Chandrajit Banerjee of CII

I had the good fortune to work with Mr. Chandrajit Banerjee who has been currenly appointed as the new Director General of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Mr Banerjee has served CII in various locations as the Head of State and regional offices of CII such as Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Chandigarh, Mumbai and Bangalore. Banerjee has been associated with CII for 20 years since 1987. CB as he is called in the Industry circles is also affiliated to several industry associations, including the Indian Earthmoving Construction Association and the Tractor Manufacturers' Association among others. He was also the CEO of Bangalore International Exhibition Center. A strategist and a think tank , CB was one of the pioneers in kickstarting the Corporate Governance movement in India.He was also the executive Director of National Foundation for Corporate Governance. CB is a post graduate in Economics with a specialisation in Econometrics.

Back to my roots

I am settling down in Technopark and an amazing park with so much of scenic beauty. I have finally got the chance to be called as a CEO. The companies here in the park are enterprising. From product development to offshore services they cover the entire gamut of the IT spectrum. So back to my roots and catching up with old buddies. A morning travel by train through the backwaters to my office and an evening stroll across the technopark has now become a part of my life. Away from the mad traffic of Chennai and Bangalore and finally at ease and also at peace.

CII to Technopark

I have decided to mouve out of CII. Having worked for 3 years in CII , I have made up my mind to move back to my state . I will be now be placed at Technopark in Trivandrum. The road ahead in Technopark is challenging. I think its time for me to take up challenges. I will be working for the growth of the IT Industry in Kerala, formulating strategies, working on policy issues and addressing the concerns of the stakeholders.

Working in CII have been fabulous. I had the opportunity to interact with the best bussiness minds, thought leaders, strategists and Policy makers.

I will be missing CII a lot especially those thought sessions and brainstorming events.

Bennie

I was grieved at the loss of my school mate Bennie. He was a wonderful person and a great friend. I pray for his soul. You have left behind insurmountable memmories of Freindship , affection and care
Bennie I will miss you a lot.
Your friend,
Binu

Suggested talking points for Mr. P K Mohapatra, Chairman, CII (SR) and President and CEO, Technology Business Sector, RPG Enterprises

With the liberalization of the economy, India has become one of the fastest growing nations in the world. With positive indicators such as a stable 8-9 per cent annual growth, rising foreign exchange reserves, a booming capital market and a rapidly expanding FDI inflows, India has emerged as epicenter of Growth, Innovation and Knowledge.
The rapid economic growth has also had a significant impact on the social front. Social indicators have improved. Literacy levels have risen, while morbidity and mortality rates have declined. However, it is widely felt that the rate of social development needs to escalate and economic growth needs to be backed by an environment conducive for Inclusive, Sustainable and Equitable growth.

In India the measure of development process should not simply be a measure of aggregate of economic activity but should be an assessment of the inclusiveness of economic growth with emphasis not only on the distribution of economic gains but also on the security, vulnerability, empowerment, and sense of full participation of people in all facets of Economic Activity. The real challenge the nation faces is in fact empowering and creating opportunities for each person when the economy is growing rapidly on a higher growth trajectory.

To create an Environment of Inclusive growth, CII is working on a long term strategy for implementing projects that can facilitate Economic and Social Inclusiveness by creating opportunities for the economically and socially disadvantaged sections of the Society. CII has brought in the idea of Affirmative Action to work out solutions for the upliftment of that section of the Society left out of the economic growth.

CII has been actively working in the area of Affirmative Action from 2006. The four areas under which CII has been working
· Work place
· Entrepreneurship development
· Employability and
· Education

The member companies of CII have already engaged in providing training facilities and employment to those on the fringes of economic development and provided a platform to effectively compete in the market place. Many of the companies have also partnered with educational institutions to support and aid students from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Many of the member companies are actively undertaking activities to promote the well being of these deprived sections of the society which involves Entrepreneurial training , Skill Development training, Scholarships for students , job oriented training programme for aspirants for IT/ITES jobs and other allied activities. CII (SR) is committed to the economic upliftment of the disadvantaged group. CII is running programmes throughout south India on developing the Skills for these deprived sections and also to nurture their entrepreneurial skills and make them more competitive in the free market. CII has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute, Ahemdabad to train the budding entrepreneurs within these deprived sections of the society.

