PROJECT ON CSR ACTIVITIES AND REPORT

SECTION - A
GROUP 1
Ishan Agrawal 23020841022
Jain Nirag Rakeshbhai 23020841023
Karankumar Parmar 23020841029
Pranav Nikam 23020841030
Tarun Mehra 23020841038

COGNIZANT CSR REPORT

INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPANY:

Cognizant is an American multinational information technology services and consulting

company. It is headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, United States. Cognizant is part of
the NASDAQ-100 and trades under CTSH. It was founded as an in-house technology unit
of Dun & Bradstreet in 1994 and started serving external clients in 1996. Cognizant had a
period of fast growth during the 2000s and became a Fortune 500 company in 2011; as of
2021, it is ranked 185.
 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:

Cognizant conducts philanthropic and CSR initiatives through its employees to support the
Cognizant Foundation, established in 2005 as a Charitable Company under the Indian
Companies Act. The foundation's goal is to provide quality education and healthcare access to
underprivileged individuals by offering financial and technical support, implementing
improvement programs, and collaborating with NGOs, educational institutions, healthcare
providers, government agencies, and corporations. Cognizant also has a grassroots CSR project
called "Outreach," where employees volunteer to assist schools and orphanages. Recently, a
team of Cognizant associates within Outreach fundraised to donate notebooks to underprivileged
students in a Chennai government school.

With 16 years of experience in development work, Cognizant is now focusing on promoting

inclusion in its CSR efforts. Instead of a sectoral approach, they are anchoring their programs
around inclusion while still supporting individuals and communities in Healthcare, Education,
and Livelihood initiatives.

KEY TENETS:

● Promoting inclusion
● Scaling our impact by leveraging digital technology as an enabler
● Enhancing our impact through collaboration and collective impact.

CSR Vision and Mission:

Cognizant strongly believes that business behavior shapes public perception and is committed to
contributing to society, reflecting its core values. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), known
as sustainable development, aims to balance social, environmental, and economic principles to
manage risks and promote long-term sustainability. This involves compliance with laws and
ethical codes, managing impacts on ethics, human rights, climate change, and more, as well as
improving the supply chain. CSR entails enhancing society's quality of life through ethical
conduct, social and economic development, and environmental principles, involving employees,
customers, the supply chain, and the local community.
Cognizant has spent 16 years addressing fundamental issues faced by underprivileged
populations in India, particularly in healthcare, education, and livelihood. Their future focus is
on inclusivity, shifting from sectoral programs to inclusive interventions. Inclusion will be the
central theme of their roadmap, empowering vulnerable communities and promoting equitable
and inclusive growth.

OBJECTIVES
The organization is driven by a mission to leverage technology to enhance daily life and
considers ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) as a top priority. ESG aligns with the
diversity of their workforce, their clients' objectives, their investors' interests, and the global
community's welfare. Their primary goal is to amplify positive impacts in three key focus areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL:
To reduce the contribution to climate change, a global public goal of reaching net zero
emissions compared to the 2019 emissions baseline has been set.

SOCIAL:
At the start of the pandemic, they have pledged $10 million to help communities address the
immediate and long-term needs faced during the pandemic. Cognizant also priorities align
with the following Sustainable Development Goals.

D&I program - “Completely Cognizant” - helps to build a diverse and inclusive workforce
and promote a culture of belonging. This will deliver a stronger and more satisfied workforce.
Affinity groups also partner with the D&I team to host events that recognize and celebrate
diversity and inclusion, and positively engage with clients.
GOVERNANCE:
To focus on ESG oversight and transparency, including supply chain management, health and
safety, ethics, data privacy and security.
o In 2021, we implemented a new application form that includes ESG questions that
suppliers are required to answer. Suppliers are encouraged to improve environmental
performance in the areas of water, chemicals, waste and emissions management.
o The values help leaders set the tone at the top and bring our governance strategy to
life. These values establish relevant expectations and standards for associates.

o The security program seeks to defend Cognizant’s information and network, secure
and protect company data, as well as compute environments from cyber intrusions
and disruptions.

o As of 2021, 57% of workforce were in facilities

covered by EHS management system to enable
improvement development opportunities.

o Code of Ethics sets forth guiding principles and values that establish a standard of
conduct everyone in the organization is expected to uphold.
 Major CSR Projects- Cognizant Foundation. Together, Better

The Cognizant Foundation is dedicated to establishing a sustainable environment through

collaboration, inclusivity, and technology. Their programs prioritize inclusiveness, believing it
fosters equity and provides disadvantaged individuals with access to resources and opportunities,
rather than exclusion.

Their initiatives primarily revolve around healthcare, education, and livelihood, with a strong
focus on children's and women's welfare, gender equality, disability prevention, and assistance
for people with disabilities.

In the past year, the Cognizant Foundation positively impacted over 304,700 lives by partnering
with 53 nonprofit organizations. While their main geographical focus was on eight states,
including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, NCR, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and
West Bengal, some projects had a nationwide reach or extended to additional states based on
specific needs.
Over the past 17 years, the Foundation has collaborated with over 300 nonprofit organizations
and executed over 500 projects, positively impacting the lives of numerous disadvantaged
individuals across the nation.
Preventing Avoidable Blindness Programme:
The Foundation established the flagship healthcare initiative, "Preventing Avoidable
Blindness," to enhance access to quality eye care in marginalized areas. Within this initiative,
the "Preventing Childhood Blindness" project, recognized at the 7th CSR Impact Awards 2021,
focuses on averting childhood blindness to prevent disabilities in children. Additionally, the
Foundation is dedicated to providing access to maternity and child healthcare, particularly
aimed at reducing neonatal impairments, through the "Promoting Women and Child Health"
program.

