CSR & Sustainability

ACYM (earlier Chang Yun India) is a joint venture between CY Myutec, Korea and ANAND, India to manufacture synchronizer rings for the Indian automotive industry. The company’s manufacturing facility and head office are situated in the Industrial Development Colony (IDC) of Haryana’s millennium city Gurugram.

ACYM’s CSR is structured to contribute to two (of a total of 17) of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) for 2030: Goal 4 Quality Education and Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities. The company has chosen SNS Foundation, ANAND Group’s CSR arm to execute its CSR objectives.

1. Goal 4 of Quality Education discusses approaches to Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All. The approaches discussed under the ten targets of this goal include early childhood development and pre-primary education in a bid to lay a strong foundation for sound learning during primary schooling Further it lays stress on ensuring secondary education for all and making technical, vocational and tertiary education universally accessible with a special focus on those vulnerable, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples among others.

Goal 4 also discusses on aspects of expanding scholarships in developing countries to advance enrolments in higher education including vocational training and technical, engineering and scientific programmes. The goal also encourages investments in building and upgrading education facilities to provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments.

Delivering quality education without disparities and discrimination of any kind is at the heart of this goal.

The sentiments and aspirations of UN SDG 4 are embodied in three key initiatives of ACYM CSR which fall under the Education and Skill Development focus areas of SNS Foundation.

1. Engagement with Govt. Middle School, Sector 14, Gurugram – Situated at about 2 kms from the company’s Gurugram location, Govt. Middle School, Sector 14, Gurugram is the first project school under ACYM CSR. ACYM’s engagement with the school has been designed keeping in mind key tenets of UN SDG4. The school is attended by 600+ students from Classes I to VIII. Nearly 100% students belong to migrant families coming from two main states of U.P. and Bihar. Parents are mainly engaged in factory work or as domestic helps for livelihood.

From 2015 to 2020, following initiatives have been taken to ensure that quality education is delivered to the vulnerable groups enrolled in the institute –

• School infrastructure development of MINR 20 which included construction of the school boundary wall, washrooms for primary and middle sections, desks and benches in classrooms, painting of the entire school building etc.
• Annual educational trips were organised to broaden the general awareness of the students. Places/events visited include the Delhi Horse Show, New Delhi World Book Fair, Rail Museum, Birla Planetarium, Indira Gandhi Museum, Lotus Temple, Kingdom of Dreams. Additionally, important days and festivals were organised in the school to add colour to the student lives
• Additional teachers were positioned in the school to coach students lagging behind in their level wise learning outcomes and also to fill up vacant teaching positions for critical academic subjects
• Academically bright students were extended coaching by specialised personnel to appear for competitive scholarships of Govt. of India viz. National Means cum Merit Scholarships (NMMS), Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya
• Sessions in life-skills covering topics such as time-management, negotiation, handling peer pressure, goal setting, physical changes during adolescence etc. were carried out for middle section students (Cl. VI- VIII) to ensure a smooth transition into the turbulent phase of adolescence.

OUTCOMES:

• Improved learning outcomes for 1590 primary and middle section students (Cl. II to VIII)
• Seven Cl. VIII students have been selected under NMMS. These national scholars would receive ₹1000 per month till they complete Cl. XII
• Further all efforts at upgrading the school’s infrastructure to ensure a safe, hygienic and effective learning environment over the past five years and initiatives at maintaining all students at their expected level wise learning outcomes, have resulted in the primary section of the Govt. Middle School, Sector 14 being selected by District Education Office, Gurugram as a model school in 2020. The primary section now has a new name – Govt. Model Sanskriti School, Sector 14. In the upcoming academic session 2021-22, it is expected that the middle section too would be upgraded to this status.
• With its upgradation to the status of a model school, the medium of instruction in the school has changed from Hindi to English.
• School can now levy ₹200 as fees p.m. The collected amount can be used by the school for its operations and other developmental needs

Having brought Govt. Middle School, Sector 14 to a tangible level of competency and superiority, ACYM plans its exit from this institute and would implement the same model of engagement at another deserving school in its vicinity.

Group companies Spicer and Henkel ANAND have also contributed to the school’s infrastructure development.

2. MEDHAVI Scholarship Programme – MEDHAVI scholarship scheme brings together ANAND Group’s objectives of employing a large number of women on the shop floor and its corporate responsibility of promoting education and skill development. MEDHAVI, a Hindi word, means a genius, intelligent female. As the name suggests, MEDHAVI is a scholarship programme only for matriculate girls from underprivileged families willing to pursue diploma in mechanical/automobile engineering. Post completion of the diploma, MEDHAVI scholars are supported with job facilitation within/outside of ANAND. Piloted in 2016, MEDHAVI was launched across most ANAND locations in 2017.

