Author: Editorial Team

  • Sharing the Legacy of Empowering Women: The G20 EMPOWER Best Practices Playbook

    Sharing the Legacy of Empowering Women: The G20 EMPOWER Best Practices Playbook

    Our legacy, rooted in empowering women, has helped Shahi make significant strides in promoting gender equality and economic empowerment. Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi, joined the G20 Empower Alliance as an Advocate, reinforcing the company’s commitment to women’s advancement and carrying forward Shahi’s legacy of building financial independence, providing access to health awareness, and enhancing soft skills for women.

    The G20 EMPOWER initiative, short for the G20 Alliance for the Empowerment and Progression of Women’s Economic Representation, is a global movement with a clear vision—to be the most inclusive and action-driven alliance among businesses and governments, accelerating women’s leadership and empowerment across G20 countries. It’s an ambitious endeavor is dedicated to advancing women’s roles in the private sector and achieving gender equality.

    G20 Empower’s Best Practices Playbook

    One of the outcomes of the G20 Empower initiative is the Best Practices Playbook. This valuable resource compiles best practices from organizations across G20 countries and invited nations. It focuses on four key areas:

    • Measuring to Improve
    • Building and Nourishing an Efficient and Sustainable Women Talent Pipeline
    • Enabling Women to Lead the Future
    • Supporting Women Entrepreneurs & Leaders at the Local Level

    This year, a new focus area, ‘Supporting Women Entrepreneurs & Leaders at the Local Level,’ has been added, strengthening the commitment of both the private and public sectors to women’s advancement.

    The Playbook features the best practices of 151 organizations across 19 G20 countries and invited nations. It’s a testament to the collective efforts of these organizations to advance women’s leadership and empowerment.

    Leading the way: Shahi’s Best Practices

    Shahi has heavily invested in studying the impact women’s empowerment can have on businesses.

    Our collaboration with GAP Inc, piloted the P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement) training program in 2007. This program offers comprehensive curriculum-based training, focusing on managerial, interpersonal, organizational, and practical skills. It’s designed to empower women not just in their careers but in their lives.

    The program extends its impact beyond the workplace, sensitizing supervisors, factory staff, and even family members of garment workers. It creates a supportive environment that empowers women to apply their newly acquired skills, helping them break down the barriers to personal and professional growth.

    Our company has established over 80 training centers in collaboration with public-private partnerships, creating employment opportunities and serving as a vital stepping stone for economic progress. These centers offer comprehensive training, including the GAP Inc. P.A.C.E. program, as a standard part of their curriculum. Shahi has already trained 74,000 female workers through the GAP Inc P.A.C.E. program, with a goal to benefit 90,000 workers by 2024.

    Through relentless research and innovation, Shahi has introduced transformative training initiatives like the STITCH program tailored for supervisors. This soft skills training program enhances their capabilities in self-reflection, making them more effective leaders and team members.

    Advocating for Empowerment

    Earlier this year, Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi, joined the G20 Empower Alliance as an Advocate. Reinforcing the company’s commitment to women’s advancement and carrying forward Shahi’s legacy of building financial independence, providing access to health awareness, and enhancing soft skills for women.

    “Empowering women is essential to the goal of gender equality and equity,” says Anant Ahuja. He reflects on Shahi’s history, founded by his grandmother, Sarla Ahuja, with a vision to provide independent income to women.

    Through the G20 Empower Alliance, Shahi has become part of a global community of like-minded leaders dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of women. Anant Ahuja’s words resonate: “We hope to make the experience of scaling new heights for women even better, more satisfying, and rewarding.”

  • Shahi Exports Becomes the First Indian Mill to Undergo a YESS Assessment

    Shahi Exports Becomes the First Indian Mill to Undergo a YESS Assessment

    New Delhi, 24 May, 2023: Responsible Sourcing Network and Shahi Exports announce their collaboration in promoting due diligence towards ethical cotton sourcing practices in the garment industry. The partnership aims to build a transparent and forced labor-free supply chain for cotton as countries across the world move to strengthen due diligence and sourcing standards.

    YESS: Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced is an initiative by Responsible Sourcing Network that dedicated several years to developing rigorous due diligence standards to achieve a forced labor-free cotton supply chain for the garment and textile industry. 

    The YESS standards were officially presented in India on May 2, 2023 at a workshop in Bengaluru, Karnataka, attended by multiple industry members. The workshop highlighted the significance of due diligence in building an ethical supply chain for cotton sourcing and furthering the goal of preventing forced labor. 

