Beyond Business: Our Commitment to Society
At KCT, we believe that doing business itself is a form of service to society by driving economic growth, creating employment, supporting infrastructure, and contributing to the national exchequer. But our philosophy goes far beyond business.
We are deeply committed to creating meaningful, long-term impact through initiatives in women empowerment, education, scientific research, wildlife conservation, and eco-friendly cremation. These efforts directly reflect our core values of responsibility, integrity, respect and ownership.
CSR Initiatives
(a) Kashvi Programme
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Kashvi is a transformative initiative dedicated to empowering women who have previously dropped out of formal education, offering them a renewed opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. By providing essential resources, mentorship, and academic support, Kashvi enables participants to achieve basic literacy and complete Grade 10 and 12 through the National Institute of Open Schooling, while simultaneously linking them to vocational training and livelihood opportunities-ensuring that education translates into tangible economic empowerment. In alignment with Jharkhand's efforts to improve female literacy, the programme actively dismantles systemic barriers, fostering confidence, agency, and the skills necessary for sustainable livelihoods. Rooted in our belief in inclusive, community-driven development, Kashvi contributes to the socio-economic upliftment of local communities and the advancement of gender equality. The programme is built on three integrated pillars: Kashvi Manzil, our onsite model; Kashvi Udaan, our digital learning platform; and Kashvi Disha, which focuses on vocational training and livelihood enablement for our women learners.
(b) IMT Research Awards
Established by the KCT Group Trust in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology - Indian School of Mines (IIT-ISM) in 2016, the Inder Mohan Thapar Research Awards continually aims to recognize and promote excellence in academic research. These prestigious awards celebrate innovative research across various fields, encouraging both students and mentors to push the boundaries of knowledge. Designed to reward academic brilliance, the awards foster a collaborative culture of research and mentorship at IIT-ISM. Through this initiative, the KCT Group Trust plays a vital role in shaping the future of Indian academia, supporting groundbreaking research that can have a meaningful impact on society and various industries.
(c) Gharial Conservation
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The KCT Group Trust enables the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) to implement the Gharial Conservation Project, focused on protecting one of the world's most endangered reptiles and restoring balance to river ecosystems. Once numbering between 5,000 and 10,000 in the 1940s, the gharial population has declined by over 96%, with current estimates ranging between 250 and 650 adult individuals remaining in the wild threatened by illegal sand mining that destroys nesting sites and accidental entanglement in fishing nets. As apex predators and uniquely attentive parents, gharials are crucial to maintaining aquatic biodiversity. The project emphasizes habitat protection, species recovery, and community engagement, supported by technology-driven monitoring and school-based education to raise awareness and foster local stewardship. Through this initiative, KCT Group Trust and WCT are working together to secure the future of the gharial and the health of India's riverine ecosystems.
(d) Advancing eco-friendly crematoriums
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The KCT Group, through its CSR initiatives in collaboration with the Air Pollution Action Group (APAG) and the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC), is working to overcome systemic and behavioural barriers preventing the adoption of eco-friendly crematoriums in India by first thoroughly understanding existing challenges. Traditional wood-based cremations in India consume approximately 500-600kg of wood per ceremony, using up to 50-60 million trees annually and releasing nearly 8 million tonnes of CO, while contributing to deforestation and adding up to 2.2% of Delhi's PM2.5 load. Despite the availability of alternatives, such as gas-based pyres, improvised wood pyres with chimneys (IWPC), and electric crematoriums, uptake remains low due to cultural and religious traditions, lack of awareness, and limited infrastructure. Recognising this, the program aims at creating mechanisms to solve both systemic and behavioural barriers, as they are the key to increasing the take-up of eco-friendly pyres.
CSR Policy
CSR Committee
- Ms. Rupa Devi Singh - Independent Director, Chairperson
- Mr. Varun Aditya Thapar - Non-Executive Director, Member
- Mr. Sanjay Baweja - Independent Director, Member
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