India Symposium 2009 Report


Dan Viederman, Executive Director, Verité &
Dr. Aqueel Khan, Director, ASK

Session 1: Looking beyond Social Auditing
Aykut Kazanci, Eastern Hemisphere Manager, Fair Labor Association - Golden Principles and Deadly Sins of Labour Monitoring
Pradeep Kumar, Director, Social Responsibility, South Asia, GAP - Alternate Ways of Assessment & Development of the Supply Chain

Objective: To look for alternate ways to monitor workplace conditions that leads to positive and visible change at the workplace.

  • Participants explored the ways in which social auditing can be taken to a higher level by increasing participation and capacity of supply chain stakeholders.
  • Also discussed ways to increase standards and quality of social auditing. 

 

Session 2: Supply Chain Ownership: Key stakeholders and their roles

Satish Wasan, Chairman Sports Goods Foundation of India - Ensuring Children their Childhood
Jyotsna Bhatnagar, Lead CSR, Monsanto Holding - Seeds of Change

 

Objective: To discuss the concept of supply chain ownership and its issues and carve out distinct roles for every stakeholder.

  • Participants came to understand the meaning and need for taking responsibility for issues that arise along the supply chain.
  • Participants heard examples where taking “ownership” of supply chain issues has led to resolving complex problems and has built trust between suppliers and buyers.
  • Examined the roles and responsibilities of participant stakeholders such as brands, suppliers, NGOs and trade unions.
     
 

Session 3: Addressing Major Issues and Challenges

Rajiv Williams, Corporate Head CSR, Jindal Steel
Sudhir K Sinha I, Country Head, CSR and R&R, India, ArcelorMittal
Ganesh Balakrishanan, Regional Director, LevelWorks
 
 

Objective: To explore and address difficult and complex issues and challenges before successful supplier development.

  • Participants learned about ways to deal with complex issues such as child, contract and forced labour, overtime hours and double book keeping, freedom of association (FOA), harassment and abuse.
     
 

Session 4: Innovations in Social Compliance

Orlanda Ruthven, India Associate, Impactt - Making the Business Case to Suppliers: Impactt's BIM project in South Asia
Sridhar Rajgopalan, Wal-Mart
 
 

Objective: To share innovative approaches for managing social compliance programs

  • Participants heard concrete examples of social compliance management and how Indian brands and suppliers can successfully adopt them.