Blimey
The Foundation introduced a cloud-based learning platform accessible in multiple local
languages, providing digital learning opportunities for the visually impaired. Scholarships were
also offered to blind or visually challenged students to promote their inclusion in higher
education. Additionally, the Foundation continued to facilitate access to higher education,
specifically in graduate social sciences and teacher preparation programs for students with
special needs.
Tech4All

Assisting women from marginalized communities and people with disabilities in pursuing
jobs in technology and services utilizing technology is the goal of Tech4All. Throughout the
year, the Foundation also offered women and people with disabilities job-training
programmes in the technical and service sectors. Cognizant Foundation helps underprivileged
members of Indian society gain access to quality education & healthcare by:

● Providing financial and technical support

● Designing and implementing educational and healthcare improvement programs
● Partnering with Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), educational institutions,
healthcare institutions, government agencies, and corporations to raise the quality of
life for people across India

Outreach

It was launched in the year 2007 when Cognizant crossed the second billion-dollar revenue
mark and decided to celebrate this achievement by giving back to society. This program is
focused on using a combination of voluntary efforts from Cognizant associates and funding
from Cognizant to promote the cause of education. As part of this program, Cognizant adopts
orphanages and educational institutions catering to underprivileged children and helps them
raise the required infrastructure and meet their training needs.
Q. Please elaborate the CSR initiative taken by your organization in detail.

Response - Cognizant extends technical and financial assistance as part of its corporate social
responsibility (CSR) efforts. These initiatives aim to encourage social engagement among its
employees, strengthening their connections with each other and the organization. The
Cognizant Foundation collaborates with various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in
sectors including Health, Education, Technology empowerment, and women's empowerment
to achieve these goals.
Analysis -
In the four years since its establishment, the Cognizant Foundation has been committed to
delivering quality education and healthcare to underserved communities. It has prioritized
promoting computer literacy among disadvantaged individuals in its educational efforts. In
healthcare, the Foundation has aided both government and non-governmental organizations in
offering affordable life-saving medical services. Currently, the Foundation is gearing up to
collaborate with State Governments and national-level NGOs for sustainable, medium-term
projects in education and healthcare.

Q. Which are the target groups covered in your CSR initiatives?

Response - Selected in consultation with NGOs

Analysis - NGOs are becoming increasingly important in today's business environment,

representing a non-market influence that addresses various issues. Their role in the corporate
world is more extensive than ever, serving as a crucial source of information for consumers
concerned about a company's actions.
Q. How do you implement your CSR initiatives?

Response - Through NGO network

Analysis- NGOs have the expertise needed for successful CSR initiatives, offering valuable
guidance to corporations. They excel in managing financial aid programs and assisting
businesses in achieving various goals.

Q. Did you receive support from any government, trade or local body?

Response - Yes
Analysis - Assisting businesses in reaching sustainability goals also advances the objectives
of local and national governments. Governments develop strategic plans to promote
sustainability, uplift citizens, empower marginalized communities, and build a better future.
When government interests align with corporate initiatives, it often results in greater benefits
and the efficient achievement of lasting outcomes.
Q. If Yes, please name the institution/body?

Response- Yes. Government of India.

Analysis- Cognizant Foundation rendered extensive support to Government and not-for-profit

institutions to help alleviate the stress on the country’s health system.

Q. What do you think could be the main benefit of the adoption of measures for social
responsibility?

Response-To support the need in education and Health which indirectly helps the country's
economy.

Analysis -The development of a nation and its society relies on education, leading companies
to allocate part of their CSR budget to promote educational growth in rural and urban areas.
This commitment aims to support underprivileged children in these areas and provide access
to quality healthcare for those in need.

Q. Whether the CSR projects of the company are formulated in consultation with the
identified stakeholders?

Response - Yes

Analysis - Corporate social responsibility emphasizes the importance of responsible

strategies that address social issues and highlights the significance of meaningful stakeholder
involvement. This engagement, particularly in the context of managing CSR, represents a
unique way to resolve conflicts of interest and build trust between the company and its
stakeholders.

Q. What initiatives have been undertaken by the company to tackle the COVID-19
pandemic?

Response: Vaccination Drives, Health awareness programs

 Analysis: Cognizant steadfastly supported its associates and the communities in which they
reside and operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiatives carried out can be broadly
categorized into three portfolios:

• Philanthropic Endeavors

Cognizant pledged $10 million to provide immediate and long-term assistance to communities
grappling with the effects of COVID-19. In 2021, it allocated $2.5 million to aid global
communities impacted by natural disasters and the pandemic.

• Vaccination Efforts

Cognizant funded over 300,000 COVID-19 vaccinations for its associates, their dependents, and
contingent staff, including contract workers and security personnel along with their families. The
company strongly advocates for and promotes COVID-19 vaccination as the most effective
means to safeguard employees, their families, and clients.

Q. Does your company fulfil the criteria, mandated by the Companies Act (2013), of
spending at least 2% of net profits in CSR activities?

Response: Yes
Analysis: Cognizant has unveiled a substantial commitment of $250 million for CSR
endeavors set to span the next five years. It's noteworthy that, considering the company's
2021 net profits, which amounted to roughly $2.2 billion, this commitment translates to an
annual investment of approximately 2.2% of their net worth. Brian Humphries, the CEO,
emphasizes that this initiative, aimed at bolstering access to education, healthcare,
technology, and promoting diversity and inclusion on a global scale, aims to establish an
environment conducive to people's well-being. This substantial investment underscores the
company's unwavering dedication to CSR activities.

Q. Do the employees get any benefits, like getting paid leave, while engaging in CSR
activities?

Response - No

Analysis - The Participation is 100% voluntary from the employees