Shell Bangalore Laboratories Community Drink ing Water CSR Project goes Live

A major CSR initiative of the Shell Technology Center Bangalore (STCB) is the Clean Drinking Water Project
close to the Shell Bangalore Laboratories. This was inaugurated at the neighboring Hebbagodi Government
Municipal School recently. Subsequently, two other Drinking Water plants were also launched at nearby
schools. The three 2000 liter per hour water plants will now provide drinking water to ~1300 school children
and teachers, and additionally, to the 50,000-strong local community.
STCB partnered in the safe drinking water concept as a CSR initiative in conjunction with the Hebbagodi Gram
Panchayat and the NGO, Naandi Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Organization, after the necessary due
diligence. The run-up to the project had milestones of awareness campaigns in the Village Panchayat and the
community by Naandi Foundation along with Shell, debates in the schools and a ceremony marking the first
plant commissioning in March by Jack Tabak (EVP, HR P&T) and the rest of the P&T HR Leadership team.

Providing reliable access to safe drinking water is a vital component of Naandi Foundations work towards
improving community health and eradicating poverty. Naandi Foundations initiatives in the sustainable
water area emphasize participatory community involvement through Village Panchayats and the development
of local capacity in managing and delivering self-sustainable services. Shell actively collaborated in this
community based safe drinking water program, led by Kumar Ramachandran and the site team consisting of
Gururaj Sathyanarayana and Satish Seshadri, supported by Lloyd Williams, Hugo Vits and the rest of the
BTCM.
The entire 57-member Hebbagodi Panchayat, the Management and Operations teams of the Naandi
Foundation as well as a lot of children and teachers from the school were present at the inauguration initiated
by the Hebbagodi Panchayat. Gerald Schotman (EVP, IRD) who was visiting STCB, made a special
appearance at the event. This also provided Gerald with a flavor of the external engagements in Bengaluru.
The event went off perfectly to plan. Gerald was treated to traditional Indian hospitality with the full regal finery
(flowers, fruits, Shawl and Peta, the traditional headgear), and a mention in the rural press.

Gerald told us later that he enjoyed his cameo innings at the ceremony immensely, and that it was definitely
worth the time and effort!

This project was initiated a year ago. This CSR initiative has been a three-way partnership. Hardware for the
three water treatment plants were financially funded by Shell India Markets Pvt. Ltd. The land, source and
supply of utilities (water and power) were given by the Hebbagodi Gram Panchayat, and Build, Run and
Maintain responsibilities rest with the Naandi Foundation, to be eventually transferred to the Panchayat in due
course with mutual agreement.
Timely inputs from Debasish Mohapatra (P&T India E&C Officer), Deepak Mukarji (India Social Investment FP),
Warwick English (Associate Counsel Upstream International & Anti-Bribery and Corruption subject matter
expert) and Gerard Tham (P&T Legal Counsel), along with key contributions from Vijayam Varghese, Pratibha
Priyadarshini and Ramesh Srinivas ensured the initiative was nurtured to fruition.
All queries related to this project and other CSR initiatives at the Shell Bangalore Technology Centre lab site
can be directed to the SBL Operations Manager, Kumar Ramachandran (k.ramachandran@shell.com).