CII members have partnered with NGO’s to improve the level of Primary Education in the Government Schools. In addition to these initiatives, CII members have developed schemes to finance exceptional SC/ST students through Scholarships, counseling and career guidance programmes in the Government schools in South India. CII members have also partnered with NGO’s to implement mid day meal scheme programme in Government Schools.

Realizing the importance of Skills in improving the livelihood options of the excluded groups, CII in Southern Region has formed a Taskforce on Skills, Employability and Affirmative Action. This task force is mandated with the mission to facilitate a multi-partnership approach for the development of skills in the southern Region. This approach envisages cooperation among Government, Policy makers, Industry, Researchers, Skill training providers and educators and development specialists.
Under this platform CII has evolved two major initiatives one with respect to the Soft Skill Training programme and the other a large Scale skill Development initiative called Grassroot Level Skill Development Initiative (GLSDI). The soft skill training programme intends to reach out to more than 5,000 students under the Madras and Andhra University. This programme is being supported by an Industry Consortium which has formulated the syllabi for the training programme.

CII members are also involved in the upgradation of Industrial Training Institute in the Southern Region. The members are partnering with the Government to upgrade the institutes through the Public Private Partnership (PPP).

GLSDI propounded by CII represents a key instrument in facilitating the social and economic integration of excluded groups and disadvantaged segments of the population like the rural unemployed youth and School drop outs.

Affirmative Action is a key strategy for the overall economic and social development of the country. It also gives an opportunity for both the Public and the private sector in India to join hands and to ensure that there in an inclusive economic development in the country and the development is sustainable and equitable. It is also important to note that the catalytic role played by CII for been an active facilitator in this process and thereby creating a platform for the stakeholders for sharing of information and expertise in the area of Affirmative Action. The road ahead for CII in the area of Affirmative Action is challenging but CII with its inherent strength of a vision and leadership will be able to make a huge impact in improving the lives of Indians left untouched by the economic growth that the country is currently witnessing.

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The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

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Most of the important things in the world have been
accomplished by people who have kept on trying when
there seemed to be no hope at all." -- Dale Carnegie

CII Skill Development Initiative in Southern Region

Skill development is the quintessential factor to maintain the current economic growth and if this is not addressed at the earliest it will have a debilitating effect on the Indian economy. Realizing this important aspect CII in Southern Region has formed a Taskforce on Skills, Employability and Affirmative Action. This task force is mandated with the mission to facilitate a multi-partnership approach for the development of skills in the southern Region. This approach envisages cooperation among Government, Policy makers, Industry, Researchers, Skill training providers and educators and development specialists.

Under this platform CII has evolved two major initiatives one with respect to the Soft Skill Training programme and the other a large Scale skill Development initiative called Grassroot Level Skill Development Initiative (GLSDI). GLSDI propounded by CII represents a key instrument in facilitating the social and economic integration of excluded groups and disadvantaged segments of the population like the rural unemployed youth and School drop outs.
Under the GLSDI programme CII has been working with MARG Constructions to train 5000 unemployed rural youth at the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kanchepuram district in Tamil Nadu. CII has created a consortium of experts drawn from the Industry to monitor the project during the different phases. This is a paradigm model with both Forward and Backward Linkages with the NGO’s providing the backward linkage and the Industry the forward linkage. The project has met with huge success in terms of enhancing the livelihood options of these youth and also enhancing the skill sets which will enable the youth to join the segment of productive workforce in the country. CII is now trying to replicate the entire model in other states in the Southern Region.

CII is also rolling out a Soft Skills Training programme for the Post Graduate students under 61 colleges of the Madras University. CII has formed a consortium comprising of CII member companies and University of Madras to advise and oversee the implementation of the Soft skill training programme.

