Philosophy

At Saga, aligning with our mission statement ‘Nurturing Healthier Lives’, we believe to create maximum positive and sustainable social impact by catering efficiently to the areas of poverty, malnutrition, environmental sustainability, training and education for community building and sustenance, public health care leading to health up gradation, cattle care and specifically “Gau Seva”. 

We, relentlessly, through our legally and environmentally complied day to day activities, quality of products, and CSR activities endeavour to upgrade and sustain thousands of lives in and around our operation areas, by contributing to the economic, social and environmental growth and sustainability of the local communities. 

We, being an emerging and responsible business enterprise of repute, are committed to measure our performance not only against our profits but also against our contribution to society by creating impactful community based economic, social and environmental development.

Guiding Principles 

At Saga, we believe in creating our base of CSR activities upon a strong moral and social foundation enabling us to nurture thousands of lives with upgraded health and nutrition facilities and upgrading social status of the local community with education, and job skill training. We endeavour to contribute meaningfully in overall development and lifestyle up gradation of locals. We have adopted the following guiding principles to this effect. Laying our foundation upon the strong guiding principles as provided below. We believe in contributing to a sustainable community development and facilitating our efforts towards creating shared value. 

Guiding principles for overall selection, planning, implementation and monitoring of CSR activities are as follows: 

1. In the first step: Saga shall carve out an effective action plan identifying developmental, financial, social, health and environmental needs of the local community in and around Ahmedabad and screen through various social programmes, projects, and engagement plans either directly or received from various non-government and non-profit organizations (“Projects”).  
2. In the second step Saga would deliberate upon the budget of the project plans received and focus on impact assessment of such projects, when implemented and segregate at least top six projects in three categories i.e.  high impact high spread project, middle impact mid spread project and low spread projects against gradation of time like project having up to 6 months duration or beyond but less than 12 months duration (Long Term Projects), project having up to 4 months duration (Mid-Term Projects), projects having up to 2 months duration (Short Term Projects).
3. In the third step Saga will get such Projects implemented through robust action and monitoring plans which shall include fetching timely updates and reports including impact assessment report from the concerned project consultant and/or implementers and sometimes upon oath if required to understand and analyse the overall developmental impact of such Projects.
4. While pursuing and categorising the Project/s proposal/s and upon the implementation of such Project/s Saga will keep the various parameters in mind like A), to determine the areas of the CSR activities, B) the impact of the Projects upon the local community as a  whole. 

• • Some of the parameters are as follows: 
  • Urban and rural livelihoods enhancing skills enhancing employability of the community. 
  • Accessibility to high quality of education in school, skill development centres (both technical and general skills) etc. 
  • Identify need specific heath requirements and implement and/or get implemented CSR activities to upgrade general public health as well as need specific health support to lower and mid income groups within the local community.
  • Identify and implement and/or facilitate in implementation of CSR activities to promote and upgrade wherever necessary activities related to healthcare, hygiene, nutritional development and woman specific healthcare initiatives.
  • Identify and promote socially relevant innovations and environment protection initiative with special consideration towards reduction of air and water pollution and swage and affluence treatment in the society.  

Area of CSR activities

Saga may undertake CSR activities in the following area:

1. Hunger and poverty eradication, malnutrition, public health promotion including preventive health care and sanitation and hygiene, water and air pollution, making safe drinking water available. 
2.  Education promotion including school education and educational and training endeavours enhancing vocational skills especially among children, women, elderly and the differently abled and livelihood enhancement projects. 
3. Fostering environmental sustainability, ecological balance, flora, fauna protection, animal especially cattle welfare, health and nutrition, prevention of agroforestry, natural resources conservation prevention of soil degradation and maintenance of soil, water and air quality.
4. Training for skill upliftment and promotion of rural sports, nationally recognised sports, paralympic sports and Olympic sports.
5. Contribution to the prime minister’s national relief fund or Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) or any other fund set up by the state government or central government for socio economic development and relief and welfare of the schedule caste, tribes, other backward classes, minorities and women.
6. Contribution to the research and development projects in the field of science and technology and medicine as notified in Schedule VII of the Act and rules made thereunder.
7.  Rural development projects.
8.  Slum area development.
9. Disaster management, including relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities
10.  Any other activities or subjects specified in Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013 (the Act) and the rules made thereunder, as amended from time to time and circulars/notifications issued by statutory authorities.
11. Creation or acquisition of any capital asset by the Saga against CSR amount, shall be in terms of the provisions of the Act and the rules made thereunder. 

