Our efforts remain focused on facilitating progress for underserved communities and enabling sustainable improvement in the lives of the communities where we live and work. Our CSR program targets four areas: science education, community healthcare, environmental sustainability, women and child welfare. Most of our CSR programs are managed by the Biocon Foundation, the charitable arm of the Company.
We leverage our deep commitment to science to provide women and children from marginalized communities with science-based education. By doing so, we aim to create sustainable employment opportunities and enhance their overall quality of life
We are contributing to the funding of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) postgraduate medical school and non-profit hospital in Bangalore, India, with the aim of cultivating the next generation of physician-scientists. The construction of the 147-bed Biocon-Syngene general medicine wing is underway with a view to being fully operational by 2025. IISc launched an innovative MBBS/MPH Internship program aimed at fostering interdisciplinary research, which has successfully enrolled 37 students.
To introduce science topics to students from underprivileged communities ages 10-16 years, several experiential learning initiatives were undertaken in government schools. Including:
Mobile Science Laboratories
Lab-on-a-bike
Synquizitive
A third-party impact assessment was conducted for government school students in Anekal, Bangalore, India.
The objectives:
The IRECS12 framework, which is based on five pillars, namely Inclusiveness, Relevance, Expectation, Convergence and Service Delivery, was employed to gauge the impact of the program. The assessment generated valuable insights including identifying on-the-ground challenges, extracting valuable lessons and formulating recommendations for program implementation.
The study used a mixed methodology incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches and employed various research methods to capture the program’s deeper impact.
A comparative analysis was undertaken to assess the learning outcomes achieved by students exposed to Mobile Science Laboratory (MSL) and evaluate its overall effectiveness. The analysis involved comparing the level of retained knowledge between students attending the MSL sessions (referred to as the ‘Treatment Group’) with students from the neighboring government schools who did not participate in the MSL sessions (referred to as the ‘Control Group’).
The results showed a significant difference in scores across four indicators: scientific knowledge; scientific thinking; scientific attitude; and proactiveness.
Results by scholastic level indicated the biggest impact for 9th-grade students who had benefited from continuous MSL sessions over three years, starting from grade 6th.
The impact assessment validated our long-term investment strategy of promoting experiential science learning in government schools.
12 IRECS framework: Inclusiveness; Relevance; Expectation; Convergence; Service delivery
The Mobile Science Laboratory provides hands-on learning experience to students provided by scientific laboratories equipped with more than 200 scientific models. In addition to routine school visits, the program included summer/winter workshops during vacation periods and 10 science fairs to encourage participants to apply scientific knowledge in real-world settings. The program benefited 6,700 students in 46 government schools in Karnataka through about 55,000 science experiences in more than 1,400 learning sessions. Furthermore, 10 science fairs were organized for government schools.
The Lab-on-a-Bike initiative - a compact, more agile model of the Mobile Science Laboratory allowed us to fund science learning experiences for students in Hyderabad. The program benefited about 1,700 students in 7 government schools in Hyderabad.
Synquizitive, an inter-school science quiz competition, was conducted to identify young science champions
The Company funded a program in Hyderabad to facilitate women from low-income groups, belonging to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, to pursue their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) studies and build the necessary skills for future employment. The program is a collaboration with the Research & Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH).
‘Synquizitive’ Interschool Science Quiz, Bangalore
Our commitment to education includes improving the educational facilities for children living in small towns and villages.
The Company also funded the construction of a children’s park in Jokatte, Karnataka which will benefit more than 350 families displaced due to the development of the Mangalore campus.
Our tech-enabled community healthcare program contributes towards providing primary healthcare services to underserved communities.
eLAJ clinics in 7 districts of Karnataka
patient visits recorded in eLAJ clinics
diagnostic tests conducted
consultations in specialist clinics
people benefited from community outreach activities
The eLAJ clinics provide easy access to primary healthcare in remote, tribal and underserved areas of Karnataka. The clinics leverage technology to capture and communicate critical patient data in real-time to facilitate effective clinical consultations and enable timely diagnostics and screening for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
During the year, 11 eLAJ centers in 7 districts of Karnataka recorded over 65,000 patient visits and more than 35,000 lab investigations were undertaken. The Company-funded 3 new eLAJ centers in tribal communities were inaugurated in collaboration with local NGOs further expanding the reach of primary healthcare services to underserved communities.
Our specialist clinics are designed to focus on specific areas of healthcare, including maternal and child health, elderly health, oral health, and chronic diseases. Our health workers provide counseling to patients and provide awareness sessions in order to improve health-seeking behavior.
During the year, our specialist clinics recorded over 3,600 patient visits covering: NCDs, geriatrics, well baby, well woman, opthalmology, and mental health. The clinics offer specialized care to patients ensuring that they receive the attention and treatment they require to address their unique healthcare needs.
To improve the health of the communities we live and work in, the Company funded various community outreach programs:
In partnership with NIMHANS, the Company funds programs to manage and improve mental health and wellbeing.
Antimicrobial resistance is a leading public health challenge to mitigate this, the Company is funding the development of an AIenabled m-Health application, compliant with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) guidelines, addressing the challenges in the Indian context in partnership with the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi.
In collaboration with St. John’s Research Institute (SJRI) and the Indian Institute of Science, the Company is funding water-based monitoring for SARS-CoV-2 and its variants at hospitals and institutions in Bangalore. This initiative will provide early warning signs of virus outbreaks and identify hotspots while offering inexpensive and non-invasive mass surveillance.
In response to a request from the Government of India, the Company sponsored 1,200 home medicine kits for villages located in three districts of Jammu & Kashmir. These villages situated at the zero-line international border face challenges in healthcare accessibility owing to geographic distance, difficult terrain, lack of adequate transportation, security disruptions and harsh weather conditions.
The Company continued to work with Parihar, an initiative by the Bangalore City Police to protect and rescue women and children in distress. Police support, counseling, short-stay facilities, medical aid, legal services, and rehabilitation are also provided to the victims, helping them to feel safe and recuperate well.
New cases registered under Parihar during the year
of them were successfully resolved
Pier wall painting at the Biocon-Hebbagodi Metro station
The Company has contributed towards funding the construction of Biocon-Hebbagodi Metro Station which has reached an advanced stage of completion. The station is the closest metro stop to the main campus in Bangalore. The metro is expected to be open to the public by the end of 2024. The project also includes the pier wall painting of the metro corridor between Biocon-Hebbagodi and Huskur Gate stations. This unique public art project showcases in fourty-four art designs that celebrate the unsung heroes of everyday life. Additionally, the project entails the development of median gardens to create urban green spaces.
During the year, employees from all campuses volunteered to take part in CSR initiatives undertaken by the Company.
400 employees volunteered for programs organized through the Biocon Foundation
656 employees participated in blood donation drive across Bangalore, Mangalore and Hyderabad.
Biocon Academy, a CSR initiative of the Biocon Group Companies, trains students for the life sciences sector. The Syngene program, in partnership with MS Ramaiah College, offers a 16-week course focusing on sterilization practices for Pharmacy, Microbiology, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry graduates. It emphasizes industry practices, unit operations, and regulatory requirements, aiming to prepare participants for jobs in parenteral medicines manufacturing with minimal additional training.
