Restoring Environment through Sustainable Initiatives

In an exclusive interview with Parika Mahajan, Global ESG & CSR Lead at Happiest Minds Technologies, delve into the company's steadfast dedication to environmental sustainability. As part of their mission to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, Happiest Minds has pioneered a range of innovative initiatives. Mahajan highlights the implementation of energy-efficient technologies, responsible e-waste management, and notable successes such as a rooftop solar energy project. In today's world, the imperative to preserve our planet has become an undeniable truth, urging companies across industries to rethink their practices and embrace sustainable alternatives. In an illuminating conversation we uncover the company's proactive approach to environmental sustainability and how it has established itself as a role model for eco-friendly practices.

What specific green initiatives or programs has your company implemented to reduce its environmental impact?

Happiest Minds is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, and to realize the same various initiatives are implemented. We make efforts to restore the environment by utilizing natural and manmade resources in an optimal and responsible manner and ensure the sustainability of resources by reducing, reusing, recycling, and managing waste. We continuously seek to improve environmental performance by adopting and promoting the use of energy-efficient and environment-friendly technologies and use of renewable energy in our operations. We shifted most of our IT infrastructure to the cloud to enable all Happiest Minds across geographies working in a hybrid model. We also extended this further to support our customers seamlessly from a remote work environment. This resulted again in considerable savings in terms of power usage at our offices.

We have also made a good progress in harvesting water at all our workspaces in India. This is well recognized by Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for the environment friendly Rainwater Harvesting process at Happiest Minds Headquarters in Bengaluru. We are happy to share with you that all our India centers generate zero effluents. Black water / grey water is treated and reused for gardening and various other purposes within the campuses. We also use treated water to recharge the groundwater, thereby contributing to elevating the water table.

Can you provide examples of how your company promotes energy efficiency in its operations or products?

Happiest Minds is a Mindful IT company enabling digital transformation for enterprises and technology providers. We implement several energy efficient practices in our operations such as Optimum usage of Air Conditioners throughout our premises by ensuring that there is no cool air leakage , Usage of LCD monitors (energy efficient) in place of normal CRT monitors, Turning off lights on all floors when our teams are not working, Turning off the air conditioners during non-peak hours and on weekends, Installation of sun film to dissipate heat, Usage of LED lights for our lighting solution, reducing paper consumption, etc.

How does your company approach responsible e-waste management, including recycling and proper disposal of electronic devices?

We understand the adverse impacts of e-waste on environment and hence have put a comprehensive plan in place to responsibly channel the e-waste through authorized recyclers and take-back programs with original vendors.

Could you share any success stories or case studies that highlight your company's efforts in promoting environmental sustainability in the tech industry?

Rooftop based solar energy project:

In the year 2021-22, we initiated our renewable energy journey by setting up a Rooftop-based Solar Energy System at the Madivala campus having 183 kWh capacity. Till March 202 with a generation of 227.67 MWh, we have saved carbon emissions up to 89.24 tons. It is equivalent to planting 2664 trees with the resultant savings on carbon emissions.

Implementing ban on single-use plastics and disposables:

We, at Happiest Minds, have replaced single-use plastic in our cafeterias by saving 23,000 water glasses and 22,207 coffee/tea cups per month on average. Replacing single-use packaging with reusable alternatives that can be washed and used again has enabled Happiest Minds to reduce plastic consumption.

What collaborations or partnerships has your company engaged in to address environmental challenges and promote sustainability?

We are further exploring collaboration and partnerships to address environmental challenges and promote sustainability by regularly participating at global forums to showcase our commitment and progress towards sustainability such as Institute of Directors, Golden Peacock Awards, etc.

What are some of the key challenges your company has faced in implementing and maintaining sustainable practices in the tech industry?

Sustainable practices can be easily implemented in any organization with a commitment from top management and this has been a strong point at Happiest Minds. Having said that any transformation comes along with its challenges and effective change management is a key factor. At Happiest Minds, we are proactive in facilitating cultural transformation across the functions. One of the major challenges was to connect business sense with sustainable practices with respect to each function and we have overcome by presenting the merits and benefits that sustainability presents in long term.

Are there any innovative technologies or practices your company is exploring to further enhance its environmental sustainability efforts?

We are continuously focusing on reducing our carbon footprint, not just within direct operations but in the entire value chain. Hence, working with upstream and downstream value chain partners is a key to further improving our sustainability performance.

In what ways does your company engage with customers and stakeholders to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote sustainable practices?

Stakeholders are key to achieving business objectives and driving long-term value as they provide critical insights that help shape our strategy. We adopt an inclusive approach to build deeper relations with them as well as balance their needs and expectations with that of the business. Our stakeholder engagement process is focused on their identification, consultation, prioritization, collaboration, engagement, and reporting. While we deal with multiple stakeholders, it is only those who add value to our business and are critical to our value creation that are key. We identify them through an exercise undertaken in consultation with our leaders. We understand their expectations & concerns and address them accordingly. This helps in the prioritization of strategy, policies and action plans in the environment, economy, and society. We also create awareness on environmental issues and promote sustainable practices via various engagement channels such as social media, community events, press releases, partner events, project meetings, etc.