India Inc, under its corporate social responsibility, focusses largely on children. The projects range from contributing a small sum in the form of scholarships or books and stationary, campaigning on issues like child labour to adopting children. Some corporates have even launched outfits to support children. These include Pratham, supported by ICICI among others, and Tvesha by Bangalore-based 24x7 Learning.

Most corporates contribute in the field of education. Says Neel Chatterjee, senior vice-president and head of Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered, "The philosophy is to teach children fishing, rather giving them a fish for a day or two." Anand Nayak, head, Corporate Human Resources, ITC Ltd, too believes in this. "ITC provides poor children the greatest asset that they can aspire to ? education for a brighter future. Our education support programmes are aimed at overcoming the lack of opportunities available to the poor," he says.

ITC's initiatives are in the areas of universalisation of primary education, female literacy, enrollment and creating enabling conditions like a facility where children can assemble to do their homework and revise the day's teaching, setting up coaching arrangements and establishing rural libraries. The initiatives are running across various districts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL) has entered into a cause-related marketing tie up with SOS Children's Villages of India. The grant given under the project will be used towards infrastructure development in its schools. SOS hopes to reach out to many more children in the community through this project.

Sify, one of the largest Internet network and e-commerce service companies in India, has adopted a corporation primary school in the Thousand Lights area of Chennai. The project, christened Bala Alambana, motivates children and their parents to appreciate the value of education imparted at school, empowering them with knowledge in a holistic manner, including personal hygiene and fitness. David Appasamy of Sify says, "Our focus has been on youth with the Alambana Vidya programme, and on children with Bala Alambana. These are the future citizens of our country, and if we can ensure their early development with a healthy curiosity and love of learning, as well as good habits for their physical well being, we will have set them up for lifetime of productive employment and socio-economic growth."

With the Rotary Club of Madras, and Pratham, Sify also supports the Eureka Mobile Science Van to support quality elementary education in corporation schools. The project aims to create interest and excitement about science in middle school children in Chennai. The Mobile Science Van project is coordinated by AID-India, a voluntary organisation working in the field of primary education, health and science popularisation.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd (TKM) also plays a role in promoting literacy and in the creation of employment opportunities in the automotive industry. It partners with organisations, schools, universities and other businesses. A residential school at Bidadi, reconstructed by Toyota, now houses 75 students, mainly belonging to backward communities. The company also contributes textbooks, bags, used computers, chairs and writing pads for school children. Says A Toyoshima, MD, Toyota Kirloskar Motors, "Education plays an important role in shaping our future. Toyota's goal is to brighten the minds of children by supporting educational institutes and promoting literacy."

Another company Procter & Gamble (P&G) has joined hands with Child Relief and You (CRY) to launch project Shiksha. The programme supports education of underprivileged children across India. During April, May and June, P&G donated a part of the proceeds from the sale of its consumer products, which amounted to Rs 1.26 crore, to CRY. Says Shantanu Khosla, managing director, P&G India, "In India we chose to support children's education because the country is home to the world's largest number of illiterate children and that makes education of these disadvantaged children the most fundamental need." Adds Ingrid Srinath, CEO, CRY, "Thanks to this partnership, more than 11,000 children across seven states in India can secure their fundamental right to education. We have also provided opportunities to lakhs of consumers across India to participate in the movement for child rights."

Many firms, especially in the IT sector are passing their IT expertise to children who otherwise don't even have proper food and shelter. Recognising innovative teachers (Microsoft India), giving away old computers (almost all the IT companies), and setting up scientific kiosks for children (TryScience programme by IBM) are a few of the noteworthy practices.

Another sector that focusses at capacity building of adolescents is the hospitality sector. International catering chain, Yum! Restaurants, supports a few NGOs working for the upliftment of the deprived children. The company, in association with Salam Balak Trust and the Sriram Learning Centre, gives an opportunity to street and working children to work in its restaurants for a certain period of time. This training prepares them for similar job openings in the sector. "Our catering brand, KFC, sponsors education for 10 children for a year," says Sandeep Kohli, managing director, Yum! Restaurants (India).

Few Delhi restaurants like Chor Bizarre, Shalom Bar and Lounge, Laidback Waters, Olive Bar and Kitchen and Oriental Octopus have pledged to donate a certain percentage of the billed amount to the relief of children affected by the recent quake in J&K and the health programme in Delhi. They are working in alliance with Youthreach, which works to bridge the gap between corporates and NGOs, to benefit underprivileged children. The alliance also puts up health posts to provide basic healthcare and to spread health-related awareness.

Other corporates, which undertake short-term projects like training disadvantaged youth to learn income-earning skills, include ITC Marriott, Radisson and Cafe Coffee Day. "Besides these, corporates like Sapient, National Geographic and Ballarpur Industries Ltd have engaged their employees in activities like going on a picnic, playing games and visiting museums in an attempt to sensitise employees on bridging parallel worlds," says Anubha Rawat, a senior coordinator at Youthreach.

Companies like Dr Reddy's and Airtel have taken the pledge to work for child rights in the country. Says K Srinivas, CEO, Airtel, Delhi Zone, "We are focussing on the rights of survival, development, protection and participation. The company, in association with CRY, has devised the chakri programme, which will be launched on November 14, also Airtel's 10th anniversary in the Delhi circle. Under the child rights awareness campaign, the company will buy chakris (pingwheel ? a symbol of free child) from CRY and distribute to people free of cost. The chakris will impart our message of a free childhood among people."

