Abida Aneez, Vice President of CSR & Sustainability at Group Legrand India, brings with her over 28 years of rich experience in Corporate Social Responsibility, human resources, and sustainability leadership.
Her career journey weaves through diverse industries including IT, ITES, and manufacturing, where she honed her expertise in driving strategic CSR initiatives aligned with community needs and organizational goals.
At Legrand, she has been pivotal in orchestrating impactful programs such as the “Legrand Empowering Scholarship Program,” supporting over 350 deserving girls in engineering education, and telemedicine services reaching over 5,000 people annually.
As Aneez puts it, “This journey is about more than infrastructure it’s about creating opportunities for youth to gain hands-on learning, industry-ready skills, and contributing to a sustainable future.” Her visionary leadership marries strategic focus with executional excellence to lead Legrand’s multidimensional sustainability mission.
Legrand India, a leader in electrical and digital building infrastructures, is on a committed path to carbon neutrality by 2050.
Their efforts include sponsoring innovative student projects like Team Sea Sakthi, India’s only participant in the 2024 Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, which promotes energy-efficient transportation.
Aneez emphasises, “Our approach blends renewable energy adoption, circular economy principles, and social impact programs, ensuring a holistic path to sustainability.”
Legrand’s robust CSR programs spread across education, healthcare, and skill development demonstrate an inclusive commitment to environmental and social causes, extending beyond corporate boundaries into community empowerment.
A Vision Rooted in Experience and Commitment
Abida Aneez’s personal and professional journey shapes the backbone of Legrand India’s sustainability narrative. With over 28 years in leadership roles spanning Corporate Social Responsibility, human resources, and sustainability, her expertise crosses multiple sectors including IT, manufacturing, and infrastructure development.
Her tenure at Legrand is marked by strategic transformations that translate policies into actionable, community-focused programs. Under her guidance, initiatives such as the “Legrand Empowering Scholarship Program” have supported more than 350 girls in pursuing engineering education, directly contributing to gender empowerment in STEM fields.
Further, telemedicine services reach upwards of 5,000 people annually, breaking barriers of healthcare access for marginalized communities.
Reflecting on her journey, Aneez shares, “Driving sustainability requires a vision that goes beyond compliance and focuses on creating shared value for business and society.” Her leadership drives a collaborative ethos that nurtures growth, inclusivity, and responsibility.
Pioneering Innovation for Ecological Accountability
At the heart of Legrand’s environmental strategy is a blend of cutting-edge innovation and steadfast accountability. As part of its ambitious roadmap to be carbon neutral by 2050, Legrand India has embraced key projects like Team Sea Sakthi’s energy-efficient boat, which won acclaim at the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge for its design that reduces CO2 emissions by 40% compared to traditional battery usage across 3,000 operational hours.
Aneez elaborates, “This initiative is a testament to how technology and sustainability can coexist to reduce our ecological footprint while inspiring future innovators.”
The company has laid down aggressive targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), including sourcing 70% of its energy from renewables and eliminating single-use plastics from operations by 2025.
Complementing this are in-house green energy projects, mangrove restoration, and urban forestry drives, collectively cutting down more than 500 tons of CO2 emissions annually.
This integrative approach demonstrates that sustainability goals are achievable through thorough planning, technology adoption, and community collaboration.
Embedding Social Responsibility in Corporate DNA
Legrand’s social initiatives emphasize the inseparable link between environmental sustainability and societal wellbeing. One standout project under Aneez’s leadership is the Water Table Recharge initiative in Maharashtra, providing improved groundwater access to over 2,500 tribal and farming community members.
Aneez states, “Access to clean water is fundamental, and our approach combines technology with community engagement to make a tangible difference in quality of life.”
Moreover, Legrand invests heavily in skill development, having trained thousands of electricians and disaster responders equipped to create safer, more resilient communities.
The COVID-19 pandemic saw the company stepping up with innovative CSR responses, from providing frontline support to delivering healthcare essentials, which garnered industry recognition.
This commitment underscores a comprehensive model where economic development, environmental care, and social upliftment are woven tightly together to form a sustainable and inclusive future.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The story of Abida Aneez and Legrand India portrays how true corporate sustainability extends beyond environmental metrics to embrace empathy, equity, and community resilience. It challenges the narrow view of business as merely profit-driven, instead presenting a model where ethical leadership champions coexistence and shared progress.
This inspires reflection on how India’s corporate sector can deepen its responsibility by embedding holistic sustainability into its strategic fabric. The Logical Indian urges businesses and citizens alike to consider: What steps can be taken to broaden corporate accountability so that it nurtures not just economic growth, but also peace, kindness, and social harmony?
