Tag: ITC Limited

Business

Havmor Ice Cream Collaborates with ITC frozen foods

Dec 28, 2021 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Anand, #Ashu Phakey, #Havmor Ice-cream, #ITC frozen foods, #ITC Limited, #ITC Master Chef Frozen snacks, #Komal Anand, #Lotte Group, #Vincent Noronha

Havmor, a leading Ice cream brand, owned by the Lotte Group (a South Korean conglomerate) has entered a strategic partnership with ITC Master Chef Frozen snacks. The tie-up is a part of ITC’s new routes-to-market distribution strategy and will enable ITC Master Chef to leverage 100 Havmor Ice cream carts.

This partnership allows Havmor Ice cream to generate incremental earning opportunities for its channel partners and vendors and helps the company leverage its operating costs during the ice cream lean season (Nov to Mar). The innovative arrangement also gives ITC Master Chef an opportunity to enhance the availability and accessibility of its range of frozen food offerings during the winter months when the Frozen Foods industry registers a 30% increase in sales vis the summer months.

Commenting on the partnership, Komal Anand, MD, and CEO at Havmor Ice Cream said

“This is a Win-Win initiative for both the companies & its channel partners. It helps ITC Master Chef enhance availability during the season and it allows Havmor Ice creams channel partners generate incremental revenues during winter months. Expanding Pushcart operations is an integral part of Havmor Ice cream’s strategy to enhance its reach.” Given that the frozen supply chain in India is evolving, leveraging the existing ecosystem to expand reach at optimized cost will continue to remain a focus area said, Mr. Anand.

Mr. Vincent Noronha, Vice President Marketing further quotes” Havmor is known for its great tasting ice creams, made of milk. It has a wide range of delectable ice creams catering to different occasions. Its offerings comprise of traditional Indian products such Kaju draksh, Kesar pista, Tajmahal, Kulfi, Rajbhoj, all-time classics like Butterscotch, Swiss Choco Brownie, Blockbuster range of sticks comprising of Triple Chocolate, Almond Mocha, Mango to name a few. Its range of ice cream cakes caters to occasions such as birthdays and social gatherings. Havmor recently launched South Korea’s best seller ice cream Lotte Havmor ‘World Cone’ in three variants. Apart from its great taste and the big size, the packaging of these Big ice cream cones uses heat seal technology which is amongst the first of its kind in India. Havmor recently concluded its annual consumer outreach program ‘Coolest WFH job’ which had 43000+ entries. This unique program is designed to connect with the youth and to encourage collaboration in developing its innovation pipeline. This year’s program culminated with the contestants developing innovative products under the mentorship of Chef Ranveer Brar. Apart from being available in normal trade, Havmor ice creams are available in its 200+ ice cream parlours across the country as well”.

Commenting on the partnership, Ashu Phakey, Vice President and Business Head ITC Limited (Frozen Foods) said “Healthy and convenience-based snacking as a trend is growing across the country as consumers become more health-conscious, whilst having lesser time on their hands due to a busy lifestyle. ITC Master Chef is a trailblazer in this space and has garnered encouraging consumer franchise driven by the taste and quality of its food offerings. We are glad to partner with Havmor Ice cream to further strengthen our distribution reach and offer customers the choicest range of easy-to-cook and healthy snacks through Havmor Ice cream’s sales network. With a strong distribution model in the ice cream space, we are confident that Havmor Ice creams consumer-centricity and extensive reach will complement our capabilities in creating innovative products to enhance the overall value offering for the customers.”

The carts will be located at 100 locations across Delhi and NCR, which can also be located via Google MyMap. Upon clicking the link, the user will be directed to a map with all the location points laid out, therefore, making it easier for them to locate the nearest cart. Consumers buying from the cart will receive discount vouchers that can be redeemed at itcstore.in, the company’s own D2C platform.