Bharti Foundation and DSP Merrill Lynch sponsor mid-day meal programmes. Bharti Foundation, the CSR arm of Airtel, supports the mid-day meal programme of Kalakar Vikas School in Delhi. It is a school for artists' children, aimed at keeping the traditional skills of the artist community alive and helping them gain recognition.

Nothing could be nobler than adopting a child, feels Pune-based Kale Consultancy Services (KCS). Says Vipul Jain, CEO, Kale Consultants, "We believe adoption is an end-to-end rehabilitation of the destitute child." KCS have been working in this field for the past three years and has set up the Catalyst for Social Action (CSA), which works with children. Says Bharati Das Gupta, managing trustee, CSA, "Our aim is to encourage adoptions and to improve childcare facilities in the adoption agencies. We have put up a website, csa.org.in, which gives all the relevant details. We also conduct training programmes for child care workers and social workers."

Healthcare in India for the underprivileged remains dismal. Some corporates have stepped in to cure the rot. These include Amway which focusses on the blind child. Under the National Project for the Blind, Amway Opportunity Foundation (AOF), with its partners All India Confederation of the Blind (AICB) and National Association of the Blind (NAB), provided the Braille textbook in various states in the country. AOF also holds musical evenings by visually challenged troupes at various locations thereby assisting in their earning capability. Says William S Pinckney, chairman, AOF, "We have an on-going project to ensure that all blind school-going children in the country have access to Braille textbooks. We also distributed 200 white canes to the visually-challenged on International White Cane day on October 15 to ensure that a large number of blind children are assured of greater mobility."

Goodlass Nerolac Paints Ltd, in collaboration by Salaam Bombay Foundation, is hosting the Little Masters Challenge 2005 wherein a cricket tournament will be conducted on the Children's Day for the underprivileged kids. The event also aims to spread awareness about the ill effects of smoking and chewing tobacco. For the Little Masters Challenge 2005, 22 underprivileged kids from municipal schools have been coached for two weeks by former cricketer, Ashok Mankad.

ITC Ltd has introduced its SOS Children's Villages of India range of greeting cards. Says Chand Das, chief executive, ITC Greetings Giftings and Stationary Business, "The products offer both the sender and the receiver an additional dimension to participate in a cause that has now spanned almost five decades and is universally successful. Every individual who sends and receives SOS cards contributes directly to the efforts of SOS in supporting destitute children's future."

Says J N Kaul, president, SOS Children's Villages of India, "I am very happy with the initiative taken up by ITC. I believe that this friendly support from corporates like ITC will enable us to expand our work, reach out to more children in need and bring them within the fold of SOS for long-term care."

Accenture too works closely with SOS Children's Villages of India. Accenture's employees interact regularly with SOS mothers and children, engaging in various activities including cultural programmes and supporting the education of several children. Says Rekha Menon, head, India Geographic Services, Accenture India, "We support education for children and youth with special focus on bridging the digital divide through the use of technology. We also help youth and women through livelihood training programmes."

Oracle India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Oracle Corporation, has global volunteer days when its employees extend a helping hand to communities that are less privileged and physically challenged. During this period, in India the volunteers carry out activities across several cities with several voluntary, non-profit organisations such as HOPE Foundation, Spastic Society of Karnataka (Bangalore), Home of Hope (Bangalore), Thalassemia Society (Hyderabad), Diya Freedom Foundation (Hyderabad) and SOS Children's Village of India (Hyderabad), among others.

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) celebrated is 60th anniversary in October by providing cochlear implant kits to 60 hearing-impaired underprivileged children across the country. Says Keshub Mahindra, chairman, M&M, "As a socially responsible business group, we were looking for a unique and appropriate way to commemorate our 60th anniversary. We decided to bring sound into the silent world of 60 underprivileged children, using the most modern technology. Though, symbolically, the president handed over the cochlear implants to two children on October 2, 2005, the entire process of implant and subsequent training for these 60 children will take over a year." This initiative is an extension to the company's earlier endeavour to focus on children. Adds Anand Mahindra, vice-chairman and managing director, "We have undertaken several projects to enable children overcome challenges of birth and social and economic structures. Our main focus so far has been on using education as a tool. This time, we thought we would combine medical technology with education to give some of these profoundly hearing-impaired children a new chance at life."

Tata Consultancy Services has set up Maitree to serve as a forum to encourage, facilitate and support the creative pursuits and community development activities of the members of the TCS family. Its volunteers teach children of a blind school in Mahalakshmi. At Sion School, higher secondary children are taught conversational English and at Panvel School tribal children are taught conversational English. Mala Ramadorai, founder, TCS Maitree, says: "We conduct a number of initiatives globally, in all societies that we operate, for the less fortunate sections of society, especially children."

Other child welfare organisations such as Child Welfare and Holistic Organisation (CHORD), Mobile Creches and Magic Bus also help corporates in taking up newer ways of building the skills of children. The camp and sports programmes of Magic Bus use sports and recreation to help street and slum kids, orphans and the children of construction and sex workers gain a better understanding of their potential. It mentoring programme focusses on helping these children develop the skills and confidence they require to tackle life's challenges. It works with corporations that are open to new forms of partnerships to create social impact in their communities of operation.

Hyderabad-based CHORD has projects like Aashirwad, Aasha, Abhyaas and Adarsh. Aashirwad is for rehabilitating child labourers with the aim of mainstreaming them and imparting technical education for self-sustenance. Under Aasha, mothers of underprivileged children are taught to earn and form SHGs. Abhyaas is running vocational training centre for children. Adarsh is a campaign initiative engaged in sensitising people on child labour and child abuse.