CXOToday has engaged in an exclusive interview with Rakesh Aerath – Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific – CGI
The emergence of pro-bono volunteering in India and how it can help in creating a positive impact in the marginalized communities
Today in India, we have a growing ecosystem of social partners, government programs and responsible citizens who could make the right impact together.
We are a young nation that is more informed and invested than ever. We see it in our CGI professionals every day who willingly volunteer and make a difference. As part of India’s IT industry and community, we see a rising focus on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives. At CGI, we are proud to employ our expertise in collaboration with clients, educational institutions, and local charities to improve the economic, social, and environmental well-being of our shared communities. Additionally, we support nonprofit organizations in the areas of technology, process improvement and human resource practices.
As responsible corporates, we believe together with our collective efforts, we will be able to make a meaningful impact and reach the underserved in our communities.
Role of Pro-Bono volunteering evolving in the future and how can companies stay ahead of the curve
With the constantly changing ‘digital’ world, we will see new inequalities emerge. For example, the growing use of technology in India will put a great responsibility on the IT sector to foster digital inclusion.
In the last year, at CGI, we have transitioned from using the term ‘corporate social responsibility (CSR)’ to ‘Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)’ to further support measurable and transparent disclosure. This shift in perspective will make pro bono volunteering more integrated into the core values and operations of the business. Companies will prioritize social impact alongside business objectives, and pro bono will be an important metric on business dashboards of the future. CGI has been supporting NASSCOM Foundation’s Digisakshar, a user-friendly digital learning platform that offers free and on-demand universal access to a variety of learning courses across different subjects. Over the years, to empower the underserved communities, CGI professionals have been contributing in promoting digital literacy by providing access to technology by donating refurbished laptops and volunteering to teach digital skills.
Challenges companies face when it comes to engaging in Pro-Bono volunteering and strategies to overcome them
Often little acts of kindness do not culminate to make large-scale results. Building a sustainable program in the proximity of our communities drives continuous impact.
Based on our experience of shaping the ESG program at CGI. I would identify four key areas to factor. Firstly, establishing ESG goals, objectives and related programs for the company. Second, identifying the right partner organizations and communities in line with the company priorities and understanding their unique needs. Third, ensuring that our professionals have the necessary skills and expertise to provide meaningful support. And lastly, balancing time and resources to participate and drive initiatives.
At CGI, we communicate our ESG goals regularly and offer flexible volunteering opportunities to allow our professionals to volunteer remotely, outside work hours and during weekends. As part of our commitment, CGI has pledged to implement pro bono community projects by 100% of our business units by 2026. To help realize this goal and further support volunteering as a core company value, we introduced CGI for Good, a digital volunteering platform that allows our members to search and identify a cause of interest and pledge their skill and time. The platform also helps teams to manage pro bono projects in collaboration with clients and our strategic partners.
Importance of tech skill-based and Pro Bono volunteering
Technology is part of our everyday life. As a global technology company, CGI recognizes its responsibility and champions digital inclusion for all citizens, by improving access to technology and business education, and mentoring to help everyone be successful in a digital society. To further this, CGI is associated and committed to NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), the flagship program of the Government of India that promotes a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship through the Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs). These labs provide students a unique opportunity to explore their creativity and develop innovative solutions to real-world problems through hands-on experience using STEM tools. Globally, our vision is to help improve the lives of more than five people for every CGI employee. Our CGI professionals play an active role in tech skill-based volunteering by extending their IT and business expertise to social impact projects. Pro bono volunteering provides immense opportunities for our professionals to give back to their communities, which adds purpose, and improves morale and engagement. Many job seekers today are looking for employers that align with their values and offer opportunities to impact their communities positively.
Employee engagement and participation in CGI’s volunteer programs
At CGI, we refer to our employees as ‘members’ since most of them are owners of the company and they drive the success of the company. To enable our members, we focus on education and empowerment in ESG matters. We provide training and programs to raise awareness about our ESG objectives, encourage engagement, and solicit feedback through regular consultations and events.
Our ESG program at CGI is focused on three priorities: people, communities and climate. Our members passionately contribute to grassroots volunteering work and pro bono projects that focus on advancing STEM education, diversity, equity and inclusion, innovation, the arts, and the environment.
As part of our commitment, CGI has pledged that 100% of business units will implement pro bono community projects by 2026. To help realize this goal and to further support volunteering as a core company value, we introduced CGI for Good, a digital volunteering platform that allows our members to search and identify a cause of interest and pledge their skill and time. The platform also helps teams to manage pro bono projects in collaboration with clients and our alliance partners. This allows for centralized and accurate reporting of community-impact goals and provides added transparency for stakeholders, including indices that audit and rate our performance against ESG criteria. We firmly believe that what gets measured, and the related results made visible, gets done.
Future plans and goals for CGI’s volunteer programme
ESG is a strategic goal for us at CGI, and our primary aim is to ensure that everyone can benefit from the positive impacts of technology. With this vision, we will continue to associate with meaningful volunteering and pro bono opportunities that align with our goals and our professionals skills and expertise. And as an IT & Business service provider, we will continue to invest in developing innovative solutions that bring social change in collaboration with partners to maximize impact and build an inclusive and sustainable future. Dream Connectors is a global initiative by CGI that aims to improve the well-being of local communities via technology and volunteerism. The program brings together CGI consultants from around the world who profess the positive impact of technology and work on local projects via global collaboration. CGI supports these projects with technology, funds, and volunteers.
CGI’s collaboration with nasscom foundation for pro bono volunteering and its details
Nasscom Foundation and CGI’s strong partnership on pro bono skill-based programs under MyKartavya-Nasscom Foundation initiatives, has led to new ways of using technology to support social change. CGI members have been actively engaged in various activities, such as mentoring, training, and consulting, to support NGOs and underserved communities.
Some of our impactful projects include the development of a mobile app to collect data on public spaces to build a dashboard to assess women’s safety and influence the municipal administration to take corrective actions. CGI professionals have also extended their IT skills for optimizing websites, creating an inventory management application, operations dashboard and other tools to support education, healthcare, and disaster relief projects.
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