HIV/AIDS
We continued to make progress on our commitment to specific programmes and actions in response to the HIV epidemic and conducted 100 HIV/AIDS awareness programmes involving over 3,750 employees within our units and 6,000 members of communities around our operations.

Human Rights: Significant Investments
During 2006-07, nearly 41% (Rs.718 crores) of our total capex cash flow of Rs.1,742 crores was incurred on machinery and technology, which were sourced from reputed global suppliers/vendors who follow internationally accepted norms and standards on Human Rights. Approximately Rs. 779 crores were invested on new factories, hotels and on modernisation.

All large contracts in the Company, for the construction of hotels, factories, and significant upgrades, included environment, health, safety and human rights’ clauses covering decent place of work and ‘beyond compliance’ labour practices.

During 2006-07, our project in Bengaluru and the composite factory project in Uttaranchal were managed and supervised by our managers, who also ensured Human Rights compliance. Corporate Internal Audit and Corporate EHS audited the above projects to ensure compliance with our Policies and Standards.

Human Rights: Supply Chain
As a large and multi-product enterprise whose products are benchmarked nationally and internationally, we recognise our responsibility to proactively encourage high levels of ‘Human Rights’ standards in our supply chain.

The Company’s approach to managing human rights in the following distinct categories is described below:

• All major businesses are vertically integrated across Divisions that follow ITC policies.
   

• We procure inputs for the Company’s agri-based businesses from State-controlled trading platforms and the open market.
     

• We position our managers at all significant ‘outsourced’ manufacturing facilities (Cigarettes and Packaged Foods) to ensure high standards of product quality and adherence to our guidelines on EHS and labour practices.

  Government officials also routinely inspect these units to ensure compliance with relevant Labour and Factories Acts/Rules, which, inter alia, provide for the necessary EHS and labour practices standards.
   

• A large proportion of our supply chain consists of global/reputed manufacturers and service providers. Compliance with ITC’s Human Rights policies is obligatory for all such service providers operating within our establishments.

During 2006-07, the total number of service providers’ contracts was about 2,075 of which 460 operated within the Company’s premises offering engagement opportunities to over 5,000 people. All contracts, both on and off site, included important clauses on Human Rights, environment, health and safety. No contracts were cancelled during the year as a result of non-compliance with ITC’s Human Rights clauses.