CII also has brought out a series of training modules like Manual on Soft Skills - Train the Trainers, an Introduction to the World of Work -Module for GLSDI - Instructor Manual and GLSDI Workbook.

Skill Development is a key strategy for the overall economic and social development of the country. It also gives an opportunity for both the Public and the private sector in India to join hands and to ensure that there in an inclusive economic development in the country and the development is sustainable and equitable. It is also important to note that the catalytic role played by CII for been an active facilitator in this process and thereby creating a platform for the stakeholders for sharing of information and expertise in the area of Skill Development. The road ahead for CII in the area of Skill Development is challenging but CII with its inherent strength of a vision and leadership will able to make a huge impact in improving the lives of Indians left untouched by the economic growth that the country is currently witnessing.

Suggested talking points for Mr. Gopal Srinivasan, Chairman, CII Tamil Nadu State Council and Director TVS Electronics

Respected Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, Former President of India
Mr. T T Ashok, Chairman, CSR Sub Committee, CII (SR)
Mr. P K Mohapatra, Chairman, CII (SR)
Representatives from the Teaching Fraternity,
Respected Dignitaries,
Friends from the media and
My dear young friends,

It is my honor to be with you today to deliver the concluding remarks of the Imagine and Innovate Contest. We had a thought provoking and Insightful session with Dr. Kalam where he shared his views on the various developments in the country. I am taking this opportunity to highlight on some of the initiatives taken by CII to promote an Inclusive Economic Development in the country. The first one is creating an Innovation led Economic Growth and second one Skill Development Programme.

India is fast turning into an innovation led economy where innovations are leading to better growth and productivity. Young Innovations presented today is a gateway for the development of our country

Innovation is critical to our nation for many reasons. First and foremost, Innovation fuels sustainable economic expansion - creating high-wage jobs, world-class exports and productivity growth so critical to our long-term global competitiveness. Innovations also improve our quality of life. from new drugs and cures that help people live longer and healthier lives, to agricultural advances that permit more bountiful harvests with less herbicides and pesticides. Innovations are also vital in our efforts to protect our homeland by hardening our infrastructure, detecting dangers and empowering our defenders. Energy innovations are the key to meeting our future power needs while protecting our environment, and Innovation holds extraordinary promise for the future of education. By exporting our Innovative technology around the world we help improve the standard of living of the other 6 billion people on the planet.

CII is laying a strong emphasis on Skill Building and the thrust on this is being stressed through the theme ‘Building People: Building India’. We have created a movement to address the skill deficit. A project is being piloted in Tamil Nadu at a Special Economic Zone and this Skill Development Initiative has both the forward and the backward linkages for the employment of the rural youth. CII is planning to replicate the entire Skill development model in other states and scaling it up at the National level. CII is also concerned with the employability of University graduates and have tied up with the University of Madras to launch a soft skill training programme to train the college professors and lecturers on key aspects of soft skills. The curriculum for this soft skill training module has been developed by the CII led Industry consortium. CII aims to strengthen the Skill Development initiative in the country to develop a workforce that can compete at all levels at the global level.

This particular contest has created an enabling environment for young minds to showcase their innovative ideas. Forums of CII are an ideal platform for these ideas to be converted into products or solutions which will surely enhance the quality of life and also contribute to sustainable economic growth.

CII has been in the forefront as a catalyst to identify and scale up innovative ideas for the benefit of the Industry, the Society and the nation at large. Many of the projects presented today have Industrial significance and also social significance. The projects have shown local solutions are more sustainable in implementing resource management projects.
I take this opportunity to thank all the students who have actively participated in this event. I thank Dr. Kalam for taking time out of his busy schedule to be with us to present the awards and also to be with us sharing his perspectives on the different developmental challenges the country faces. His presence here has added immense value to the entire contest and we look forward to his valuable association in the near future.

