IT & BPO

Companies
CSR Initiatives in
Education
Namrata Rana

The Customer Experience Company

800 million people across the world lack the basic reading and writing
skills needed to accomplish simple tasks such as reading a medicine label
or filling out a job application, costing the global economy more than $ 1.19
trillion a year

illiteracy costs India over $53 billion a year

Source : http://www.worldliteracyfoundation.org/The_Economic_&_Social_Cost_of_Illiteracy.pdf
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-04-11/news/31324908_1_illiteracy-poverty-illiterate-people
Literates constituted 74 per cent of the total population in India aged
seven and above, and illiterates form 26 per cent, as per the provisional
data of the 2011 census.

About 270 million people aged 15 years and older still remain illiterate
in India, despite the country making major progress in cutting down the
number of school drop-outs over the years.

Among the working youth, approximately one in four is illiterate, and fewer
than one in five completes secondary education.

The education deficit, is not filled by technical or vocational education and

training, as only six per cent of urban youth and three per cent of rural
youth attend technical or vocational training at the secondary level.

Source : http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-04-17/news/31355591_1_teacher-training-secondary-education-education-deficit
The Indian IT and BPO
industry provides
direct employment to
about 2.8 million, and
indirectly employs 8.9
million people.

Most of them invest in

educational initiatives
of different types as
part of their CSR
initiatives.
 IT Companies
TCS

IT companies and Infosys

Wipro

their initiatives
HP India
Cognizant
IBM India
HCL Tech
The companies studied are listed on the right side.
Cisco
The information on activities mentioned are Oracle
sourced from the annual sustainability reports or Dell
the CSR section on their website. Intel
Accenture
SAP
Mahindra Satyam
Tech Mahindra
Microsoft
Mphasis
 Adult Literacy Program
Literacy Camps imparted literacy through TCS Computer Based
Functional Literacy method to 11,141 people.

Tata Consultancy
Services University Alliance Programme
TCS connects with a number of academic institutions in India and in
other countries to fund research in basic and applied sciences. This
program is now in its fourth cycle, with over 80 PhD scholars enrolled
from more than 26 institutions across the country.

TCS IT Wiz
An annual event organised and executed by TCS associates to create IT
awareness among school children. The event reaches out to over
200,000 school students from 5000 schools in 12 cities across India.

InsighT
This program aims at providing an overview of the IT industry so as to
encourage students to explore IT as a career. InsighT reached 1352
students in 15 schools across India.

The TCS Employability Programme

TCS provides training in English Speaking, soft skills and computer
skills. Students who participate in the training and pass TCS standard of
proficiency are then oered positions within the company. TCS trained
7828 candidates of which 717 were inducted into TCS.

Advanced Computer Training Centre

TCS has set up the Advanced Computer Training Centre to improve
employability for visually impaired individuals. In less than 4 years 99
Source : CSR Report 2011-2012. http://
www.tcs.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/
people have been trained and 66 employed.

About%20TCS/
TCS_Corporate_Sustainability_Report_2011-
12_3.pdf
 Campus Connect
Infosys CC helps align the needs of institutions, faculty and students, with those
of the IT industry, to raise the employability of engineering students.
Infosys as part of their During 2011-12, CC engaged with 474 engineering institutions to train
Promoting education and 1,400 faculty members, who in turn trained over 31,000 students.

research focuses on
Project Genesis
Digital empowerment the
This project helps in bridging the skill gap between industry requirements
program SPARK is aimed and non-engineering graduate education. The project enabled 16,762
at raising the aspirations students by training 365 academicians from 138 institutes.

of students.
Spark Rural Reach Program
This program aims at encouraging rural children from classes V to VII to
pursue studies in science and math, basics of computers and related
subjects and become part of the IT revolution. This program has
benefitted over 212,929 children across the country this year.

Catch Them Young

This is a two-week program designed to expose bright urban youth to
the IT world by conducting a summer vacation workshop at our
campuses in India. Through this program, infosys has reached out to
nearly 466 children in the last 12 months.

Spark GURU
This is an initiative that helps teachers augment their knowledge and
enhance their teaching skills with respect to the current industry needs
and requirements. The program targets teachers from rural areas.

Source : Sustainability Report 2011-2012. http://www.infosys.com/sustainability/Documents/infosys-sustainability-report-2011-12.pdf

 Microsoft Student Partner Program
The Microsoft Student Partners (MSPs) program
oers technical training, and opportunities. Microsoft
enages MSPs in developing tools and industry-
defining software applications.

