Ashok Leyland, the Indian flagship of the Hinduja Group and a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, has been honored with the Mother Teresa Award for Corporate Citizen of the Year 2024. The award ceremony took place at the Loyola Institute of Business Administration (LIBA), where Dr. Palanivel Thiagarajan, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology & Digital Services, Government of Tamil Nadu, presented the award and citation to Ashok Leyland’s CSR team.
The Mother Teresa Award for Corporate Citizen was created in 1998 and is a distinguished accolade given to companies that demonstrate outstanding social responsibility, a steadfast commitment to community welfare, and a deep commitment to environmental sustainability. This award, which is well-known in India’s business community, honors organizations that put social impact ahead of corporate goals and make a lasting, significant difference in underprivileged communities.
“At Ashok Leyland, we view corporate social responsibility as an essential component of our business philosophy,” stated Mr. Shenu Agarwal, MD & CEO. Our dedication to nation-building extends beyond producing top-notch automobiles; we also work to improve communities, save the environment, and promote significant change. We are honored to have received the Mother Teresa Award, which serves as a reminder of our commitment to building an inclusive and sustainable future. With more over five lakh students currently enrolled, our Road to School and Road to Livelihood initiatives are still having a significant impact. Our dedication to education and empowerment is further demonstrated by the 92,000 new students we welcomed this year and the 1,00,000 more we plan to enroll in FY26.
In line with the company’s mission to improve society, Mr. Balachandar NV, CSR and Corporate Affairs, Ashok Leyland, stated the company’s dedication to long-term, comprehensive impact through its CSR efforts. This honor encourages people to keep promoting change in the fields of education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, and skill development. The business is still proud of its “Road to School” effort, which brings education to isolated communities and emphasizes holistic child development to help kids reach their greatest potential. “Road to School” is more than just a CSR initiative for Ashok Leyland; it is a company-wide dedication to improving children’ lives in a real and significant way.
In partnership with the Learning Links Foundation, Ashok Leyland’s premier CSR program, Road to School (RTS), aims to close educational gaps among students enrolled in government schools throughout India who live in rural and underprivileged areas. The goal of the Road to School Program is to support the overall development of students attending government schools in outlying locations. It promotes progress in both academic and extracurricular areas, including sports, physical and mental well-being, hygiene, and health. The RTS program is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which include enhancing the standard of education, fostering academic and extracurricular growth, including athletics and art instruction, and encouraging the health and wellness of underprivileged students attending public schools.
With 36 schools in Shoolagiri and Anchetty, Ashok Leyland launched the Road to School initiative in the Krishnagiri District of Tamil Nadu in 2015. With an impact on roughly 2,505 schools and 4,81,121 students in government elementary, upper primary, and high schools (second to twelfth standard), the program has significantly improved learning outcomes in seven states.
Ashok Leyland is still dedicated to its goal of influencing one million pupils and guaranteeing that all Indian children have access to high-quality education. The organization is committed to creating a long-lasting influence on India’s educational system in order to realize this ambition. The company’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) programs cover a wide range of topics, including as women’s empowerment, road safety, healthcare, education, and skill development. Furthermore, Ashok Leyland actively supports environmental sustainability by minimizing its carbon footprint, conserving water, and implementing afforestation programs.
Ashok Leyland’s steadfast commitment to building a sustainable and inclusive future for everybody is demonstrated by this esteemed award.
The company is unwavering in its commitment to promoting social and economic advancement while contributing significantly to society in ways that go beyond corporate goals.
