VODAFONE: Kapil Sibal releases ‘Footprints II’- Sustainability Report 2012

Ludhiana, January 15, 2013:Vodafone India, one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers, today announced the release of ‘Footprints II’, the second edition of its Sustainability Report by Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Communications and IT.

Marten Pieters, MD & CEO, Vodafone India, presented the first copy of the report to the Minister reinforcing sustainability as the key cornerstone of Vodafone’s business strategy and commitment to India.

Releasing the report at New Delhi, Sibal said, “Telecom sector is an important catalyst for societal transformation and nation building. Time has come that the notion of ‘shared value’ becomes the mainstream thinking of the corporate sector and companies take the lead in connecting business success with social development. I am delighted that Vodafone India has taken the lead towards creating a sustainable future. Such initiatives reinforce their commitment to India, which I am sure will further strengthen going forward.”

Elaborating on Vodafone India’s strategy,Marten Pieters, Managing Director & CEO, Vodafone India, said, “At Vodafone, sustainability is a journey and not an objective.  We believe what is good for society is also good for business. I am happy to present ‘Footprints II’, our second Sustainability Report, to share the progress that we made in this endeavour across its various dimensions. We would like to be seen asthe most respected and successful telecommunications company in India making meaningful contributions to the socio-economic development of the country.”

‘Footprints II’ is the second volume of the sustainability report which encapsulates the various initiatives undertaken by Vodafone India. The report chronicles Vodafone India’s initiatives in five categories- Pursuits, People, Products, Processes and Partnerships, with specific initiatives in each area highlighted.

Highlights of ‘Footprints II’

Pursuits– Our pursuits reflect the extent to which sustainable development practices have been embedded in the way we do things. From waste management, to green buildings, from efficient data centres to green networks, we are taking sustainability to the next level through our initiatives.

Key initiatives-ReSolve, Fast Forward, Green Building and Networks

People– (People are at the center of Vodafone’s sustainability strategy. We invest in their training and development and strive to build a safe and conducive work environment for them. We see our people as ambassadors of our values, and empower them to make a difference.

Key initiatives- Health Safety and Wellbeing, Streamlining HR function, Talent Management

Products– We constantly endeavour to utilise our technology and expertise to develop products that can contribute to the businesses becoming more sustainable as well as to the development of the society. Whether it is smart metering or asset tracking for the enterprises or education, banking and rural entrepreneurship or digital inclusion of individuals, we strive to make our products a means of empowerment.

Key initiatives - M2M Solutions, m-Education (Adult learning programme), m-Health (e-Mamta)

Processes– Whether it is empowering our talent pool, collaborating to enhance our supply chain, or protecting customers from breach of security, we firmly believe that institutionalising effective processes and implementing them is essential to sustain any positive measure. In this section, we talk about processes that ensure smooth running of our operations, thereby making a difference to the value generated for our internal and external stakeholders.

Key initiatives - Reducing e-Waste footprint, Fraud Risk and Security, Legal and Regulatory Compliance, Efficient Supply Chain

Partnerships –Collaborating with our vendors and suppliers to design feasible, cost effective solutions, to associating with the non-governmental associations, we always believe in fostering sustainable partnerships. This stems from our belief that ‘what one can do well, two can do better’.

Key initiatives - World of Difference, Railway helpline

Vodafone India is a member of the Vodafone Group and commenced operations in 1994 when its predecessor Hutchison Telecom acquired the cellular license for Mumbai. The company has operations across the country serving around 150 million customers. Vodafone India has firmly established a strong position within the Vodafone Group too, making it the largest subscriber base globally. This journey is a strong testimony of Vodafone’s success in a highly competitive and price sensitive market.

Vodafone India in its long-term commitment to India has been providing innovative, customer friendly and reliable products and services by continuously differentiating itself with a strong brand, best quality network, unique distribution and great customer service. The company received the award for the Value services -Rural Innovation category for its Low Balance Services at the Telecom Awards by a leading business daily. At the India Retail Forum 2012, the company received the ‘Best Modern Retailer award’ in the mobile and telecom category. The company has been recognized as one of the ‘Best Employer of Choice’ in telecom sector by ‘Great Places to Work’ and in another survey conducted by Nielsen; Vodafone India was the only telecom player in the Top 10 ‘Most Exciting Youth Brands’ in India. Vodafone Business Services has been awarded the “Best Enterprise Service Provider” at the Frost & Sullivan Awards for two consecutive years in 2011 and 2012. On the technology front, the company has also won the iCMG Enterprise & IT Infrastructure Global Excellence Award for its Business Intelligence (BI) transformation project.

 At Vodafone, sustainability is an integral part of the company’s mission and strategy, shaping the conduct of business every day. Since 2011, in line with its Group philosophy, Vodafone India became the first telecom operator in India to release an annual Corporate Sustainability Report for India – Footprints. Vodafone India was awarded the ‘Green Telecom Company of the Year’ at the Telecom Leadership Awards 2012 by a renowned media group recently and has also been awarded the prestigious “Golden Peacock Award” for corporate social responsibility for 2012.

Vodafone Group is one of the world's largest mobile communications companies with over 407 million customers as on September 30, 2012. Vodafone currently has equity interests in over 30 countries across five continents and more than 40 partner networks worldwide.