Business

ITC Strengthens its Wellbeing out of Waste Program in National Capital

Oct 2, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Divisional Chief Executive, #ITC Limited, #Mr Gyanesh Bharti, #Mr. Vadiraj Kulkarni, #Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division, #the South Delhi Municipal Commissioner

New Delhi: ITC Limited is strengthening its flagship solid waste management programme WOW (Wellbeing Out of Waste) in New Delhi. Amplifying its year-round waste management initiatives, the company has initiated a range of on-ground activities during the ‘Swachhta Week’ (25th Sept – 2nd Oct), reinforcing its large-scale citizen engagement programme in the national capital. The Company’s large-scale waste management programme ITC WoW reaches out to over 1.5 crore citizens across the country.

As a part of its larger initiative, ITC is working with local bodies like SDMC (South Delhi Municipal Corporation) and MoHUA (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) to undertake door-to-door campaigns to promote source segregation of waste, and sensitize citizens on the importance of fostering a ‘zero-waste’ ecosystem. These initiatives formed part of the larger ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ campaign to mark 75 years of independence.

To garner larger citizen participation in waste management, ITC WOW has designated special coordinators for the South Delhi wards identified by SDMC for a range of initiatives under the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ campaign. Each participating ward has a team of 30 members with representatives from ITC WOW, SDMC field staff, ragpickers, volunteers, and are being led by ‘Swachhta Ambassadors’.

As a part of the special initiative, demonstrations were made to residents on source segregation and home composting techniques with an aim to reducing waste going to landfills. Awareness was created through puppet shows, rallies, kiosks and selfie zones in key locations. School children also participated actively in the awareness campaign.

The campaign saw waste management best practices and innovations being exhibited by different stakeholders from each ward including waste entrepreneurs, volunteers and the ‘safaimitra’, households, small-scale vendors, citizen groups, Self Help Groups, Urban Local Bodies and Resident Welfare Associations and so on. The most innovative and impactful initiatives by different stakeholder groups were acknowledged through a public felicitation programme, on Friday, October 1.

Mr. Vadiraj Kulkarni , Divisional Chief Executive , Paperboards and Specialty Papers Division, ITC Limited, said, “We at ITC are proud to be partnering the State Governments and the Municipal Corporations to create an enabling ecosystem to foster best practices in waste management, towards a shared goal of nurturing a circular economy. ITC has been spearheading a large-scale solid waste management initiative through its flagship Wellbeing out of waste ‘WOW’ program, which reaches out to over 1.5 crore citizens across the country. We stand committed to significantly strengthening our waste management initiatives, including in the national capital, in days to come.”

Commenting on this initiative, the South Delhi Municipal Commissioner, Mr Gyanesh Bharti said “ITC has been our active partner in promoting the cause of source segregation amongst citizens in Delhi. We are happy to be associated with the Company’s flagship waste management programme ITC WoW, which is an effective 360-degree model, aimed at reducing waste at the landfills. I congratulate all the citizen groups for coming up with innovative solutions to combat the menace of solid waste. Our joined efforts will go a long way in making our National Capital a role model for waste management in the country.”

ITC’s waste management programme aims to ensure that 100% of packaging introduced by the company is reusable, recyclable, or compostable in the next decade.

ITC’s WOW initiative is aligned with the Government of India’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ mission where the objective is to create public education and awareness on the importance of source segregation, in order to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste to optimize resource use and lessen the burden on the planet. It also promotes sustainable livelihoods for rag-pickers and waste collectors. The programme has been carried out extensively over the last decade across various parts of India

During the year (2020-21), the ITC WOW programme continued to be executed in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hyderabad, major towns of Telangana, Coimbatore, Chennai, Tirupur, Cochin, Muzaffarpur, Delhi and major districts of Andhra Pradesh. The quantum of dry waste collected during the year was about 70,900 MT from 1,067 wards. The programme has covered over 1.5 crore citizens, 38.26 lakh households, 52 lakh school children and around 2,040 corporates across the country. It creates sustainable livelihood for over 16,900 waste collectors by facilitating an effective collection system in collaboration with municipal corporations. The intervention has also created over 140 social entrepreneurs who are involved in maximising value capture from dry waste collected.