ACYM in partnership with group companies of Henkel ANAND and Spicer, have been sponsors to the programme in Gurugram. In the last four years (2017-20), 34 scholars have been supported at Govt. Polytechnic, Manesar.

2020 marked the graduation of the first batch of 13 MEDHAVI scholars. In spite of the raging pandemic, all 13 MEDHAVI graduates have found employment across ANAND and non – ANAND companies viz. Mahle ANAND Filter Systems (9 nos.), Napino Auto (2 nos.), Sandhar and VVDN (1 each).

OUTCOMES:

• The 13 MEDHAVI graduates aged 19 are first generation engineers in their families.
• Most of them had their parents work as factory workers, domestic helps or engaged in businesses by the roadside; all of which were brought to a standstill by the COVID-19 induced lockdown. Since then it has been the MEDHAVI graduates who have helped their families remain afloat with an average monthly income of ₹12K from their first jobs.
• Provided we did not have the disruption caused by COVID, MEDHAVI graduates joining jobs would have increased their family income by almost three times.
• Mechanical/Automobile engineering is not a sought after engineering discipline for girls. Introduction of the MEDHAVI programme at Govt. Polytechnic, Manesar, has had a ripple effect on the number of girls opting for these less popular disciplines.

3. Collaboration with Welfare Centre for Persons with Speech and Hearing Impairment, Chandan Nagar, Gurugram – Through this collaboration ACYM delivers on aspects of UN SDG 4 which calls for building and upgrading educational facilities. Further it also addresses making available vocational training facilities for vulnerable groups like persons with disabilities, in this case youth with speech and hearing impairment.

The partnership began in 2014, with ACYM investing significantly towards renovating and re-equipping the Centre’s welder and fitter training labs. A training space was also created for the SNSF certified 2 months training course in Inspection and Packaging.

Over the last seven years, close to 700 youth with speech and hearing impairment have attained skills in packaging and inspection. This technical training coupled with coaching in computer and soft skills have earned the course graduates jobs across three main sectors – hospitality, e-commerce and retail. Amazon, Flipkart, Big Basket, The Leela, Roseate House, The Oberoi’s, SRS Logicare (for Reliance Retail), Gabriel India are some of the key employers.

OUTCOMES:

• Average salary earned by a course graduate of packaging and inspection is about ₹12K a month.
• The highest CTC offered to an alumnus has been of ₹ 2.7L (2019), working as a laundry associate in The Roseate.
• The corresponding rise in family income varies from 50% – 70%.

In December 2016, ACYM was recognised for its efforts at the Welfare Centre towards promoting skilling and job opportunities of persons with speech and hearing impairment by the then State Governor of Haryana, Prof. Kaptan Solanki. Contributions of ACYM CSR in securing dignified jobs for persons with disabilities (PwDs) have been complemented over the years by Group company Spicer India and multilateral organization, American India Foundation.

6. By 2050, two-thirds of all humanity i.e. 6.5 billion people, will be living in cities. In the midst of this rapid urbanisation, sustainable development can be addressed only with effective management of urban spaces. Thus UN SDG 11 titled Sustainable Cities and Communities is geared towards making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. This calls for investment in public transport, creating green public spaces, and improving urban planning and management in participatory and inclusive ways.

With both its manufacturing facility and head office situated in the midst of numerous industrial units employing several hundred blue-collared and white collared workforces, development and maintenance of the public park facing its premises has been a key priority of ACYM CSR for the last seven years. Prior to intervention of ACYM CSR, the park was an eyesore for all passers. It was filled with broken brick and mortar structures, huge puddles of mud and slush making it a favourite resting place for flock of pigs.

Today the green lawns outlined by seasonal flowers offer a relaxing getaway and much needed lung space for the hundreds of workers in the vicinity. During lunch hours, sports lovers can be seen practicing for inter and intra company competitions. With schools closed for nearly one complete academic session during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the park also doubles up as an open classroom wherein students and teachers gather for their lessons, practicing social distancing at its best.

In keeping alive a public utility green space vibrant with activities performed by different sections of society, ACYM CSR resonates with UN SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities in letter and spirit. At SNS Foundation, this activity falls under Community Conservation, the focus area that deals with rural development initiatives and promotion of the natural environment.

ACYM donated MINR 1.0 (10 Lacs) to Haryana CM Relief Fund for COVID-19 Relief work

Report on CSR activities to be included in the board’s report – Download