Government of Uttar Pradesh, CSRBOX and Deloitte Host an Exclusive Roundtable on Education and Skilling as a Prelude to CSR Initiatives in the state

In a concerted effort to boost Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Uttar Pradesh, the Government of Uttar Pradesh, in collaboration with CSRBOX and Knowledge Partner Deloitte, organized an exclusive roundtable discussion in Lucknow, chaired by the esteemed Shri Durga Shankar Mishra, Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh.

The primary objective of this roundtable was to initiate discussions aimed at enhancing the development landscape of Uttar Pradesh, with a particular focus on strengthening CSR endeavours in education, future skills, and employability. Aligned with the state's developmental agenda, the event seeks to foster collaboration among government entities, corporations, and civil society organizations.

Shri Bhomik Shah, CEO of CSRBOX, led the welcome and introductions of the participants, followed by a welcome address and presentation on the Uttar Pradesh state by Shri Deepak Kumar, ACS Finance & PS Secondary Education department, GoUP. The event featured a leadership talk by Diageo India followed by dynamic and participative discussions on Better Education through CSR and Technical and Futuristic Skilling through CSR towards the development of the State.

During his special address, Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Chief Secretary, GoUP, stated, “The impact achieved today deserves a heartfelt congratulations and sincere gratitude. It's the start of something bigger and better. Guided by the vision of Prime Minister and propelled by the leadership of the worthy Chief Minister of the state, the Govt. Of Uttar Pradesh is eager to engage and collaborate to create a model of effective and efficient governance for CSR sector. The state machinery is poised to enable skilling with speed and scale to catalyse a newer revitalised Uttar Pradesh.”. This was followed by closing remarks and expressions of gratitude delivered by Shri Alok Kumar, PS Planning Department. Through insightful deliberations, the roundtable aims to catalyzes impactful CSR actions contributing to Uttar Pradesh's holistic development, in line with the vision of achieving a One Trillion-Dollar Economy, as envisaged by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of the state. Keeping in mind the shared vision of tapping into the untapped potential of the State, 15 MoUs and LoEs were signed committing to advancing social impact work across the entire State.

Speaking at the event, Ashish Parikh, Chief Operating Officer and EVP, Diageo India said,

“I’m happy to share that we have made good progress across the key priorities of our Society 2030 ESG action plan which are pioneering grain-to-glass sustainability, championing inclusion and diversity and promoting responsible consumption. Over the last three years, we have made a sizeable CSR investment in the state and aim to double it in the next three years. We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to further accelerate environmental and social initiatives in Uttar Pradesh.”

This meticulously curated event brought together leaders from corporates like Diageo India, Colgate Palmolive India, IBM India, SHARP Smart Solutions, Synopsys Inc, GAIL India, NHPC Ltd and many others, facilitating concerted efforts in alignment with Uttar Pradesh's developmental priorities.