Corporate plus member Reckitt Benckiser backs Rashtrapati Bhavan event

By UK India Business Council (UKIBC)

UK India Business Council Corporate Plus Member Reckitt Benckiser or RB, has backed the call by a Nobel Laureate to eliminate child suffering

RB supported the recent Children’s Foundation summit in Delhi – a global initiative for the rights of children, including improved health. The summit was inaugurated by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, his official residence. During the event in Delhi, business leaders, academics and 25 Nobel laureates discussed ending child suffering.

Entitled ‘Laureates and Leaders for Children’ and led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi, the Summit was attended by world leaders, including the Dalai Lama and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. In his opening remarks, Kailash Satyarthi said, “Billions of children continue to die of curable diseases across the world”. This was a stark reminder of the important work RB undertakes in improving hygiene and personal health.

RB’s involvement with the summit illustrates its commitment to health and hygiene improvement in India, complementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ or ‘Clean India’ initiative.

In support of the Government of India’s flagship sanitation programme, RB in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and EY has launched the innovative Hygiene Index. The Hygiene Index is being developed as a monitoring tool to help the government assess the hygiene status of Indian cities and identify areas that need improvement.

The Hygiene Index focuses on six sectors – water, solid waste, sewerage, toilet, health and behaviour change communication.The index will eventually be calculated for 100 Indian cities based on primary and secondary data collection and stakeholder consultations.

In the first phase, 10 cities including Pune, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, NDMC, Varanasi, Vizag, and Udaipur – have been analysed. Using the HI tool, the performance of these cities will be benchmarked and easily comparable, along with analysis of the best practices adopted. An Annual City Hygiene Award Programme will also be held to recognise the best performing Indian cities.

“RB’s Better Business strategy is far more than just philanthropy,” says RB CEO Rakesh Kapoor. “Our focus is social investment that builds healthier communities. It aims to drive lasting, meaningful impact. After all, Healthier lives and Happier homes is RB’s purpose as a company.”


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