Big little blessings – Vedant Mandaliya

Vedant Mandaliya is an eighth-generation jeweller with the venerable CH Jewellers of Vadodara, Gujarat. He’s good with jewellery, and he’s also good with children — so he’s made his company unusually and hearteningly committed to CSR.

Why we do

I have a modern outlook, but my sense of fairness is old-school. I firmly believe that one needs to give back to society. That is why, when I joined my ancestral business, the first thing I got involved with was corporate social responsibility (CSR). I helped CH Jewellers organise the CH Charitable Trust, whose primary focus is educating children whose families cannot afford to pay for their schooling.

What we do

CSR is not a new area for CH Jewellers. Before I took it over, however, our programme was not well-organised. I started organising it and gave it structure. I could do this right from the get-go because my business degree, a BBA from Navrachana University, Vadodara, Gujarat, gave me a foundation in the necessary business disciplines.

Since I stepped in, the CH Charitable Trust has undertaken a number of significant initiatives. A recent initiative was providing stationery worth Rs10 lakh to underprivileged children. This year, in Vadodara, the Trust donated stationery to schools and organised health checkups for orphaned children. Our main focus is basic education, though we also promote sports activities.

The Trust also conducts workshops to enable these children to express their hidden talents and recognise their own skills. The workshops are usually organised in a local auditorium or on school premises, for about 100 children each time. Conducted by articulate high-achievers among my friends, as well as by renowned young local artists, speakers and writers, these events are always interesting and motivating events. For light relief, once in a while I take the children out to watch a movie.

The rewards

I believe in CSR as a critical mission that lies at the heart of everything that we do. It has sensitised me and made me feel responsible for these children’s wellbeing. At the Trust, we are planning a lot more workshops.

CSR may not bring in business directly, but it helps lift the brand image. Consumers can see that CH Jewellers is just not a business but also an altruistic institution that is alive to the challenge of bettering the lives of underprivileged children.

Personally and professionally, CSR has been nothing but a blessing.