Project Jyoti
Project Jyoti, Microsofts Community Technology
Skills Program that focuses on educating
underserved communities to use basic computing
Microsoft skills to advance their economic well-being, including
getting a job and starting a business.
Microsoft India carries out various education
activities in collaboration with state
Bihar Urban Development Authority (BUDA)
governments and NGOS across India under
the corporate citizenship initiative. Collaborates with Microsoft Learning
Provide a certified IT training Program for the
underprivileged, enabling them to secure a job. Under
this project BUDA has chosen 41 organisations to
train the 17,000 individuals in the state. The training
sessions are conducted across 400 locations
spanning across all 38 districts of Bihar.

Other Programs
A total of 103 other programs are listed over here
http://www.microsoft.com/india/msindia/hipages/
project_shiksha_motivated_teacher.aspx

Source : Microsoft, Corporate Citizenship

http://www.microsoft.com/india/msindia/hipages/microsoft-student-partner-program.aspx
http://www.microsoftstudentpartners.com/

Wipro
The intent of these initiatives is to
improve the quality of education in
schools.
Source : Wipro, Sustainability section
http://www.wipro.com/about-wipro/sustainability/
School Program
Wipro Applying thought in school program
focuses on improving the quality of education in
schools. Some activities under this are listed
below.
-Wipro has built a partner network of 30 of Indias
foremost educational organizations
- Wipro supports social organizations (supporting
12 partners in organization development through
project support)
- Wipro has worked with around 2000 schools
and 10,500 educators across 17 states reaching
around 800,000 students
- Wipro has supported 10 people on Wipro
Education Fellowship since 2007
- Currently, Wipro is engaged in projects with
around 700 schools across the country in
collaboration with 22 partners

Intel
The Intel Education Initiative in India has been
working with government and other decision
making bodies at the central, state and local
levels since 1999 to improve teaching and
learning in both formal and informal educational
environments through the eective use of
technology.
Source : Intel, Corporate, Education
http://www.intel.com/cd/corporate/education/apac/eng/in/239067.htm
K-12 education
Through the Intel Teach Program over a million
teachers have been trained to bring technology tools
and resources into their classrooms for better
student learning.
Education beyond classrooms
Over 100,000 learners, aged 8 to 16, in underserved
communities across India, have acquired technology
literacy through the Intel Learn Program.
Science competitions
Since 1999, brilliant young minds have won national
and international recognition through Initiative for
Research and Innovation in Science (IRIS), the largest
science initiative in India, co-sponsored by Intel.
Higher education
Under the Intel Higher Education Program, Intel
works with leading scientific and technological
institutes to move technology out of university labs
and into local communities through research grants,
technology entrepreneurship forums, and mentoring
by Intel technologists.
 Nannagu Shale (A School for Me Too)
To address the employment needs of persons with
disabilities, MphasiS, has developed an intervention
program which can enable inclusion of children with
disabilities in to the society, ensuring their right to education.

Aalamba Program
Aimed at youth who are school drop outs MphasiS aims to
empower over 300 such youth with employment and skills
Mphasis training, and support with employment exchange services.
They also aim to support 30 bright young people in
developing their own enterprises, as part of the business
MphasiS works with the voluntary and employment co-operative, within one year of training.
sector in implementing projects. They
involve employees, clients, and other i-Lead
stakeholders, and encourage them to Another similar program to impart employability training for
actively contribute their skills, time and dropout youth from marginalized communities living in rural
expertise to such initiatives. and urban areas of Chennai is also being conducted. Three
months training is given in ITeS, automobile mechanism,
electrician, and hospitality.

Nurture Merit
MphasiS provide assistance in the form of college fees,
examination fees, tutorials, and coaching for meritorious and
needy students. Books, computer facilities, career guidance,
and training is also provided.

Source : Mphasis, Corporate Social Responsibility, Community Initiatives

http://www.mphasis.com/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/community-
initiatives.asp

Accenture
As part of Local Grant Giving Projects initiative
Accenture partners with local nonprofits to provide
underprivileged people with skills training in high-
demand sectors. All programs in India are
implemented through its Skills to Succeed program:
Source : Accenture, Company, India Corporate Citizenship
http://www.accenture.com/in-en/company/Pages/india-corporate-citizenship.aspx
Dr. Reddys Foundation
Accenture supports Dr. Reddys Foundation in
implementing a sustainable model of vocational
skilling across India, thereby enabling the organization
to equip and support many underprivileged youth.
Don Bosco Tech
Through this partnership with Don Bosco Tech and ITC
Welcomgroup Hotels, Accenture aims at training
thousands of disadvantaged youth and helping them
become employable in the hospitality sector.
QUEST Alliance, Hope Foundation and Aide et Action
A market-relevant curriculum developed by QUEST
Alliance and Accenture is used to deliver the retail skills
training that helps students to secure jobs on
completion of the program.
Business school for illiterate women
Accenture partners with the Mann Deshi Foundation
and The British Asian Trust to provide training in
technical, financial and marketing skills to marginalized
women who have no formal education and to girls who
have dropped out of high school.

