IBM, the US-based corporation, may have decided to celebrate its 100th anniversary with a video, but for IBMers in India, the centenary is all about making a contribution to the society.
In the fact, the program for IBM India for the 100th year could make any NGO turn green with envy.
Over 50 percent of the employees will pledge a minimum of 8 hours of voluntary service each and work with over 100 NGOs engaged in different community programs.
The company, which employs an estimated 1.1 lakh employees in India (a quarter of its global workforce), will also give cash donations to Indian NGOs as part of its global $12 million grants program this year.
Among the big ideas that will be put into practice this year is a plan by 15,000 IBMers to teach at 1,500 schools run by Akshara Foundation, a Bangalore-based education NGO.
IBMers will also visit colleges for women and highlight diversity initiatives and employment opportunities at IBM in association with Nanhi Kali, an NGO that supports education for the girl child.
Around 400 IBMers will be available as experts to guide and advise start up as well as seasoned entrepreneurial ventures on different aspects like HR, Marketing, Finance, technical solutions etc across 12 mentoring melas in six cities – NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune.
The techies will also help teach spastic students in Karnataka, help organize science fairs in Hyderabad and Chennai and nearly 1,000 of them will go to Mewat in Rajasthan to teach under-privileged children.
IBM is the biggest foreign emloyer of Indians.
