By Sekhar Seshan. Consulting Editor, Business India

Spark Minda aims to bring change, however big or small, in the lives of 1,000 persons with disabilities (PWDs) in 2020 through its CSR arm Spark Minda Foundation, according to group CEO Ashok Minda. The Foundation runs a special programme, Saksham - Empowerment of Persons with Disability, which has enabled changes in the lives of more than 8,000 such people in the past five years.

The scope of the programme has been expanded this year: the foundation has tied up with CII (Confederation of Indian Industries), to facilitate the employment of persons with different types of disabilities in CII-empanelled companies. These organisations, led by the Gurugram-headquartered Minda Corporation, include Aegis Global, Godrej Agrovet, Sodexo, Sarovar Hotel, and Accor Group.

Saksham, started in 2015 to help PWDs, has also won the National CSR Award 2019, which was conferred by finance and corporate affairs minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the presence of the President of India. With Saksham, the group aims to provide accessible and assistive technology, impart on-the-job training to develop skills, create inclusive workplace and ergonomics, train PWDs for 5s and life skills and employ them.

The Foundation’s stated vision is to build a sustainable society through improving the quality of life, protect the planet through affirmative action, and establish integrated and inclusive growth of people and the environment.

Says its chairperson Sarika Minda: “The Foundation has been energetically working to provide a better life, means and income support to people who have been left alone in different strides of life. We have been able to provide a sustainable life for the community as a whole.”