New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) HCL Foundation's CSR funds were not diverted for COVID-19 activities and the regular programmes which were underway in rural and urban areas rather became "super active" providing much-needed support during the ongoing pandemic, according to its Director Nidhi Pundhir.

Speaking to PTI, Pundhir said in fact a separate Rs 200 crore was set aside by the group to respond during the pandemic. Not just funds were given, but the Foundation worked on the ground to ensure procured items such as packed food, PPE kits and ventilators reached to the beneficiaries.

She also welcomed the government's recent amended corporate social responsibility (CSR) rules saying the Foundation is aligned with that.

HCL Foundation, which completes this year a decade of its existence, is the CSR arm of the HCL Technologies and implementing three programmes: Samuday, Uday and HCL Grant in 21 states and three union territories.

"One conscious decision HCL made was that we will not divert our regular developmental agenda for COVID. HCL Group dedicated another part of the fund for COVID, which was equally big as much as our CSR," Pundhir said.

A separate fund of Rs 200 crore was set aside for COVID-19 response, she added.

The Foundation had spent CSR funds of about Rs 175 crore during the 2019-20 fiscal year ending March, according to HCL Technologies' annual report.

According to Pundhir, the Foundation not only donated funds but also ensured procurement of items like Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and ventilators and partnered with right departments at state levels for targeted distribution.

The Foundation supported zoos and wildlife, animals on roads dying hungry during lockdown besides a massive cooked food programme was undertaken not only for migrants but also for medical staff, she said, adding that it prioritized Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh for its bigger partnership.

Asserting that regular CSR programmes were not stopped, Pundhir said they were "re-engineered" during the pandemic and became "super active". The programmes on health and education went online mode.

The agri-programme became more active due to a rise in demand for work from migrants returned from cities owing to the lockdown imposed in 2020, she added.

Welcoming the government's recent amended CSR rules, Pundhir said, "We really had been aligned as a trust. I don't see any immediate repercussion as such. Just that all our partners need to register with a government portal."

The Foundation sees no change in the way it functions after the amended CSR rules because it follows a "hybrid model" of working directly and in partnership, she said.

On January 22, the government amended various rules pertaining to the CSR regime, including allowing corporates to undertake multi-year projects and making registration compulsory for agencies implementing CSR activities on behalf of companies.

Besides, companies have been permitted to set off the excess amount spent under CSR up to three succeeding financial years and they have also been allowed to create or acquire capital assets through CSR in the name of beneficiaries or a public authority or registered trust, among others.

Sharing about HCL Foundation's 10 years journey in CSR, Pundhir said the foundation was conceptualized by HCL's own employees by rolling out the first programme 'Power of One' which is still being in operation. HCL employees donate funds from their salary and are used for providing scholarship for academic and sport talent all over India.

Another part of funds was available for HCL Foundation after the government made a mandatory CSR spending for companies from 2014-15 fiscal. Obviously, the structured CSR began post the law and since then there has not been looking back, she added.

Under the Companies Act, certain classes of profitable companies are required to shell out at least 2 per cent of their three-year annual average net profit towards CSR activities in a particular financial year and the requirement came into force from April 1, 2014.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)