The Group’s ethos on social responsibility focuses on not just taking care of its own employees but enabling and enriching the communities around the areas where its plants are located. In addition, the Group has been at the forefront in rendering aid and assistance by way of donations as well as relief supplies in times of national calamities, such as the Tsunami, earthquakes and floods. Essar has made significant contributions to the Prime Minister’s and Chief Ministers’ relief funds in the past several years to alleviate suffering and help rehabilitation.

During the trauma of the 2001 earthquake and the drought of 2000 in Gujarat, Essar responded with providing doctors, critical life saving drugs and drinking water, apart from long-term rehabilitation programmes. Essar also supplied material and assistance to Gujarat Electricity Board for recommissioning a number of distribution stations in Bhuj after the devastating earthquake. At the same time, the Group helped in the rehabilitation of Surendranagar by building schools and drilling community bore-wells.

The underlying objectives of Essar’s activities is to motivate employees to participate in and contribute to the activities initiated by the Community Relations Centre, to create self-help groups for village women, to further overall development of children and women, and to spread awareness about AIDS and de-addiction.

Essar has outlined seven focus areas where employee involvement can make a difference to the lives of the community:

	Education
	Self-employment
	Training
	Infrastructure development
	Medical
	Health & hygiene
	Recreation and welfare

In every quarter, specific tasks have been lined up and are being conducted with a high success rate, with the involvement of community leaders.