Through a series of CSR initiatives, we, at Vistara, have been playing our part to help communities through the pandemic.

By Team Vistara

  COVID-19 took the entire world by surprise, affecting lives drastically. Our operations were completely suspended for two months in 2020, with no revenue coming in. But that did not deter us from addressing the urgent cry for help from various quarters. We made a quick shift in our CSR undertakings for the year, diverting our energies and resources towards the initiatives that required immediate aid.  

Vistara Wellness Initiative

This initiative started in April 2020, when we collaborated with Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL), and contributed 50,000+ long shelf-life food items from our flight kitchens to the medical frontline workers. After this, there was no looking back. Vistara Wellness Initiative expanded its scope to provide food and hygiene essentials to all those in need, especially those from vulnerable communities who were struggling to make ends meet. Through our implementation partner, Salaam Baalak Trust, we supplied hundreds of dry ration kits and sanitisers to families of children we have been supporting for many years. Soon, we went beyond Delhi and activated our entire network across India. Together, we assembled a wellness kit that included hygiene and nutrition items. In collaboration with The Robin Hood Army, these kits were, then, distributed in both rural and urban areas, among marginalised communities. We also brought like-minded partners on board like Pee Safe, which sponsored hygiene items in the second phase of the Vistara Wellness Initiative, which took place in March 2021. This phase also saw diverse stakeholders like the government and airport authority officials joining hands with our airport teams in the distribution drives. To date, we have distributed 1,40,000+ wellness items, positively impacting 18,000+ individuals.   

Eco-friendly masks initiative 

Enabling financial independence among women entrepreneurs has always been a focal point for us. And we were able to take this a notch higher during the pandemic when we identified an opportunity in the new normal that had engulfed us all—face masks. We collaborated with Ashima Foundation (supported by Tata Power) and our existing partner, Humana People to People India, for handcrafted, reusable, cotton masks, which we distributed among our employees. This not only took the women a step closer to their financial stability but also encouraged our employees to make a sustainable choice over surgical masks. So far, we have empowered 20 women who have supplied thousands of cotton masks for our employees.  

 

Mobilising employees 

Our employees have always been an integral part of our CSR efforts. Through our payroll giving programme, we raised nearly USD2 million which was contributed to the government towards national relief work. Digital volunteering took centre stage and employees virtually connected with the beneficiaries of our partner NGOs, Salaam Baalak Trust and Smile Foundation, on diverse topics like career counselling, hygiene and mental well-being habits, and soft-skills development. We even ran digitally, in solidarity, through a unique cause-driven wellness initiative. We supported Oxfam India at their flagship event, the Virtual Trailwalker, where our employees had to run or walk in their homes and clock their daily distance on an app. The funds raised through this event were utilised for Oxfam Indiaʼs COVID-19 relief work.  

 

The mission

At Vistara, it is our mission to leverage the legacy of our parent brands Tata Sons Limited and Singapore Airlines Limited (SIA), to positively impact the local communities in which we operate. Our CSR strategy is centred around, but is not limited to:

• Enabling education and well-being for children.
• Boosting entrepreneurship and employability through skill-led programmes for the youth and women in particular.
• Ensuring environmental sustainability by conserving natural resources. 

 

Vistaraʼs ʻBook your futureʼ initiative encourages the habit of reading in children.

 

Related: 4 Sustainable Practices To Become A Responsible Traveller