The Founders of your Company, Mr. N.S. Iyengar and Mr. N.R. Swamy had set up the Thirumalai Charity Trust (TCT) in 1970, and The Akshaya Vidya Trust (AVT) in 1994. The TCT works in Ranipet District where our main Indian manufacturing site is located, since 1983, providing services in Community Healthcare, Women’s Empowerment, Disability, De-addiction, Education for Children and Village development.
“Social responsibility of business is not optional, but obligatory” – Our founders created TCT in 1970 with this intention and a vision to support the communities they worked in. Thirumalai Charity Trust completed 50 years of service in 2020.
In the early years, TCT supported health and education projects sponsored by reputed institutions in Mumbai and Chennai. TCT began its service in Tamil Nadu in 1983, with a medical centre at Thiruvalam, Vellore (then the North Arcot District). In 1988, based on this experience, the trust started a community based health and development project with women volunteers from the local area and community based management of all programmes. The charter expanded to suit the context and needs of the community, and its programmes made significant contributions to improve rural conditions.
The close involvement with the rural people through the years helped us understand their different needs. With this understanding, and growing root in the area, TCT’s project portfolio grew to include alcoholism De-addiction, study and recreation centres for school students, self-help groups and microfinance, veterinary care, primary health care, education, etc. As the programs grew, the geographical reach of our programs also expanded. Starting with one medical centre in one village, TCT now serves many people in the Ranipet and Vellore districts.
As some programmes grew, some shrank, as the community developed and changed. With its deep roots in the community, TCT has been able to ensure that the services it provides are both necessary and not redundant, changing with the times.
As a responsible industry, we take pride in our commitment to the community. One way we contribute is by running a school as part of our Social Responsibility initiative. Established in 1994, The Akshaya Vidya Trust’s main goal was to provide a favourable learning environment. Managed by The Akshaya Vidya Trust, the Vedavalli Vidyalaya Schools consist of three schools across two campuses. These English medium, co-educational, not-for-profit institutions have around 2,000 students, with 70% of them coming from rural families. The primary aim is to offer top-quality holistic education to the local children.
The TCT founded and operates the Thirumalai Mission Hospital, which provides primary healthcare in 315 villages, covering over 160,000 people. The Hospital provides both out-patient and in-patient services through departments of General Medicine, Emergency services, Intensive Medical Care, General Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, ENT, Dentistry, Physiotherapy, De-addiction & Rehabilitation. Thirumalai Mission Hospital has set up a separate centre for Non- Communicable Diseases such as Diabetes, Thyroid disorders, Endocrinology, Obesity, Osteoporosis and dialysis etc.