Felicitates successful stories of change by corporates, NGOs and individuals.
New Delhi, 10 December 2020: Themed ‘Humanity beyond Calamity: Preparing for the new world order’, the third consecutive edition of Social And Business Enterprise Responsible Awards & Summit, GTSABERA 2020 concluded during an exclusive virtual event today. The annual event attracted nationwide participation by diverse organizations and individuals across corporate and development sector. The awards acknowledged the inspiring stories of impact and development aligned with Sustainable Development Goals. There were 74 entries for 13 different categories and 3 research based nominations across thematic areas like environment, education, responsible business, pharma, individual change makers and others.*
“I am thankful to our presenting partner Grant Thornton Bharat LLP, The UN Global Compact Network, Nayara Energy partners, jury members, participants and the entire SABERA family for their relentless support and enabling us to showcase the inspiring stories of ‘good’ from across the country. GTSABERA2020 is special as it aspires to build hope while we motivate each other by recognising the initiatives which have truly made a difference in the lives of individuals and communities and empowering them with lasting change.” said Suparnaa Chadda, Curator, SABERA.
Vishesh C Chandiok, CEO, Grant Thornton Bharat said, “A year ago, who would have thought the 2020 edition of SABERA will be conducted in the middle of a global health crisis that will claim many lives and leave those left behind vulnerable due to its unprecedented nature. This pandemic cannot go waste and I believe the need for a platform like SABERA has grown manifold in the post-COVID world. At Grant Thornton Bharat, we have been helping businesses address common challenges to contribute to a more vibrant economy and we take immense pride in our association with SABERA”
The theme this year ‘Humanity beyond Calamity: Preparing for the new world order’, emphasised on the shifting focus of large corporates from mere profit oriented operations to initiatives creating a larger social impact. The summit preceding the awards discussed critical issues like climate change, Increasing importance of indicators such ESG and SDGs and integrated reporting standards adopted by companies. The summit also deliberated utilizing technology, e commerce and digital solutions to mitigate future crisis.
“Women are an integral part of the initiatives that we’ve taken. It is an honour to be conferred the Responsible Business of the Year Award at SABERA2020. I am privileged to accept this award on behalf of TATA Power and communities we work with.” said Mr. Praveer Sinha CEO & Managing Director, Tata Power while accepting the award.
Priya Nair, ED, Beauty and Personal Care, Hindustan Unilever said, “HUL wants to make sustainable living commonplace. If the communities thrive, our business will thrive. We have built scaled sustainable initiatives over the years. I would like to thank the jury of SABERA awards for this prestigious recognition of Responsible Business of the Year award.”
Exemplifying SABERA’s intent to catalyse ‘good’ and leave no one behind, the awards were anchored by Payal, a 15 year old from a small village in Rajasthan. The daughter of a humble launderer fulfilled her dream of anchoring a live show in fluent English.
Zelma Lazarus of Impact India Foundation said “I am grateful to the jury members of GTSABERA2020 awards for conferring on me the Change Maker of the Year award. This award is dedicated to Impact India Foundation staff of 52 change makers, trustees, donors, doctors and so many others who’ve helped us make 129793 rural beneficiaries healthy.
The award also acknowledged stories of change and transformation anchored by individuals and not-for-profit organisations.
“Swades Foundation is happy to receive the GTSABERA Award for not-for-profit of the Year Category. We work towards bringing lasting change in the lives of rural communities and our commitment only goes higher with such recognition”. said Mangesh Wange, CEO, Swades Foundation.
The jury included passionate professionals from diverse sectors like Siraj A Chaudhry, MD& CEO NCML; Arvind Thakur, Vice-Chair & MD (Former), NIIT Technologies Ltd.; Anup Vikal, Head of Legal & CSR and CFO , Nayara Energy Ltd.; Mainak Dhar, CEO, FMCG & Bestselling Author; Nupur Garg, Founder, WinPE; Roma Balwani, Director Communications & Brand, Vedanta Group; Rajeev Chaba, President & MD, MG Motors India Ltd.; Shan Jain, Chief Strategy Officer, Madison Media; Suja Warriar, Leader CSR, Infosys Ltd.; Rohit Bahadur, Partner Not For Profit, Grant Thornton Bharat LLP and Vishal Bali, Executive Chairman, Asia Healthcare Holdings and Senior Advisor, TPG Growth.
The event also hosted the launch of Grant Thornton Bharat’s survey based thought leadership publication Integrated Reporting (IR) in India. Key insights from the survey are as follows:
- 66% of respondents felt they did not have adequate levels of awareness about IR
- The primary drivers for those who have adopted IR is its reference in corporate governance codes, followed by adoption of Integrated Thinking within their organisations
- 56% of respondents agreed that IR improves transparency and governance, while almost 70% believe it will help enhance stakeholder value
- 75% of respondents believe IR will help improve corporate reporting in their organisations
- Almost 50% of respondents also highlighted the need for additional resources, skills and costs to adopt IR
In line with its commitment of bringing together public, private and third sectors to solve global challenges, Grant Thornton Bharat also launched Faces of Vibrant Bharat. Focused on sociopreneurs, this initiative brings together ‘hybrid’ enterprises and gives them a platform to connect, engage and inspire.
The occasion was graced by speakers like Dr Bibek Debroy, Chair Economic Advisory to PM; Dr Preetha Reddy, Apollo Hospitals Group; Suhela Khan, UN Women; Sanjay Dube, International Institute for Energy Conservation; Vishesh C Chandiok, Grant Thornton Bharat LLP, Amit Kumar Bajaj, Grant Thornton Bharat; Lalit Malik, Dabur India Ltd.; Dr Jeremy Osborn, International Integrated Reporting Council; Mohua Mukherjee, Global Development Economics Professional; Kedar Upadhyay, Cipla Ltd.; Niranjana Maru, MAKAAM; Sue Stepehnson, IMPACT2030 and Ravi Bhatnagar, Reckitt Benkiser.
