Community engagement

Through our corporate social responsibility programs, we aim to support communities to enhance their quality of life and promote social and economic prosperity. We actively support community-based environmental and social programs through the Biocon Foundation, our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm and work alongside local and state authorities and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to provide access to amenities such as healthcare and education.

Strategy

Under the oversight of the CSR Committee of the Board, the CSR strategy has been built in collaboration with community stakeholders, in alignment with the Company strategy, to create shared value for all stakeholders. As part of the strategy, the Company aims to leverage the knowledge and expertise of our workforce to benefit community stakeholders through volunteering, mentoring and other forms of support.⁷⁰

Community engagement focus areas⁷¹

Community healthcare

eLAJ smart clinics

eLAJ smart clinics in Karnataka, funded by the Company, are improving primary healthcare by using technology to improve patient care. The clinics use electronic systems to capture critical patient data and communicate it in real-time for clinical consultations, advanced diagnostics and non-communicable diseases screening. The clinics play a crucial role in delivering preventive healthcare and improving the quality of life for patients.

An exit survey with over 2,000 outpatients in 2022 showed the clinics scored 4 or higher (on a scale of 1 – 5 where 5 is the highest score) on key performance indicators.

In the current financial year, the CSR committee has decided to direct future investments into establishing eLAJ clinics in rural areas to provide primary care to remote communities.

Specialist clinics

Community development women welfare

The Company funds community-based healthcare clinics for maternal and child health, the elderly, oral health, and chronic diseases. The clinics provide counseling assistance to patients. In FY23, around 3,700 patient visits were recorded across specialist clinics, resulting in improved cardiovascular and other health parameters among patients

Community outreach

The community outreach program encompasses:

• Cancer surveillance
  Screening camps were organized for three prevalent types of cancer within small and medium enterprises. During the screening, more than 350 women were offered cervical cancer screening resulting in 6% of them being referred for further evaluation after visual examination and over 1,100 women underwent breast cancer screening with 8% of the screened participants being recommended for regular follow-up.
• Information education sessions
  Awareness sessions were conducted on personal hygiene including personal, hand and menstrual hygiene. These sessions reached a total of 1,400 students. In addition, more than 800 women attended awareness sessions focused on the techniques and significance of breast self examination.
• School health
  Health camps provided check-ups for around 2,400 students in 21 government schools. As a result, 30% of the students received treatment for anemia, an important health concern.
  The Child Health Activists Mentoring and Promoting Health in Society (CHAMPS) program aims to instill healthy behavior by providing training and resources to high school children, enabling them to screen for high blood pressure among local communities. This program plays a pivotal role in preventing the early onset of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
• Antimicrobial resistance tracker
  Company funding was used under the auspices of the Biocon Foundation, in partnership with the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), to develop an mHealth application aligned with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). The application’s primary goal is to provide statistics on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), facilitating the monitoring of AMR trends in clinical and population settings. It aims to boost awareness of AMR among healthcare professionals, and the public, using AI-based models identify and predict trends.

Science education

Science in schools

Our mobile science laboratories, equipped with over 200 scientific models, provide an experiential learning platform for students in government schools. Science fairs and summer camps allow students to explore scientific concepts and apply them to real-world problems. In November 2022, a more agile format known as Lab-on-a-Bike was launched, providing science lessons for 1,700 students from seven government schools in Shamirpet, Hyderabad.

To further cultivate curiosity and analytical thinking, an inter school science quiz competition was organized for 5,000 students across 50 government schools in Karnataka.

Scholarships and mentoring for women

A scholarship and mentoring program was launched in partnership with the Research & Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH) to empower women from tier-2 and tier-3 cities studying STEM subjects. The program aims to build skills to enhance employability in addition to addressing the under-representation of women STEM graduates in India’s STEM workforce. Syngene employees provide mentorship to students, with orientation sessions, virtual and physical mentor-mentee connections, and a student gap assessment process to improve learning and career opportunities.

Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

The Company has committed to a funding of Rs 90 million towards the construction of the IISC postgraduate medical school and non-profit hospital in Bangalore, India, aiming to enhance scientific knowledge and innovation. The 147-bed Biocon-Syngene general medicine block will provide affordable, high-quality care with specialists and advanced diagnostic capabilities, expected to be operational by early 2025.

Community development: women and child welfare

Parihar is a program managed by Bangalore City Police to protect women and children in distress. It provides dedicated helplines, trained professionals, and skill development to survivors. In FY23, an expert roundtable was organized to discuss domestic violence and women’s rights, with over 1,500 participants. Parihar also conducted capacity building for civil society organizations, sensitization in colleges, and awareness-raising sessions in communities.

St. John’s Research Institute initiated a program to monitor malnutrition and take remedial action for Anganwadi children under five years old. Over 350 Anganwadi workers were trained on the POSHAN nutrition tracker app to enable better assessment accuracy and faster action.

Environmental sustainability

Mass rail transit

The Company has made a financial contribution towards the construction of the Biocon Hebbagodi Metro Station in Bangalore, India, which is nearing completion and is expected to start operations in 2024. The project aims to reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and economic loss by developing a green mobility solution.