Gitanjali Gems Limited has won the prestigious “Best Employer” award in the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 2009 scheme conducted the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. The award recognizes the efforts undertaken at the company in this field at its unit in the Rajiv Gems Park, Hyderabad. The awards will be distributed by the President of India at a special function at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on the occasion of International Day for Disabled Persons which falls on December 3.

The award is a recognition of the company’s initiative Saksham, which empowers people with disabilities by training and employing them in jewellery manufacturing and diamond polishing. Gitanjali already employs nearly 200 PWDs. The company plans to increase this to over 1000 in the next 3 years. The trainees are provided with all amenities like food, accommodation and transportation. The goal is to create conditions for the rehabilitation of the PWD’s, by making them independent, considering them as assets and to create a life long bond by reintegrating them with the competitive world. Recruitment is done in association with various NGOs and government organizations like DRDA, EGMM, VRC and Rajeev Udyogshree by organizing job melas in the remotest of the villages in AP to reach out to the underprivileged. This year, for the PWD’s already employed in the company, special events like competitions and picnics are being organized on the occasion of World Disabled Day on December 3, 2009.   Gitanjali has also recently taken steps to strengthen its initiatives on the Corporate Social Responsibility front. The company has already been associated in different ways with various projects for the upliftment of the underprivileged, and now aims to further expand and ensure enhanced co-ordination by establishing a special CSR team within the HR Department.

Mehul Choksi, CMD, Gitanjali Group said, “We are aware of our responsibilities to society at large and are committed to helping the underprivileged and people with disabilities. As the gems and jewellery manufacturing processes offer scope for employment of PWDs, we have taken definite steps to recruit them, and plan to increase this in the future. We are proud that our pioneering efforts have been recognized by the government. Let us all jointly endeavour to employ at least 5 percent of the total workforce of the gem and jewellery industry through this initiative.”