Business World

ITC commits to ambitious sustainability 2.0 targets for Water Security and Carbon Sequestration

Mar 22, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #International Day of Forests, #ITC Limited

ITC Limited, India’s leading diversified conglomerate and a global exemplar in sustainability, reiterated its commitment towards water stewardship and natural resources replenishment on the occasion of World Water Day and International Day of Forests.

For decades, ITC has passionately pursued the cause of augmenting environmental resources and generating livelihoods. As part of its environmental stewardship endeavours, ITC has sought to address climate change through the adoption of a low carbon growth path. Under its largescale afforestation programme, around 8,50,000 acres have been greened cumulatively, contributing to the Company’s carbon positive status for 15 years. The programme has also created over 150 million person-days of employment for small and marginal farmers. ITC’s integrated water stewardship programme that aims to help build a secure and sustainable water future for India, cumulatively covers over 1.1 Million acres in 37 districts in 14 states, creating a total rainwater harvesting potential of 3.6 million kilolitres. Over 20,000 water harvesting structures have been built till date, as part of the programme that has also generated 7 million person-days of employment and contributed to ITC’s water positive status for 18 years.

ITC’s Sustainability 2.0 targets for 2030 envisage the creation of rainwater harvesting potential equivalent to 5 times its water consumption by 2030, up from the current level of 3 times. The Company aims to sequester over 4 times the CO2 emissions from its operations, up from the 2 times sequestered now. This will further strengthen its carbon positive and water positive status.

The world’s shrinking forests provide livelihoods for 1.6 billion people, shelter an amazing biodiversity, cleanse the air and protect the water essential to our lives. Changing climate and overuse have brought on a water crisis, too. There’s still time to save nature’s gifts.

This short film marks the #InternationalDayofForests and #WorldWaterDay and is a call to help preserve our forests and water resources.

Watch the video with sound on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PspEZ8c5hfk

#ITC #waterpositive #carbonpositive

Business World

`Aas paas’ tourism helping hotel business regain momentum but still a long way from pre-covid status: Nakul Anand

Jan 29, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Executive Director, #hotel business, #ITC Limited, #Nakul Anand

Kolkata: “The Hotel business in India is regaining momentum but still a long way from where we left in 2019. The hotel industry in the country has really stood up well by improvising and creating new packages. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization this has been the worst International crisis that tourism has faced since records were ever kept that goes back to the 1950s. Hotel and tourism was the first industry to be affected by corona and would perhaps be the last to recover,” said Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Limited, at a session of Ek Mulakat Visesh organized by Prabha Khaitan Foundation of Kolkata and presented by Shree Cement.

Mr Anand heads the hospitality, travel and tourism businesses of ITC and has pioneered the concept of “Responsible Luxury” or sustainable excellence in the hotel industry. He was in conversation with Ms Ina Puri, member of Ehsaas Women of Gurugram, at an online session which was introduced by Ms Apra Kuchhal of Ehsaas Women of Jaipur.

Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Limited,

“We are not seeing much revival on business travel but what we are certainly seeing a revival in what I call `revenge travel’ that is people who have been under lockdown are now wanting to visit hotels for a change with first preference for motorable distances which I call `aas paas’ tourism and we are seeing a lot of this,” said Mr Anand who has been recognized as the “Corporate Hotelier of the World 2019” by Hotels USA magazine. Mr Anand is also a recipient of the “Green Hotelier” award instituted by International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA) – an  United Nations recognized industry body.

“In the service industry we have something called the moment of truth every time you interact with a guest. These moments of truth have become moments of trust, and trust is the new currency. What gives this trust is cleanliness, hygiene, safety, sanitisation. So what we have to do now is what I call create cleanliness theatres. What used to be done at night can now be done during the day in the presence of guests so that they can see the manner in which food is to be served. We had to give them visible cues to win their trust and re-invent service like we had never done before. So I think after hoteliering was discovered this is the first time such creativity and service designs have been done,” said Anand who joined ITC in 1978 – the second generation in his family to do so.