Thank You

Suggested talking points for Mr. N Kumar. Past President, CII and Vice Chairman, The Sanmar Group during a confererence on Corporate Governance and CSR in Mumbai organised by US-India Business Council

Corporate Social Responsibility promotes a vision of business accountability to a wide range of stakeholders besides shareholders and investors. Corporate social Responsibility is the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic development working with employees, their families, the local community and society at large. It is an expression used to describe a company's obligation to be sensitive to the needs of all its stake holders in its business operations. .CSR is a part of the multi dimensional process which assumes that the community interests and stability is part of the long term business sustainability. Key areas of concern are environmental protection and the well being of employees, the community and civil society in general. Many Corporates are looking at CSR as a business strategy which can provide long term leverage over the competitors. For example some consumers have become increasingly sensitive to the CSR performance of the companies from which they buy their goods and services. And also some investors and investment fund managers have begun to take account of a corporation’s CSR policy in making investment decisions. As part of the CSR policy many companies are now encouraging their employees to volunteer and take part in community work. Ultimately such actions enhance the company’s reputation and strengthen the brand.
The role of business in Society has been debated in economic literature for a long time. The modern debate on the Social side of business gained momentum in 1953 with the publishing of the book Social Responsibilities of Businessman by Howard .R.Bowen. Bowen reasoned that there would be general Social and economic benefits that would accrue to Society, if business recognized broader social goals in its decisions.In India, many companies believe in CSR has an idea to give back something to the community and also to empower them so that they can lead a life devoid of poverty. Many firms especially from the Manufacturing and Services Industry have shown the way how Indian companies in their own way contribute their part in the nation building process. Many firms are looking at CSR as a strategy for the economic upliftment of the poor and the needy. Many believe the fruits of the Indian economic resurgence should be benefited by all and there is an opportunity which is to be tapped.
Tata Group was the front runner in taking care of the needs of the community. The stupendous economic growth seen in India poses a constraint on the resources and the effective way is to manage this is to work out a sustainable method where the environment is protected, the needs of the community is taken care off, employing the disabled and the school drop outs by enhancing their Skills, using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to improve the standard of living of the community etc.
A strong case for the CSR activity is a company’s commitment to sound labor practices, environmental stewardship and good community relations plays an influential role in how it is perceived by the public. In a survey conducted in 20 developed countries, CSR related factors collectively accounted for 49% of company’s image compared with 35% for brand image and just 10% for financial management.

In India CSR has moved from the model of standalone projects to collaborations among public organizations, private firms, and civil society in addressing the developmental bottlenecks. These results-oriented interactions potentially improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery mechanism by leveraging the expertise and technical excellence of the Indian Private sector. The concept of Public Private Partnership in Development projects is fastly gaining ground in India. CII have also been in the forefront of this unique partnership model.
Public sector organizations and Government Institutions in India are becoming increasingly reliant on collaboration with the private sector and civil society to strengthen innovative capacity and respond to the needs of the rural poor. New collaborative modalities include public-private partnerships, knowledge exchange networks, research consortia, technology joint ventures, public-private-non-governmental extension services and other partnership-based approaches.
Results have been encouraging and suggest that such collaborations are an important step in helping achieve the Millennium Development Goals, particularly the goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and developing a global partnership for development.
The relation between CSR and Good Governance is closely related to the building up of economic competitiveness at the firm. Corporate Governance and CSR are two pillars which is the long run create a Sustainable and Ethical organization. Corporate Governance is a tool to add to the shareholder value while CSR adds value to the Stakeholders. The fundamentals of a strong organization is laid by sound Corporate Governance practices which invariably promotes fundamental values of Market economy and sustainable business practices which ultimately benefits the community. Institutions like CII have the task in hand to see corporate Governance becomes an Instrument for closer stakeholder engagement, greater transparency, equity and social responsibility. Sound Corporate Governance practices leads to Sustainable wealth.

Using these two strategies of CSR and Corporate Governance , the Private sector in India has a responsibility to create an enabling environment conducive for Inclusive growth by creating a high and a sustainable economic growth that would create employment opportunities and create an Inclusive society where the benefits of the economy growth reaches all section of the society.