Grant Thornton is the presenting partner for the Social and Business Enterprise Responsible Awards (SABERA) being organised by the Simply Suparnaa Media Network (SSMN) on the 4th of December this year. Judges for the event have already discussed entries at a meeting at Grant Thornton’s Delhi office.
The jury for the awards is comprised of a number of illustrious names in the business world, particularly those engaged in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) domain. Vinita Bali, who is the former Managing Director and CEO at FMCG giant Britannia, leads the panel alongside other senior executives.
Head of CSR, Advocacy & Media at the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) Gaurav Kapoor is also on the panel, as is Richard Rekhy, former India CEO of Big Four accounting and advisory firm KPMG. Grant Thornton is a presenting partner, and its representation on the panel comes in the form of Partner in the firm’s Not-for-Profit segment Rohit Bahadur.
The SABERA awards look to recognise companies in India that are making significant contributions in the social and environmental domain. Award categories correspond with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including Environment, Education, Enablement, Health & Wellbeing.
Awards will be handed out to social enterprises, not-for-profits, CSR leaders and promising leaders under 30. The awards are looking to promote awareness and action surrounding the SDGs in India, hoping that the impetus will spread across the business environment to smaller businesses as well. Some of the larger businesses in the country have been engaged in significant social benefit programme.
IT services giant Wipro, for instance, has been featuring on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for a decade now, indicating an environmental consciousness in its practices. Others, such as Accenture, have been engaged in education and gender diversity projects in the country.
Commenting on the awards, CEO at Grant Thornton Vishesh Chandiok said, “With our mission of creating a more ‘Vibrant Bharat’, we are delighted to support SABERA in its initiative to recognise socially responsible work across public, private and third sector.”
Vinita Bali, who leads the jury, added, “Grant Thornton and SABERA have taken a timely and relevant initiative to recognise and reward socially responsible work that has the potential to transform people, communities and our environment. The award finalists are an inspiration for us.”