Nakul Anand, who says “If you don’t see green, you’ll see red”, has initiated various sustainable initiatives like `Responsible Luxury’ and `Food Sherpa’ programme under which ITC chefs scour their destinations for  street or local food and serve them in five-star ambiance as part of their Local Love menu. Mr Anand believes sustainable practices must be embedded in our business philosophy.

Commenting on ITC Hotels’ prestigious art collection, Anand said, “One of the things we have never taken our eyes off is our credo that was formed in 1975 when the hotels division came what was that `nobody gives you India like we do. We give you India in every form, whether it is in the form of cuisine, in the form of culture, in the form of heritage. We have never looked back. Namaste was our logo and it continues to remain so. We have created Indian cuisines which were unknown. We never get into a new cuisine without research. We researched dum pukht, bukhara, these were hidden foods that were taken out; we got into Vedic gastronomy and got the Royal Vega in Kolkata. Similarly art was an important part of our heritage which brings alive the facets of the destination and gives a distinct identity to the hotel where it is located.”

“Many of the modern concerns that covid has thrown up actually goes back to what India had five thousand years ago. Today we talk of immunity-boosting food as health is the new wealth. The opportunity Indian food offers into the concerns of tomorrow is phenomenal. Someone rightly said `food should be your medicine otherwise medicine will be your food’ and in India truly food has been our medicine and we have enjoyed it by the season what we eat – local, nature and sustainable. I think there is a great future for Indian food,” he said.

The ace hotelier, however, feels that in the hustle and bustle of life there is nothing like being home and a nice home meal or soul food or mama’s food – simple chana. kadi, aloo methi etc.

Business World

ITC Limited conferred the ICSI National Award for Excellence in Corporate Governance

Jan 15, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Chairman Mr Sanjiv Puri, #Former Judge, #Hon’ble Justice Shri A. K. Sikri, #International Judge, #ITC Limited, #ITC’s Company Secretary, #Rajendra Kumar Singhi, #Singapore International Commercial Court, #Supreme Court of India

New Delhi: ITC Limited has been adjudged ‘Best Governed Company’ at the
20th ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance, 2020 in the Listed Segment:
Large Category in recognition of its consistent growth and performance, contributive
capabilities, governance ethos, and sensitized approach towards CSR and sustainable
development. The Award was adjudged by an eminent jury under the chairmanship of Hon’ble
Justice Shri A. K. Sikri, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and International Judge,
Singapore International Commercial Court.

ITC’s Company Secretary, Rajendra Kumar Singhi was also adjudged ‘Governance Professional
of the Year’ for his contribution towards adoption of effective governance processes.
Mr Singhi received the Award on behalf of ITC at a ceremony held on the 13 th of January 2021.
Mr Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry and Consumer Affairs,
Government of India was the Chief Guest at the Awards ceremony, which was also graced by
stalwarts of the Indian corporate sector and governance professionals.

Thanking the ICSI for bestowing the Award, Chairman Mr Sanjiv Puri stated, “We are deeply
humbled by this befitting recognition for ITC’s robust governance model anchored on the
timeless values of trusteeship, transparency and ethical corporate citizenship. The high
standards that we have set for ourselves is inspired by our credo of ‘Nation First – Sab Saath
Badhein’ that seeks to create enduring value for our stakeholders, making a meaningful
contribution to creating larger societal value whilst enhancing the competitiveness of our
businesses with agility and innovative capacity. This Award, received in the presence of
Hon’ble Minister Shri Piyush Goyal ji, will indeed be a source of immense encouragement to
Team ITC as we traverse this journey to build a better tomorrow for our stakeholders and the
Nation”.

ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance is a prestigious award that
acknowledges the implementation of best practices in corporate governance. Instituted by ICSI,
these awards encourage and recognize individuals and listed companies that imbibe and
promote a culture of good corporate governance by not only inculcating good corporate
governance principles in their functioning but also by implementing innovative practices,
programs, and projects promoting the cause of corporate governance. It rigorously evaluated
participants on several parameters including governance structure, transparency, and
disclosure compliances, amongst others.

