Maruti Suzuki hikes social spending

New Delhi: The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India has increased its investments on various social welfare schemes by over five per cent during 2007-09 period, according to an internal report.

According to a sustainability report prepared by the firm, social expenditure was ramped up to Rs 7.67 crore in FY'09 from Rs 7.3 crore in FY'08 and the company had initiated a number of social projects despite economic slowdown in that period.

"Sustainability to us means being concerned about ensuring a win-win situation for all our stakeholders at all points in time," Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Chairman R C Bhargava said while releasing the report.

The report highlighted the company's various measures to emphasise on saving energy and resources by using environment friendly manufacturing technologies.

The company has also brought down its material cost to its total net sales to 79 per cent in the last fiscal from 90 per cent in 2001-02, the report said.

Since 1999, MSI has been able to bring down its electricity consumption by 18 per cent and water usage by 57 per cent, it added.

Besides, under the National Road Safety Mission, MSI has so far trained over 1.3 lakh people across the country in safe driving since December 2008.

As part of MSI's CSR activities, four villages around the Manesar plant have been adopted to ensure well-being of people living in these villages.