community service can make a significant difference in society. The Company matches all funds collected through payroll giving and directs them to non-profits and NGOs globally.
HCL leadership collaborating with FEBA.
Expanding community initiatives across the world
Beyond India, HCL Technologies is working to serve the communities in which it operates through a combination of great partnerships with social impact organizations and employee volunteering.
Helping those affected by the Ukraine crisis
- Partnered with the European Food Banks Federation and other NGOs to direct donations
- Extended co-financing housing expenses to employees who lost their homes in the conflict
- Offered employees medical assistance, legal support, and salary advances
- Fast-tracked recruitment of Ukrainian refugees who applied for jobs
In Poland, to support people impacted by the Ukraine crisis, HCL employees collected food, first aid kits and other basic need items that not only supported frontline NGOs but also local food banks, children’s hospice organizations and animal shelters. For these efforts, HCL was recognized by the 2021 Responsible Business Forum, The Kraków Food Bank, asperIT and Fundacja Poland Business Run.
In France, HCL partnered with Apprentis d’Auteuil to support child protection and high-quality education opportunities for youth. Employees also organized donation drives to benefit homeless youth and children’s hospitals through the year.
In Italy, HCL employees focused on the environment by participating in a “plastic-free day” to clean up local parks and beaches. Working with La Stella di Lorenzo in Rome, HCL volunteers raised funds to purchase defibrillators for schools.
In Portugal, in partnership with ONG Liga and Protecção da Natureza, HCL employees organized beach cleanups and helped remove invasive species to revitalize the local flora.
The iconic Jane McGrath High Tea, proudly supported by HCL Technologies, returned to the Ashes Vodafone Pink Test, raising funds to place McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities across Australia.
HCL employees in Cary, N.C. provided nearly 24,000 meals in two days.
HCL employees volunteering with Serve the City in Belgium.
In Belgium, HCL employees prepared, packaged and distributed food to 250 individuals experiencing homelessness under the Lunch to Refugee program, in collaboration with Serve the City.
In the United States, HCL has been working across three focus areas – education, environment, and health. In addition, it made a longterm commitment to addressing food insecurity. HCL has partnerships with multiple organizations such as United Way, American Red Cross, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Center for Disease Control (CDC), The Valuable 500, N-Power and University of California, Berkeley.
Most recently, almost 1.7 million meals were provided during National Volunteer Month to those in need through HCL Technologies’ partnership with Feeding America® . This was achieved through employees’ hard work at local food banks.
In Canada, HCL partnered with Microsoft Career Connector to increase access to economic opportunity for all. This program builds bridges for job seekers who are served by local non-profits with hiring employer partners.
In Singapore, HCL Technologies returned as a Silver Bull Sponsor for the 18th SGX Cares Bull Charge Charity Run for the fifth consecutive year in Singapore. Over 4,000 participants raised $2+ million for NGOs serving underprivileged children and families, differently abled people, and the elderly. HCL also continues to partner with the Breast Cancer Foundation (BCF), a Singaporean social service agency which advocates for the early detection of breast cancer and supports the local breast cancer community.
In Australia, HCL Technologies supports the McGrath Foundation through the Vodafone Pink Test for breast cancer. As the largest fundraiser in Australian sports, the cricket and broader communities raised over $5 million in five days – reaching over 3,400 families. To date, employees have also raised over $8 million for Tour de Cure to fund cancer research, and support both prevention projects and medical breakthroughs through the Can4Cancer partnership.
In Sweden, HCL partnered with Giving People to provide food to 85 children over the holidays.
In Romania, HCL reached over 200 middle and high school students through holiday food and gift drives. Employees also participated in a half-marathon in support of holistic educational programming by Salvati Copii and Pro Ruralis Association.