Mahindra Satyam
Source : Mahindra Satyam, Social Responsibility
http://www.mahindrasatyam.com/social-responsibility/educationnew.asp
Mentoring of students by Magnificent Seven Teams (M7):
Magnificent Seven (M7) teams regularly mentor school children
during weekends in government schools/corporation schools.
Volunteers teach basics of computers, Spoken English, Hygiene,
Math, Science, Time Management and Career Guidance.
KidSmart
Mahindra Satyam volunteers support these camps and ensure
that the activities are implemented smoothly.
Notebook Distribution
Mahindra Satyam Foundation donates notebooks to
underprivileged students.
Computer Distribution / Literacy
More than 1,000 computers have been distributed to
Government/IT/Corporation schools. Mahindra Satyam
volunteers conduct Computer training classes for both teachers
and students at these schools/institutes.
Motivational Tours
Mahindra Satyam Foundation organizes motivational tours for
disadvantaged sections of the society to places of interest like
Museums, Technology Centers, Planetarium etc.
Inter-School Competitions/Celebrations
Awareness programs on issues like global warming, health and
hygiene, activities such as essay writing, sports and games,
painting competitions, fancy dress competitions, etc are
organized.
 Be a Teacher
This program recruits volunteers to teach classes at
neighborhood schools. Some 120 volunteers are teaching in 10
schools, reaching 1,200 students. volunteers have increased
pass rates by 10-30% at 5 schools in India.

Educate a village
This program is a partnership between Cognizant and AID India
to set up study centers in 25 villages in Tamil Nadu.

Street Children Empowerment Program

Volunteers visit with homeless children at 3 centers in Chennai
to take students on field trips and lead story telling, math
puzzle, and hygiene sessions.

Cognizant Talhunt
Talhunt is a interschool cultural competition. In 2011, some
18,000 students from 59 schools competed to showcase
their creative abilities. Winning schools receive financial aid to
help improve their facilities.

Infrastructure projects
Projects such as renovating classrooms and building libraries,
computer labs, science labs, and sports facilities, have been
completed at schools and other locations, through a
combination of volunteer labor and Cognizant donations.
Cognizant has sponsored 146 such infrastructure projects in
India in 2011.

Notebook Drives
This program sis conducted by Outreach volunteers distributed
free notebooks to over 66,000 children in 2011and 120,000
Source : Cognizant, About Us, Sustainability Report
http://www.cognizant.com/aboutus/SiteDocuments/Cognizant_Sustainability_online.pdf
children in the past three years.
 Library Drives: Encouraging a love for reading
HCLT Foundation conducted a book collection drive
where employees were encouraged to donate
storybooks and notebooks. While a library was
established and inaugurated in one school, 1000+
HCL Technologies books were distributed in another. Through this eort,
2000+ books were collected for 15,000 school children
in rural Karnataka.
Power of One is a Corporate Social Responsibility

initiative that is unique to HCL Technologies.
Teach at Oce
Through this programme support sta are provided
with a range of workshops on basic etiquette, financial
management, expected professional behavior and
awareness initiatives on health and hygiene. Sta are
also taught basic computer skills and trained in
conversational English.

Source : HCL Tech, Socially Responsible Business section

http://www.hcltech.com/socially-responsible-business/repay-society/snapshot-power-one-activities
 IBM Reinventing Education Program
The initiative has helped over 50 government schools in
underdeveloped rural and urban areas to transform
teaching by integrating Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) and pedagogy tools in a way that
makes science, math and English simple and fun. The
Transformed Classroom model has empowered over 600
teachers and benefitted about 7000 children in more
than 90 schools in the two states.

IBM In 2012 2013, the Reinventing Education program is

expanding to Government and Municipal Corporation
These activities are part of IBMs Corporate
Schools in the States of Ahmedabad, Rajasthan, and
Citizenship initiatives
Haryana, and Municipal corporation schools in the cities
of Coimbatore and Madurai, Tamil Nadu. By training the
trainers, the program is expected to reach over 1000
teachers and nearly 200 schools across these four
states.

Smart Rural Aggregation Platform

A rural entrepreneurs information hub equipped with WiFi
and IT infrastructure has been set up in five villages.
Agribusiness advisory services, as well as basic
computer training and other appropriate skills training,
has been conducted. Drishtee Foundation and IBM
volunteers interact with the farmers community to
understand the needs and oer more services in the
coming years.

