Leading With People-First Approach

With operating profits increasing from Rs 2500 crore to 3000 crore in FY20, Cipla has been financially robust. The company has also demonstrated strong R&D performance with 6.9 per cent of its revenues in FY 20 dedicated towards this. In addition, it filed 13 patents and launched 52 new products this year. On sustainability, Cipla scores high due to the fact that the pharmaceutical industry itself benefits customers by the nature of its products. 

The company has an outstanding performance, highest amongst its peers, in positively impacting people both in an out of the company. When Covid-19, unlike most businesses who were forced to let go of employees, Cipla came up with a special Covid payment instead. Cipla regularly conducts employee engagement surveys and received an 84 per cent satisfaction rating in FY 2020. 

At all times, besides six months of maternity leave and two weeks of paternity leave, the company provides all its employees with six months of adoption leave, which is a rare practice in corporate India. Cipla reported 17 lost time injuries and has an injury frequency of 0.38 for its permanent employees, which are also lower than its peers in the sector. Further, no fatalities were reported in FY20 either.

Umang Vohra, MD and Global CEO, Cipla states, “We at Cipla believe that sustainability is a mindset that needs to be embedded in the culture of the organisation. Our journey in sustainability is about accelerating our efforts in environmental, financial and social aspects. From sustainable production & supply chain to doing social good, we are committed to reducing our environmental footprint and creating a positive social impact on the entire ecosystem” .

Moreover, the company has per formed better than its peers in terms of gender parity in the top two levels (33 per cent women in the Management Council and 30 per cent on the Board), having 14 per cent of the employees at Cipla to be women. However, only 13 out of 25,000 plus employees are people with disabilities, which points towards a need for more diversity. The company has been working towards this already as is evident from the setting up of an Inclusion and Diversity Council in FY20. 

Resource productivity and Sustainable Supply Chain 

The company is also one of the best in the industry in water management – reporting a reduction of 3 per cent in consumption in FY2020. More than 70 per cent of wastewater generated as compared to last year was recycled and reused. As a matter of fact, all API manufacturing sites (except Patalganga) are zero liquid discharge sites. 

Also, 19 per cent of Cipla’s total electricity supply for various locations come from renewable resources. The company has reduced overall energy consumption and emissions of SO2 as well. Emission intensity, however, remained unchanged from last year at 0.15. 

Cipla has strong practices in ensuring supply chain sustainability. From implementing a Supply Chain Management Sustainability Policy and Supplier Code of Conduct, which extends to all its suppliers and contractual business partners, to ensuring quality of supply chain which requires a strict screening process including third-party reviews and periodic onsite audits, ethical and sustainable standards are met.