Coca-Cola India Bags Mahatma Award For Corporate Excellence In CSR

~ Recognition highlights contributions to water stewardship, circular economy, and sustainable agriculture ~

Coca-Cola India has been awarded the coveted Mahatma Gandhi Award for Corporate Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility for its remarkable contributions to social and environmental responsibility through initiatives in water stewardship, circular economy, and sustainable agriculture. The award was presented by Dr. Kiran Bedi, former IPS officer, at the India International Centre in New Delhi on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, October 1st.

Commenting on the recognition, Rajesh Ayapilla, Senior Director-CSR and Sustainability, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia (INSWA), stated, “We are humbled to receive this award for Corporate Excellence in CSR. It reflects our continuous commitment to environmental stewardship and empowering communities to use sustainable practices in agriculture, waste management etc. This honour serves as a testament to the dedication of the entire team, our partners, and the meaningful impact we together strive to create.”

At the heart of the company's sustainability initiatives are three key focus areas: Water Stewardship, Sustainable Packaging, and Sustainable Agriculture. The Company’s 2030 Water Security Strategy aims to replenish stressed water resources and enhance community water access. Through the Fruit Circular Economy initiative, specifically Project Unnati, the company uplifts lakhs of small and marginal farmers with sustainable agriculture practices across 13 states by helping farmers boost productivity and improving livelihoods. Meanwhile, the ‘World Without Waste’ strategy under the Company’s sustainable packaging efforts, promotes a circular economy through its strategic initiatives under Design, Collect, and Partner pillars.

About Mahatma Award:

The awards recognize and celebrate social impact leaders and change-makers across the globe, who are making social impact and leading the way to a sustainable future. Since its inception, Mahatma Award has honoured the most accomplished social and community initiatives within the private and public sector, from sustainability to philanthropy to shared value to corporate social responsibility.

About Coca-Cola India: 

Coca-Cola in India is one of the country’s leading beverage companies, offering a range of high-quality and refreshing beverage options to consumers. The company, in line with its vision of ‘Beverages for Life’, offers a wide portfolio of products which includes hydration, sports, sparkling, coffee, tea, nutrition, juice and dairy based products. In India its beverage range includes Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Charged by Thums Up, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Maaza, Minute Maid range of juices and juice beverages. The Company also offers hydration beverages including Limca Sportz, Smartwater, Kinley, Dasani and Bonaqua packaged drinking water and Kinley Club Soda. Premium products constitute Schweppes range and Smartwater. In addition, it offers Costa Coffee and organic green tea-based beverage- Honest Tea amongst its range of coffee and Tea. The Company is constantly transforming its portfolio, from reducing sugar in its drinks to bringing innovative new products to market.

The Company along with its owned bottling operations and franchise bottling partners has a strong network of close to 4 million retail outlets through which it refreshes millions of consumers across the country. It seeks to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable agriculture initiatives and carbon emission reductions across its value chain.

Globally together with its bottling partners, The Coca-Cola Company employs more than 700,000 people, helping to bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.cocacolacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.