Sustainability Report 2010

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Chairman’s Statement:
ITC’s Vision and Strategy

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Key Impacts, Risks And Opportunities: Sustainability Challenges

POVERTY AND INCOME INEQUITIES

ITC's Initiatives

In India, more than 800 million people live under $2 a day according to estimates by the World Bank.

Widespread income inequities are often a source of discontent and social unrest, leading to unsustainable societies. This can be a major threat to the future of business growth and the society.

	ITC has fashioned unique business models that deliver larger societal value in terms of livelihood creation and natural resource augmentation even as it pursues sustainable wealth creation for its shareholders.

	As a result of the Triple Bottom Line approach followed by ITC, its businesses, social initiatives and value chains support over 5 million livelihoods, many of whom belong to the weakest sections in India.

	ITC’s e-Choupal initiative has benefited over 4 million farmers in 40,000 villages.

	ITC’s social investment initiatives are in line with the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals. Titled ‘Mission Sunehra Kal’, this is ITC’s prime vehicle for implementing social development initiatives, to facilitate sustainable livelihood creation thorough identified areas of intervention, namely,

	i. Diversifying Farming Systems through: - Social Forestry and wasteland development - Watershed development - Sustainable Agricultural practices - Livestock development ii. Expanding Off-Farm Income Opportunities : - Economic empowerment of women - Community development with focus on primary education, health and sanitation.

	ITC’s deep engagement with rural communities has enabled us to contribute to the creation of sustainable livelihoods by building community assets.

SUPPLY CHAIN ENGAGMENT

ITC's Initiatives

Our supply chain comprises a large number of small scale partners. Many of them operate under limiting circumstances in terms of their ability to invest in efficient technologies and their imperative need to rely on labour intensive practices. It will be important to integrate the Triple Bottom Line approach amongst the supply chain for long-term competitiveness by adopting a balanced approach towards creation of livelihoods and economic viability of the small scale units.

There is intensive engagement with our partners in the small-scale sector to facilitate them in introducing new benchmarks in quality and environmental performance.

ITC has already helped several small scale units to achieve ISO 9001 certification.

It is our endeavour to assist our small scale partners in the optimisation of resources, so that they can be cost-competitive in the future.

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Chairman’s Statement:
ITC’s Vision and Strategy

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