    “This joint effort represents a significant milestone in the pursuit of responsible and transparent cotton supply chains. As we expand conducting assessments in India later this year, we invite industry members to join this collective advancement and have their mills trained and assessed,” said Patricia Jurewicz, CEO of Responsible Sourcing Network.

    Shahi Mill and Spinning Facility at Shivamogga underwent India's first YESS assessment
    Shahi Mill and Spinning Facility at Shivamogga underwent India's first YESS assessment

    Following the workshop, YESS conducted its initial independent assessments in India at Shahi Exports’ knitting and spinning facilities in Shivamogga. The YESS program assesses management systems and inventory controls of mills to identify, assess, and mitigate the risks of forced labor based on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) due diligence framework. In 2022, Shahi was one of the seven global suppliers that piloted the YESS Standards and has now become the first mill in India to take the lead in implementing robust due diligence measures. 

    “As India’s largest apparel manufacturer and exporter, Shahi is committed to producing goods using ethical, fair, and sustainable practices. We are thrilled to embark on this journey and align ourselves with global standards of due diligence. We recognize that efforts towards traceability require industry collaboration, and we are confident that YESS will provide valuable support in achieving this goal.” stated Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi Exports. 

    While already operating with firm checkpoints for cotton sourcing, the YESS assessment provided additional insights that enabled Shahi to further strengthen its management processes in response to evolving legislation and growing consumer demand on traceability against forced labor.

    Spinners and textile mills play a critical role in facilitating visibility and due diligence in the complex cotton-sourcing landscape as gatekeepers. YESS recognizes the position they hold and values their partnership in connecting the industry agenda across the global supply chain.

  • Shahi Exports and KMIT partner to support at-risk women against poverty, human trafficking

    Shahi Exports and KMIT partner to support at-risk women against poverty, human trafficking

    Bhubaneshwar – 21 March 2023: Shahi Exports and Know Me India Trust (KMIT) today have announced a partnership to support vulnerable and at-risk women in India against poverty and human trafficking. The partnership implements ‘Project Swabhimaan,’ which provides life skills training, sector-specific technical training, and job opportunities or support in opening a small business to women from vulnerable social and economic communities, particularly those at risk of human trafficking and exploitation. The program will also provide mentorship and motivation to encourage and support women in their journey toward financial stability and independence.

    The partnership furthers the joint vision of both organizations, creating a sustainable and direct employment pathway for the most disadvantaged and at-risk women in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The pilot program launched here in Odisha intends to train, educate, and prepare women from disadvantaged communities with limited access to stable employment. Upon completion of the training, the participants will be offered job opportunities at Shahi – India’s largest manufacturer and exporter of ready-made garments. 

    Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi Exports, said, “We are delighted to partner with Know Me India Trust to create this opportunity for women from disadvantaged communities. Our company is built on the foundation of empowerment of women and a spirit to contribute towards the development of communities in which we operate. This partnership is aligned with our efforts to promote sustainable livelihoods, fight against human trafficking and modern slavery, and provide opportunities for women to become financially independent.”

    Data suggest that about eight million people in India are trapped in human trafficking. The number of persons trafficked for forced labor in India is 20 to 65 million. And 90% of the trafficking occurs domestically, intrastate, or interstate. The joint initiative by Shahi Exports and KMIT is particularly significant in this context as it seeks to support vulnerable and at-risk women against poverty and human trafficking by supporting them in providing training and livelihood.

    Supei Liu, Program and Development Board Advisor to KMIT, said, “We believe that sustainable employment is one of the most effective ways to prevent exploitation of vulnerable individuals and re-exploitation of survivors of human trafficking and other forms of slavery. Our partnership with Shahi aims to address this and help at-risk women achieve economic agency and mobility. We are sure that quality training, stable incomes, and a safe work environment will provide women with opportunities to acquire the skills and access the resources they need to achieve economic independence, dignity, and freedom.

    The project will ensure that 100% of the vulnerable and at-risk women going through the program will experience a 65% increase in income and sustain this growth over the next two years. KMIT is set to take on the challenge of supporting the women in the Swabhimaan program in achieving economic security while successfully breaking the cycle of exploitation and human trafficking.

    KMIT works in communities with some of the highest incidences of both labor trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), where women and girls are economically marginalized due to poverty, caste discrimination, gender inequality, and low capacity to resist economic shocks. 

