Driving impact: L&T Finance Ltd.'s inclusive approach to CSR

Economic Times

7 days ago

Synopsis
L&T Finance Ltd. demonstrates its commitment to India's sustainable growth through strategic CSR initiatives. In 2024-25, the company's efforts focused on digital and financial inclusion, climate impact management, disaster management, and social inclusion. These programs empowered rural communities, promoted climate resilience, provided disaster relief, and fostered social equity, all while upholding strong governance and transparency.
ET Spotlight Apurva Rathod, Company Secretary and Chief Sustainability Officer, L&T Finance Ltd. From ancient traditions to modern enterprise, the enduring spirit of societal contribution has always been deeply woven into India's fabric. Today, propelled by progressive regulatory reforms and enhanced transparency, philanthropy has evolved into a powerful force for economic and social development. This commitment to positive impact is now integral to how businesses operate and increasingly influences stakeholder expectations.At L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF), our purpose extends beyond business. We are committed to being a trusted partner in India's sustainable growth journey. Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy focuses on Digital and Financial Inclusion, Climate Impact Management, Disaster Management, and Social Inclusion. We believe that these interventions can drive larger social impact, scalability, and sustainability in the outcomes. Equally important, we have embedded strong governance practices to ensure our efforts remain community-led, accountable, and effective.
Digital and Financial Inclusion - A cornerstone of our CSR initiatives has been the Digital Sakhi programme, which continued to scale its reach in 2024–25. This initiative trains rural women in digital and financial literacy, enabling them not only to become agents of change within their communities but also to become independent and create their own identity in society.
Over the years, more than 14.20 Lakh community members, including over 7.50 Lakh rural women, were equipped to conduct safe cashless transactions, access formal banking channels, and guide others in adopting digital payments. These Sakhis have been instrumental in helping over 2.40 Lakh families access government welfare schemes worth Rs. 180 Crore, manage finances better, and even launch or expand to more than 10,500 rural women-led microenterprises.The ripple effects of financial literacy have been striking that translating into improved household savings, more resilient local economies, and a growing culture of women-led entrepreneurship amongst 5,000-plus enterprises. Climate Impact Management – It remains one of the most significant risks for rural India, especially for smallholder farmers. In 2024–25, our CSR interventions focused on promoting climate-resilient horticulture on over 550 acres of land and planting more than 1 lakh saplings.
Under Project Prakruti, we supported over 5000 farmers with training in micro-irrigation and soil health management. Under Jalvaibhav 2.0, 58 water conservation structures were built and restored, thereby benefitting 500 acres of land and creating an additional water harvesting capacity of 40,000 kilolitres, boosting groundwater recharge and enabling reliable irrigation.
Disaster Management - Our commitment to disaster management continued with equal focus on response and preparedness. In 2024–25, we provided swift relief kits to more than 1.30 Lakhs victims in the wake of floods, cyclones, and other natural disasters.
Social Inclusion - Our CSR approach is fundamentally driven by a deep commitment to inclusivity, ensuring no one is left behind. Our social inclusion programs in 2024–25 focused on implementing a pilot project in Banking and Financial Services for the unemployed youth. This pilot project was successfully conducted and as a result, 66 males and 134 Females passed the course titled 'Banking and Finance – Operation & Sales' and got successfully placed in banking and non-banking financial institutions.One of the principles I hold most dear as Chief Sustainability Officer is governance rooted in transparency and community participation. In 2024–25, we reinforced this through multiple channels like Community Feedback Systems. We conducted regular surveys and field meetings to capture the voices of those we serve. We brought together local leaders, Self-Help Group representatives, teachers, and other stakeholders in the form of Community Advisory Panels to review progress, provide input, and ensure alignment with community priorities. State, district and dluster-level workshops convened government officials, NGOs, community members, and our CSR teams to share learning, build partnerships, and celebrate successes. These governance mechanisms didn't just improve the quality of our interventions; they built trust, local ownership, and visibility for our CSR initiatives.
Looking Ahead: 2024–25 demonstrated that impactful CSR is driven by partnership with communities. By aligning our focus areas with real local needs and by listening, learning, and co-creating solutions, we ensured our work was both strategic and sustainable. At LTF, we remain committed to deepening these efforts. Going forward, we will continue investing in digital & financial inclusion, climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and social inclusion while holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards of governance and transparency. Together with our partners and the communities we serve, we will keep working toward a more inclusive, resilient, and equitable rural India.The article has been contributed by Apurva Rathod, Company Secretary and Chief Sustainability Officer, L&T Finance Ltd.
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