ITC has been one of the frontrunners in India to have put in place a formalized system of
corporate governance, more than 2 decades back.

ITC’s abiding commitment to its credo of ‘Nation First: Sab Saath Badhein’ is embodied in its
corporate vision to sustain ITC’s position as one of India’s most valuable corporations through
world-class performance, creating value for the Indian economy and the company’s
stakeholders. The company’s corporate governance philosophy is anchored on the values of
trusteeship, transparency, ethical corporate citizenship, empowerment & accountability, and
control that is embedded in the strategies and planning process of every business of the
company.

News

ITC aims to meet 100% of electrical energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 as a part of its Sustainability 2.0 Vision

Jan 7, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Group Head –R&D, #ITC Limited, #Mr Sanjiv Rangrass, #Sustainability and Projects

New Delhi: ITC Limited, one of India’s leading multi-business conglomerates and a global exemplar in sustainability, has set itself the target to meet 100% of purchased grid electricity requirements from renewable sources by 2030. In line with its philosophy of ‘Responsible Competitiveness’, the Company has adopted a low carbon growth strategy which encompasses a large renewable energy footprint. At present ITC meets over 40% of its electrical energy requirement through renewable sources like wind, solar and biomass. As a part of its Sustainability 2.0 Vision, ITC is planning to invest further in strengthening its renewable energy portfolio in order to contribute meaningfully to the fight against climate change.

Investments in renewable energy

In its endeavour to contribute to a ‘cleaner and greener’ environment, ITC has been expanding its renewable energy footprint over the past two decades. The company has already made significant investments in renewable energy assets (Wind and Solar projects combined). This will improve Renewable Energy share of company by additional 6% from current levels.

Current renewable energy portfolio

The current renewables portfolio of ITC consists of 138 MW of wind power plants and 14 MW of Solar plants with ~53MW of additional solar capacity under execution. Projects are also underway in the area of other sources of renewable energy like solar boiler or biomass boilers.

At present, ITC uses renewable energy across 20 factories, 9 hotels and 6 office buildings spanning states such as Telengana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Haryana, West Bengal and Punjab.

In 2018, ITC became the first private sector entity to wheel renewable energy across states through Inter-State Open Access mechanism. Currently, the 46MW Wind power plant in Andhra Pradesh owned by ITC supplies power to over 15 ITC establishments in 8 states. This has led to a higher Renewable energy utilization for the company.

Emission Reduction Targets

Besides investing in new renewable energy assets, ITC also aims to achieve a 50% reduction in specific emission and 30% reduction in specific energy consumption by 2030 over a 2014-15 baseline. Such efforts in decarbonizing energy consumption through low-carbon energy solutions will be met through large-scale digitalisation and R&D initiatives, cross-sectoral collaborations and partnerships.

Talking about company’s resolve to mitigate climate change risks, Mr Sanjiv Rangrass, Group Head –R&D, Sustainability and Projects, ITC Limited said,” As a sustainability pioneer and an exemplar in environment stewardship, ITC has been emphasizing on the need to decarbonize energy consumption through green energy solutions in order to mitigate climate change risks. Since making sustainability a core objective in all business operations two decades ago, we have worked on a low carbon growth plan, in which expanding our renewable energy portfolio is our top priority. To pursue continuous improvement in energy and emission related performance, we have taken up specific energy and Greenhouse Gas emission reduction targets. The results of our 360-degree sustainability initiatives are manifest in the Company’s decade-long achievements even as our businesses expand rapidly together with the creation of 6 million sustainable livelihoods.”

Details of new renewable energy projects

Offsite Solar projects

ITC is currently executing several offsite solar projects totalling 50 megawatt in several states such as Bihar (5.1 MW), Uttar Pradesh (9 MW), Karnataka (13.4 MW), Haryana (7 MW) and Tamil Nadu (14.9 MW) to expand its renewable energy footprint further. It is also pursuing an offsite solar project in West Bengal to meet the huge electricity needs of ITC’s establishments within the state.