  • Shahi’s First Sustainability Report

    Shahi’s First Sustainability Report

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    Dear Stakeholder,

    I am proud to present to you Shahi’s first Sustainability Report. For nearly five decades, right from when my mother started the company as a small home workshop, Shahi has put people and the planet at the forefront of business strategy in various ways. Sustainability has remained a key pillar of our success over the years. In a fast-changing global environment, our “Responsible For” framework guides our actions in line with our values. Our key stakeholders, including our customers, employees, business partners, suppliers, and civil society organizations, support us in achieving our goals.

    At a time when natural resources are fast depleting and climate changes are intensifying, Shahi recognizes that to future-proof our business and continue providing high-quality employment to over 115,000 people—revitalizing our planet is absolutely necessary and urgent. That’s why we have set ambitious goals to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2026 and use 85% recycled water in garment washing by 2024. However, we cannot achieve our goals alone; the global industry must rise together to elevate towards sustainability. In 2021, we collaborated with one of our customers to achieve the highest standard for circularity by becoming India’s first woven apparel and textiles manufacturer to create Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold products. Our focus on innovation continues as we partner with academia, innovators, and NGOs to research and identify novel solutions to the immense challenges of this industry. 

    The past year remained challenging. As we recovered from the COVID-19 disruptions of 2020, India faced a destructive second wave of the pandemic in the middle of 2021. With a strained healthcare system, we knew we had to play a proactive role in supporting our employees through this unprecedented time. We set up vaccination camps in factories and offices to vaccinate nearly 100% of our workforce across the country in partnership with local health services, NGOs, and private and public hospitals. Moreover, we ensured our medical dispensaries were stocked with essential medicines and oxygen cylinders. Our Migration Support Center was open to migrants across industries for medical, residential, and vaccination support. 

    Despite these hurdles, we continued to support our employees’ development. In fact, we surpassed our target of training 58,000 women by 2024 in Gap Inc. P.A.C.E., a soft skills training for female workers, and delivered the training to over 70,000 women in FY 2021.  Our focus on creating a safe and respectful work environment remains undeterred as we continue to expand frameworks like the Social and Labor Convergence Project (SLCP) and access to digital grievance redressal mechanisms to 100% of our factories by 2024.

    Our influence and responsibility extend beyond our factory walls, reaching out to the communities in which we operate and other vulnerable groups. We have trained 44,000 women from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds in sewing skills, and our efforts in skill development will continue to be accelerated. 

    In 2021, our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects focused on enhancing education, improving public health, and promoting environmental and community management. We aim to reach thousands of women with menstrual, sexual and reproductive, and maternal health awareness and services. Similarly, our efforts in expanding green cover, migration support, and STEM education continue in full swing.

    I hope you enjoy reading this report containing case studies, data, and insights about our sustainability efforts. With all humility, while we have made much progress, we have higher ambitions for the future. We call on all our stakeholders to join hands with us to create a thriving and sustainable industry for the future. 

    Harish Ahuja,

    Chairperson and Managing Director,

    Shahi Exports.

    View More

    to read our sustainability report for FY 2021.

  • IOM-UN Migration and Shahi Exports Join Hands to Facilitate Safe Migration through Migrant Support Centre

    IOM-UN Migration and Shahi Exports Join Hands to Facilitate Safe Migration through Migrant Support Centre

    New Delhi, 15 December 2022: Economic Survey reported that between 2001-2011, the Inter-state labor migration in India averaged between 5 to 6 million people a year which constitutes 17%-29% of the labor force. Migration and related activities undertaken by migrant workers are estimated to contribute 10 percent of India’s GDP. These activities have positive externalities in terms of benefits to their families, native communities, and destination states/communities. Some of their contributions can be seen in the labor-intensive garment and textile sector. Composed of many small, medium, and large-sized enterprises, this sector has grown exponentially, from domestic production to engagement in export-oriented global supply chains, which has fuelled employment opportunities for varied skill sets across the country.

    Nevertheless, internal migration in India is rife with challenges. Much of these can be addressed at the origination itself— that is, the transition period when migrants move from their hometowns all the way until they settle in a new place.

    The International Organization for Migration (IOM), on 30th September 2022, signed an MoU with Shahi Exports to support and assist migrant workers through the institutional framework of a Migrant Support Centre (MSC). Shahi Exports, India’s largest apparel manufacturer, has been running the MSC for migrants working in various industries across Bengaluru since 2021. Currently, it serves nearly 4,000 migrants. Under this partnership, IOM will provide technical and advisory support to strengthen and operationalize the Shahi-run MSC in Bengaluru. IOM will assist Good Business Lab (GBL) –  a not-for-profit labor innovation organization, to understand the issues faced by interstate and intrastate migrant workers in an urban setting and empower migrant workers and improve all aspects of their welfare–  working conditions, access to legal entitlements, social security, health, education, and vocational skills. GBL came on board as the project’s design partner, conducting visits to existing MSCs to understand the provisions of specific services and if there exist any disconnects between migrant experiences and support offered by centers. 

