UltraTech Unit In Tamil Nadu Empowers Over 2,000 Marginalised Women

UltraTech Cement’s grinding unit, Arakkonam Cement Works, located in Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu, has through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative helped over 2,000 rural women from low income families secure sustainable livelihoods and enhance their standard of living.

Arakkonam Cement Works unit adopted five villages namely, Kumpinipet, Melpakkam, Thandalam, Parithiputhur and Chitteri, located in the vicinity of the unit as part of its CSR initiative to help secure sustainable livelihoods for women from marginalised sections of the community. The women in these villages were dependent on unskilled labour, animal husbandry and agriculture to earn their livelihoods. As the work was seasonal and erratic, the women remained financially dependent. Given the potential of tailoring and embroidery for self-employment as well as employment in the local textile units, the unit CSR team setup a training facility and commenced free tailoring and embroidery training for the women.

So far, 2,202 women from three villages of Chitteri, Thandalam and Parithiputhur have been trained. After successful completion of the training, the women were awarded certificates. Training for women from the other two villages is currently underway. About 800 of the trained women have been gainfully employed in local textile companies such as Ammayapper Textiles. The other trained women have also been able to augment their income by providing tailoring services locally.

UltraTech undertakes its social initiatives under the aegis of The Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development with Mrs. Rajashree Birla as its Chairperson. UltraTech’s CSR focus areas are education, healthcare, sustainable livelihoods, community infrastructure and social causes. UltraTech reaches out to more than 1.6 million beneficiaries in over 500 villages in 16 states across India through its CSR programmes.