Rooftop & on-site solar projects

Driving innovation further, large areas of the ITC’s Integrated Consumer Goods Manufacturing and Logistics (ICML) facilities and rooftops of factories and warehouses are being used for solar power generation. ITC also executing onsite solar projects in West Bengal (2.7 MW) and Tamilnadu (3 MW)

ITC Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy

ITC, as part of its initiative to channelize knowledge-sharing and collaboration between different teams with valuable and varied experiences in green energy projects, constituted a Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy (CoE RE) in 2014. The CoE RE currently consists of over 100 members from different divisions and units actively taking part in initiatives to drive the green objectives for the company.

News

ITC’s Mangaldeep Agarbattis brand Launches a new TVC “The Tradition of Sandal” starring Bhumika Chawla, ITC Mangaldeep’s Brand Ambassador

Dec 12, 2020 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Agarbatti & Safety Matches Business, #brand ambassador Bhumika Chawla, #Chief Executive, #Group Creative Director, #ITC Limited, #Mangaldeep, #Mr. Rajesh Mani, #Mr. Ravi Rayavaram, #Ogilvy

New Delhi: Mangaldeep, ITC’s leading Agarbatti brand announces the launch of its brand new TVC campaign, “The Tradition of Sandal”. The new campaign will reinforce Mangaldeep sandal variant’s strong preference with consumers that exemplifies tradition and uniqueness of the product. The TV commercial stars Mangaldeep’s brand ambassador, the popular star Bhumika Chawla, as the protagonist, passes-on the tradition and legacy of Mangaldeep Sandal. Bhumika has been associated with Mangaldeep for over 2 years now and has won hearts of many with her role as a caring mother.

Mangaldeep’s New TVC, for its flagship variant ‘Mangaldeep Sandal’ is a warm and heart-rending film which revolves around tradition, nostalgia and legacy associated with the variant. The scent of Mangaldeep’s Original Sandal Agarbatti takes her back to her childhood, to the tradition of making sandal paste with her grandmother for daily puja. Now Bhumika and her children, continue the legacy of sandal with Mangaldeep Original Sandal Agarbatti. The new commercial eloquently captures the devotee’s strong association of the fragrance of Mangaldeep Sandal with the tradition of real sandalwood used in daily puja.

Mangaldeep further expands the offerings in its sandal portfolio with the launch of two new fragrances, “Mangaldeep Classic Chandan“ and “Mangaldeep Rose Chandan”. Mangaldeep Classic Chandan is a new sandal fragrance with a calming and soothing aroma, with distinct brown battis, specially crafted for consumers looking for a rich sandal fragrance. Mangaldeep Rose Chandan is an innovative new fragrance, inspired by age-old custom of mixing rose water with sandal paste. It is a perfect blend of rose and sandal fragrance, curated to provide an exceptional sensorial experience to consumers.

Speaking about the new campaign, Mr. Ravi Rayavaram, Chief Executive, Agarbatti & Safety Matches Business, ITC Limited, said “Devotion is the ethos of Indian culture, and when we talk about devotion, agarbattis inevitably become of immense significance. Our flagship variant Mangaldeep Sandal is one of the best products in this category and has long been loved and trusted by devotees across the country. Our new communication celebrates the tradition of original sandal and its close association with the fragrance of Mangaldeep Sandal agarbattis. It also announces the launch of our 2 new variants, Mangaldeep Classic Chandan and Rose Chandan in the sandal fragrance space.”

Mr. Rajesh Mani, Group Creative Director, Ogilvy, said “Sandalwood has a huge legacy in India; right from the ancient times to the modern. And now times are such that people are actively seeking solace in familiarity and nostalgia. The scent of real sandalwood never fails to evoke a sense of nostalgia in people. Creatively it’s a trip down the memory lane for our brand ambassador Bhumika Chawla when she lights up a Mangaldeep Sandal agarbatti. The fragrance of real sandal transports Bhumika to her childhood. In short, Mangaldeep Sandal evokes the fragrance of real sandal.”