    IOM’s Head of Office, Sanjay Awasthi, observed that such a collaboration would leverage the strengths of multiple stakeholders across the supply chain to achieve the envisioned benefits not only for the migrant workers and their employers but towards the social and economic development of migrants’ source and destination states, and ultimately India as a whole. To mitigate these risks and to intensify the socio-economic benefits of internal migration, it is imperative that supply chain partners play a role in ensuring the welfare of migrant workers. 

    Migrant workers are also particularly vulnerable to disasters and crises, as evidenced by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

    Shahi Export’s MSC evolved out of COVID-19 relief efforts conducted by Shahi Exports, such as facilitating vaccination drives, free phone consultancy with ophthalmologists, information services on preventative measures, availability of transport, and providing food rations to migrant workers. 

    Screenshot 2022-12-17 at 10.31.06 AM
    Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi Exports

    “The MSC provided shelter, utility support, medical aid, financial, legal literacy, and toll-free redressal numbers to resolve issues migrants face in the garment industry and other sectors. We gained valuable feedback from the beneficiaries of the center to help us, and the learnings from our first effort make us confident to scale MSC up to reach 10,000 migrants by 2025. Our multi-stakeholder partnership with IOM will leverage their global perspective and combine it with the knowledge of on-ground partners, including state government wings like Odisha Rural Development And Marketing Society (ORMAS), to achieve a model that can give migrants the support they need in a new city or town.”

    Amit Chowdhury, National Officer, IOM India

    IOM has provided technical support for the establishment and functioning of several such centers for migrants throughout the world.“These centers (also known as Migrant Resource Centres) serve as a source of information and support to migrants at either their destination or source locations and further promote greater social inclusion and interaction. The partnership between IOM and Shahi would continue to work with other institutionalized stakeholders (governmental and non-governmental) directly or indirectly engaged in the facilitation of migration-related issues to ensure safe and secure mobility of migrant workers.” 

  • The Manufacturing Perspective | 2022

    The Manufacturing Perspective | 2022

    Insights from speaking engagements in 2022

    At Shahi, we believe in sharing our experiences and learning with all the stakeholders in the fashion industry and beyond. This is an ongoing post to share insights from our speaking engagements in 2022. Read insights from previous years’ engagements: 2021, 2020.

    (more…)
  • Shahi Exports Wins Two International Green Apple Awards

    Shahi Exports Wins Two International Green Apple Awards

    New Delhi, 29 November 2022: Shahi Exports is thrilled to be recognized as the winner of two International Green Apple Environment Awards for 2022. Shahi has won a silver award in ‘Water Efficiency’ for denim production and a bronze award in the ‘Carbon Reduction’ category for mitigating carbon dioxide emissions.

    The International Green Apple Awards are conferred by the UK-based Green Organization in a campaign to find the world’s greenest companies since 1994. The awards saw close to 500 nominations this year. Shahi’s environmental work will now feature along with the likes of Infosys, TESCO, and BMW. 

    The fashion industry accounts for 10% of global GHG emissions and 20% of global industrial-water pollution. With global forces rallying to fight climate change, India has committed to mitigating 1 billion MT in carbon emissions by 2030. As India’s largest apparel and textile exporter, Shahi has developed a strong commitment to environmental sustainability in its operations to meet the national goal, industry demand, and the necessity for constructive climate action.

    Silver Award in Water Efficiency

    Shahi won the Silver International Green Apple Environment Award for Water efficiency in our Denim Operations.

    Shahi’s denim production factories are equipped with best-in-class technology to meet high water efficiency standards. Conventional production methods require about 75-85 liters of water to produce a pair of jeans. The denim operations at Shahi recycle 100% of its water to bring it back into the process and reduce freshwater dependence. Overall, a pair of jeans produced by Shahi effectively utilize less than 5 liters of water.

    MA Prasad, COO of the Denim Division at Shahi Exports, said:

    “Denim washing and production is a highly resource-intensive process. Through continuous efforts, we have achieved zero liquid discharge from our facility, and through various green initiatives, we have created one of the most sustainable denim operations. We are humbled and encouraged by this recognition. “

    Bronze Award in Carbon Reduction

     

    Shahi won the Bronze International Green Apple Environment Award for Carbon Reduction through our measures for mitigating emissions.