Source : IBM, Responsibility, Citizenship, Profiles, India

http://www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility/downloads/profiles/Profile_India.pdf
 From the website it is dicult to determine exact
nature / no of India Initiatives. Hence only the
following 2 are mentioned here:
HP
India: i-community
HP as part of the social innovation initiative has Hewlett-Packard and the southern India state
the following programs under education globally:
government of Andhra Pradesh have launched a
- HP Catalyst
three-year alliance to accelerate socioeconomic
- HP Innovations in Education Funds
development of a rural area. Expected oerings
- Empowering entrepreneurs
include connectivity to local schools, colleges and
- HP LIFE
youth educational services and vocational training
- Social Innovation Relay
through direct and distance learning.
- Personalized Learning

- LearningMyWay
Education Innovation Fund
HPs Education Innovation Fund in India, includes a
$1 million grant to the Sri Aurobindo Society.

Source : HP, CSR

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/pdf/hp_csr_full_lo_tcm_245_1357665.pdf

Source : HP, Global Citizenship, Society, Social Innovation

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/social-innovation/education-innovation-
fund.html

Oracle
Oracle Education Foundation has various education
programs that operate globally.
Cisco Systems
Cisco has adopted villages devastated by 2009
Flood in India, Delivering Quality Healthcare
teachers hundreds of kilometers away through the
and Education Through Network Technology
Source : Oracle, Corporate, Citizenship, Education
http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/citizenship/education/partnerships/index.html
Source : Cisco Systems
http://csr.cisco.com/cdnorigin/media/documents/Project-Samudaya-Executive-
Brief_129741598682383391.pdf
Technology Education Programs
- Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (India)
- ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu (India)
- Institute of Electronic Governance (India)
- Directorate of School Education, Government of
Puducherry (India)
- Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (India)
- Delhi Public School Society (India)
ThinkQuest International Competition
In FY11 and FY12, this global competition challenged
students in India to solve real-world problems using
technology.
Project Samudaya
Cisco has built 2 schools under Project Samudaya in
Chennai. At village schools, students interact with
CEED platform. The Cisco Education Enabled
Development (CEED) platform enables remote
education to school children, imparting lessons in
English, math, science. A total of 4 schools are
networked for remote classroom sessions. 500
students received remote classroom instruction three
days per week. Cisco donated computers to 11
schools in the five adopted villages.
Dell
As part of their Youth Learning initiative Dell has
partnered with Cristel House.
SAP
As part of sustainability, SAP strategically invests
in talent, technology, and capital to enhance
education.
Source : Dell, Corporate Responsibility, Community
http://www.dell.com/Learn/us/en/uscorp1/corp-comm/cr-diff-india-christel-house?
c=us&l=en&s=corp&delphi:gr=true
Source : SAP, Corporate Social Responsibility
http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/sustainability/corporate-social-
responsibility.epx#solutions
The India Christel House and Dell
The India Christel House, with Dells help, has been
able to sustain programs such as the Culver Summer
School and Camp. In 2008, the India Christel House
was selected for one of the inaugural Dell Youth
Learning grants addressing the technology gap.
This unique program oers 9- to 17-year-olds a
supportive and challenging learning environment.
Social Sabbatical: Leveraging Talent
SAP employees are making a dierence through a
new model for leadership development and social
impact. SAP volunteers help high school students
think like entrepreneurs and expand their thinking
about the future.
Internet Access in India:
A Model for Change Rural village in India has gained
access to computerized records and vital local
services with the help of this innovative project using
SAP technology.
 Tech Mahindra Foundation
The Foundation has tie-ups with non-governmental
organizations (NGOs, not-for-profit ventures) based in

Tech Mahindra
Tech Mahindra initiatives are carried out by Tech
Delhi-Noida, Maharashtra and Karnataka. These
partnerships help promote programs that enable the
underprivileged to become self-reliant and
Mahindra Foundation. The Tech Mahindra Foundation
responsible contributing citizens. The Foundation
was launched to address the educational needs of the
also supports women empowerment programs
underprivileged, especially children, as well as
through vocational, technical and professional
espouse the cause of women's empowerment in
education at all levels.
education.

Shikshak Samman Awards
The Tech Mahindra Foundation in collaboration with
the Municipal Corporation of Delhi announces the
Shikshak Samman Awards for 2010-11, to honor
outstanding teachers working in Municipal schools.

Source : Tech Mahindra, About Tech Mahindra

http://www.techmahindra.com/about_tech_mahindra/Foundation_Partners.aspx
Source : Ingram, About Ingram Micro
http://www.ingrammicro.com/us/0,,22965_15106_23017_15108,00.html
 Indian IT companies and their education initiatives
IT Companies Education Computer Business STEM Adult Vocational Financial Competition Others
Partner Education Education Education Literacy Training Aid Events

TCS
Infosys
Wipro
HP India
Cognizant
IBM India
HCL Tech
Cisco Systems
Oracle
Dell
Intel
Accenture
SAP
Mahindra Satyam
Tech Mahindra
Microsoft
Mphasis

STEM - Science, technology, engineering, math.

Education Partner - Primary, Secondary, Higher Education. Donation of Toys, Books, Computers. Development of School Infrastructure. Scholarships.
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