When we say people are key to our success, we don’t just mean our own employees. We’re increasingly active in the communities around our Indian offices, for good business reasons.

When we launched our corporate social responsibility programme in 2006, staff voted overwhelmingly to focus on education projects in Mumbai. A staff-led committee now manages the budget and plans our activities. Such committees are unusual in the BPO industry: we’re one of the few organisations that encourage staff to invest significant amounts of time in community activities.

Why do it? We believe it benefits us as a business by fostering staff engagement, goodwill, teamwork and purpose throughout the organisation.

Kalwa, Mumbai

Working with Asaara, an established local Non Government Organisation (NGO), we aim to re-integrate 20 children aged 6-14 from the illegal Kalwa slum into state education. The project is in its infancy but already operates a one-room school and we expect to welcome 20 more children as both the facilities that we offer and the demand in the local area increases.

Sahar, Mumbai

We support the Handmaids of the Blessed Trinity (HBT), a school and orphanage that’s home to 30 children and educates 330 slum children up to the age of 11. On top of monthly funding for new teachers, medication and supplies, staff members make a vital practical contribution – taking children on trips, helping with a health camp and repairing and redecorating facilities.

Support for the project is broadening; A UK based Capita Business has adopted HBT as its fund raising charity, and we also have a local staff member working with the school to build IT training into the curriculum.

In 2008, we plan to extend our support to vulnerable members of the community by providing assistance to a charity helping elderly people.