    Since 2019, Shahi has reduced 448,000 MT of carbon emissions company-wide by moving away from conventional energy sources to environment-friendly renewable sources. Today, Shahi uses 70% of renewable electricity with an established setup of 84 MW solar power plants and 8.75 MW Wind Power Plants. Shahi is currently on the path of becoming 100% renewable electricity driven by 2026. 

    Shridatta Veera, Assistant Vice President, Central Maintenance and Environmental Sustainability at Shahi Exports, said:

    “Driven by our company’s sustainability vision and policy, we have realized the need to act against climate change. Moving towards green energy helps reduce carbon footprint, hence we installed 84 MW solar power plants all at once to meet our requirements. Receiving an award for this milestone is heartening. It motivates us to further on our mitigation journey.”

     

    The awards were presented by Jayne Drant, Chief Commercial Officer of Nurture Landscapes, at a ceremony at the Houses of Parliament, London, on November 21, 2022. The judges of the award shared their thoughts on Shahi’s win,

    “The textile industry is often in the spotlight for its social and environmental impact. Shahi Exports welcomes this attention as they support and contribute to India’s reduction targets of almost half a million tonnes of CO2 saved in 2 years and much more to come. As India’s largest clothing manufacturer, Shahi wants to be among the greenest. They have added sustainability to most aspects of the production system. The push to reduce water use is a prime example, using less than half the water typically consumed in the denim manufacturing process.” 

    The Green Apple marks a milestone in Shahi’s continued journey towards sustainability excellence. Shahi Exports is proud to have the opportunity to uphold the title of a Green World Ambassador.  

  • Anant Ahuja joins the Board of the Better Buying Institute

    Anant Ahuja joins the Board of the Better Buying Institute

    New Delhi, 30 September, 2022: Shahi Exports, India’s largest apparel manufacturer, announced that Anant Ahuja has joined the Board of Directors of the Better Buying Institute (BBI). BBI was set up in 2015 with a mission to enable buyers and suppliers to work together with responsible purchasing practices to achieve shared goals of profitability and social and environmental sustainability. As the first South Asian supplier to join the BBI Board, Anant’s appointment is a significant step towards the industry-wide transformation of buyer purchasing practices. This will further strengthen buyer-supplier relationships contributing to the overall well-being of supply chain workers and improving environmental practices. 

    As the Head of Organizational Development at Shahi, Anant is primarily responsible for positive change across the business through innovation and strategy, aligning the company’s growth with the development of people, communities, and the environment. Anant is also the CEO and co-founder of the Good Business Lab, a not-for-profit labor innovation start-up that conducts research to find common ground between worker well-being and business interests. He was also a part of NITI Aayog’s ‘Champions of Change’ initiative.

    Shahi Exports operates over 50 factories and three processing mills across nine states in India, employing over 113,000 people. Women workers constitute nearly 70% of Shahi’s workforce.

    Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi Exports, said: 

    Anant Ahuja, Head of Organizational Development at Shahi Exports

    “Better Buying has led the way in measuring and raising awareness of the state of purchasing practices by driving transparency, and this is an exciting time to be joining the Board.”

    “There is growing awareness and acceptance in the industry that purchasing practices have a massive impact on workers’ wellbeing, environmental sustainability, and innovation. Buyers are significantly more open to working with suppliers to understand the pain points and develop win-win partnerships, and suppliers are increasingly aware of the knowledge and influence they hold in driving a sustainable future for the fashion industry. But there’s still a long way to go in rebalancing the power dynamics between buyers and suppliers. The time for the industry to come together and act on purchasing practices is now.”

    Ahuja joins fellow Board members Nina Smith, founding Chief Executive of GoodWeave International; Dr. Peter Cheng, Co-founder and Chairman of Hanbo Group; Tom Rausch, Global Lead, Agrostart – BASF, and Michael Gilson, CEO, and Founder of Cormac Advisors. 

    Dr. Marsha Dickson, President, and Co-Founder of the Better Buying Institute said:

    “Anant has a deep understanding of the challenges suppliers face in their business relationships with brands and retailers. He also has a track record of implementing new approaches to address workplace and business opportunities. With this valuable background, Anant will be helping us explore how Better Buying’s work can add even more value to both buyers and suppliers as they collaborate around new practices and ways of working together.”