CSR Expenditure

1. Saga may spend in every financial year up-to a certain percentage of its average net profits as may be decided by the CSR committee and board or directors (or such other limit as may be prescribed under the Act) during the three immediately preceding financial years or such other periodicity as may be notified, upon CSR activities in pursuance of this policy, as per Annual CSR Plan.
2. If the CSR expenditure in a financial year exceeds the statutory limit, such excess may be set-off against CSR expenditure for the next three financial years or such other periodicity as may be notified, with the approval of the Board, on the recommendation of the CSR Committee or as may be permitted as per government regulations.
3. Any unspent amount at the end of the financial year, if any, except in case of an ongoing project, shall be transferred to a CSR fund specified in Schedule VII for this purpose, within a period of six months of the expiry of the relevant financial year (or such other period as may be prescribed under the Act and the rules made thereunder).
4. Any unspent amount on a undergoing project would go to a separate fund account and such fund would be transferred within 30 days from the end of the financial year to a special account to be opened by the Saga and such amount shall be spent within a period of three financial years or as permitted under law, from the date of such transfer, failing which, the unspent amount shall be transferred to the Fund as specified in Schedule VII for this purpose, within a period of 30 days from the date of completion of the third financial year (or such other period as may be specified in the Act and rules made thereunder).

CSR committee

Formation rules and responsibilities

A CSR committee comprising chairman and MD of Saga and any other two senior employees would be formed within 7 days from the date of the signing and adoption of this CSR policy.  The roles and responsibilities of this CSR committee shall inter-alia include the following:

1. Formulation, review and recommend to the board a CSR policy every year underlining the activities that Saga wishes to undertake as specified in schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013; 
2. Screening of various CSR Projects received from non-governmental and non-profit organization and other legal sources and shortlisting and finalizing the implementable CSR projects vis a vis providing guidance on various CSR initiatives undertaken by the Saga. Monitoring of the CSR Project implementation and adherence to the CSR programs and policy of the Saga from time to time; 
3.  Recommendation of Annual CSR plan upholding the mission and vision of Saga’s CSR policy.
4. Finalising for appointment of independent agency/firm to carry out impact assessment study, for ongoing CSR Projects, if any. However the final appointment may be either carried out by Chairman or MD of Saga and/or board members. 
5. If any rule and regulation or written charter is formulated by the board of directors upon functioning of the CSR committee, then the CSA committee at all times must adhere to such rules regulation and charter. 
6.  CSR Activities implementation modus operandi: Saga under this CSR policy reserves right to either implement CSR activities / Projects directly or through a registered public trust, or a registered NGO or a society registered under the Companies Act, 2013, (NGOs), institutions and /or such other agencies (‘implementing agencies’) as may be specified in Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014, as amended from time to time. 
7. Saga at its volition under this policy may also engage international organisations for designing, monitoring and evaluation of the CSR projects or programmes as per its CSR policy or also collaborate with other companies for undertaking projects or programmes or CSR activities in accordance with the provisions of the Act and the rules made thereunder.
8. The implementing agencies, who intend to undertake any CSR Projects for Saga, shall be registered with the Central Government and obtain a unique CSR Registration Number, wherever applicable. 
9. Monitoring of CSR Activities / Project: The CSR committee of Saga will effectively and objectively monitor using one or more of the third-party audit(s) or certification(s), impact assessment(s), self-assessment report(s), field visit(s), periodical review(s) or any other appropriate mechanism.
10.  The CSR Committee shall review and monitor the CSR activities and CSR plan and submit a quarterly report to the board of directors of Saga. The board of directors of Saga shall review the status of implementation and fund utilization of the various Projects and quarterly reports submitted by the CSR Committee and may give its observations and recommendations to the CSR Committee, which the CSR committee shall adopt.
11. Based on the recommendation of the CSR Committee, the board of directors may update, alter, modify or amend the CSR plan at any time during the financial year.
12.  Annual report on CSR Activities shall be included in the Board’s Report forming part of Saga’s Annual Report and the composition of the CSR Committee, and CSR Policy and Projects approved by the Board shall be displayed on the website of the Saga.