  • Puneesh Lamba honoured as the IoT ICON at the CIO Power List 2022

    Puneesh Lamba honoured as the IoT ICON at the CIO Power List 2022

    Puneesh Lamba, Chief Technology Officer of  Shahi, received the recognition for IoT Icon in the CIO Power List 2022. The CIO Power List, presented by CORE Media, recognizes India’s most influential Chief Information Officers (CIOs), IT Leaders, and Digital Leaders. They have demonstrated extraordinary vision and outstanding work in the last year in enterprise technology. They have leveraged technology to improve processes, customer touchpoints, and experiences.

    An exclusive ceremony was held on 20th-21st May 2022 in Mumbai, honoring over 130 CIOs across two main categories: Business Icons and Technology Icons.

    Business Icon recognitions are conferred upon select CIOs/IT Leaders from 23 categories and across 13 different industry verticals, while Technology Icons upon leaders across 20 different technology categories.

    “Congratulations to all the CIO Power List 2022 winners. In the new digital economy, these CIOs and Digital Leaders are at the forefront, driving transformation that enables organizations in staying ahead with innovation for growth and success in the global marketplace. The CIO Power List recognitions are bestowed upon visionary leaders. It is our privilege to honor them as they rise above disruption and establish IT as the biggest driving influence on enterprise transformation and new business models”, said Anoop Mathur, Founder, and President, CORE Media.

    Making the Power List

    The CIO Power List 2022 awardees are finalized based on an algorithm considering a wide range of data collected on CIOs and Digital Leaders across multiple channels. This includes data collected from their online reputation, business publications, and features, combined with data on awards, honors, and recognitions won; achievements, a random sampling of social media engagements, and a national survey of peer CIO review. Additionally, there are inputs from the CIOs themselves on their key moments in the past year.

    From the CTO

    “This award is the testimony to the fact that Shahi has taken huge strides in digitizing its operations. Solving business problems by leveraging technology has become a practice in Shahi; hence we are a more productive, efficient, and progressive company. Our “Digital First” approach has helped immensely in delivering value to our customers and employees.” – Puneesh Lamba

    Puneesh is responsible for building Shahi’s IT & Digital strategy and execution. He carries 28 years of experience as a Senior IT & Digital Leader across industries in India, the USA, and Europe.  He has worked for multinational companies like General Electric/Genpact and TATA Consultancy Services and Indian Conglomerates like Escorts Ltd., Punj Lloyd, CK Birla Group, and Ballarpur Industries.

    As one of India’s pioneers in embracing disruptive technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, the Internet of Things, and Predictive Analytics, Puneesh is a proponent of digital means to enable business strategy growth. He has won many prestigious awards like CIO100, CIO200, CIO500, Power List, and CIO 1000. He is also a jury member at NASSCOM, Frost & Sullivan, and 9Dot9 media.

  • Reducing audit fatigue by increasing adoption of SLCP across Shahi factories

    Reducing audit fatigue by increasing adoption of SLCP across Shahi factories

    In 2019, Shahi became one of the first signatories of the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP). The program now has 259 signatories, including brands, auditing firms, manufacturers, consultancies, standard holders, industry associations, and even national governments. Watch this video to see how Shahi reduced around 4,000+ hours due to reduced audits.

    SLCP is a non-profit multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to eliminate audit fatigue in global supply chains. It does not set benchmarks for compliance. Instead, it provides a framework that ensures the effective collection of about 3,000 data points. So instead of conducting an audit for each brand, facilities can do a single audit, which is then verified by a single agency. This increases transparency in supply chains, reduces the need for social audits, and ultimately allows users to redeploy resources to improve working conditions.

    Brands can access these data sets from a host platform and rate facilities according to their own standards. The uploaded data can be accessed from the host platform by the brands and rated according to their own standards.

    “We envision a future where all our factories will only be doing a single SLCP audit and verification every year. Suppliers can only realize reduced audit fatigue when more and more brands adopt SLCP. Brands have the potential to drive convergence. With SLCP brands can help empower suppliers to invest more time and resources in sustainability and worker wellbeing.”

    — Anant Ahuja, Head, Organizational Development

    Srinivasa Rao Venkatesh, Chief Compliance Officer, and Gauri Sharma, Senior Manager, Organizational Development, serve as members of SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework and the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement technical advisory committees. Their involvement helps SLCP align better with industry requirements, especially for manufacturers.

    So far, 80% of our factories at Shahi have adopted SLCP, and we are working towards aligning a 100% by 2025.