An early craving for public service gave way to a life spent building people’s possibilities. In an interview with The Logical Indian, Sanjeeva Kumar Jha charts a path from Bihar’s aspirational classrooms to the cutting edge of CSR and sustainability at JK Lakshmi Cement. His story is not just about climbing ladders; it’s about laying down ladders for others to climb, impacting over 3.5 lakh lives through innovative, high-impact initiatives.
Chasing Civil Services Amid Economic Shifts
Jha’s early years were shaped by a strong push to pursue government service. He describes the era of the early 1990s as a time of sweeping economic reforms, when the bureaucracy was shrinking and the private sector was still taking shape: “Early 90s also was a kind of economic transition. When the government of India, they were bringing all those economic reforms. So, it has some impact in terms of, you know, reducing the bureaucracy size, the recruitment by the government and all those things.” He recalls the pressure to aim for civil services, a common dream for many educated youths in Bihar at the time: “Most of the people and young graduates like us, we used to aspire to things, go to Delhi, Delhi University for doing some postgraduate graduate related course. And then start appearing for government jobs.”
After graduating from Patna University in Economics he moved to Delhi University to study law at Campus Law Centre and began preparing for civil services. The path, however, was long and arduous; and a sudden tragedy in family forced to channel his energies into a different kind of public service, one that could directly touch lives through civil society and development work.
From NGOs to Global Humanitarian Work
In 1999, with limited private-sector opportunities visible to him, Jha entered the NGO sector: “At that point of time, the NGO sector was a very strong sector, particularly the people who are coming from humanities background. The people were driven by lots of ideals and all that.” He started as a community-level worker and worked in places like Sonipat in Haryana, focusing on life skills education for adolescents. This early field work grounded his understanding that sustainable development hinges on people’s everyday realities. His trajectory moved from grassroots NGOs to multilateral humanitarian work.
Between 2000 and 2010, he transitioned into roles with UNICEF and other international organizations, focusing on child development and child rights, including challenging assignments in Naxalite-affected areas of Jharkhand: “Between 2006 to 2010, I was working in Jharkhand, in some of these Naxalite infested areas on child rights.” Those were the formative years and grassroots encounter with absolute deprivation, hopelessness and marginalization of the families and communities one after another had deep impact on his consciousness and professional evolution.
Pioneering CSR and Beyond
Around 2010, Jha witnessed a new wave: corporate foundations began playing a more prominent role in philanthropy, bringing substantial resources and strategic thinking to social programs: “The large corporates had also started many of the large corporates had already started doing some kind of a philanthropic activity.” He joined the CSR function at GMR-Varalakshmi Foundation, later expanding his work with GMR Energy on hydropower projects in Nepal. By 2017, Jha had joined JK Lakshmi Cement, stepping into a leadership role that fused CSR with sustainability: “Currently, I’m heading their CSR sustainability and a few other functions also.”
He became a pioneer within the organization, advocating for a professional, plant-level CSR team to ensure local relevance and accountability. This shift marked a fundamental change: CSR was not just charity; it was a strategic function aligned with business, community trust, and long-term impact, guided by the company’s vision to be an environmentally and socially conscious corporate citizen.
Linking Business Goals with Community Trust
In conversation with The Logical Indian, Jha explains how CSR bridges business imperatives and community development: “CSR is linked both from the community-driven approach and the business. Take an example of the Greenfield projects, CSR has emerged as a very effective tool for that.” He asserts that responsible practices and social investments can reduce stakeholder opposition, build relational capital, and enhance investor and consumer confidence. For JK Lakshmi Cement, this means multi-thematic programs that address both community needs and business realities: “High-impact CSR programs demonstrate the promoters’ and company’s true commitment, not just to manufacturing products and earning revenue, but to uplifting the communities we serve.”
Community trust is built through consistent, on-the-ground engagement, having CSR teams embedded at plants, working with local stakeholders like sarpanches and NGOs, and demonstrating tangible improvements in people’s lives. At JK Lakshmi Cement, guiding principles like “No Harm to People and Planet” and Responsible Business shape the sustainability and CSR strategy, viewing CSR as one part of overall sustainability while using business to create win-win impacts for all stakeholders. The company commits to the triple bottom line—Planet, Profit, and People—through compassion, responsiveness, and inclusivity, focusing on consuming less to manufacture more while maximizing net positive environmental and social impacts.
Transformational Programs
JK Lakshmi Cement’s social responsibility framework is anchored in a clear focus on community-led, sustainable development, with interventions spanning education, health, livelihoods, skilling, and rural development. Guided by the vision of being an environmentally and socially conscious corporate citizen, the company’s CSR efforts aim to strengthen community relationships and improve quality of life through long-term, inclusive solutions rather than short-term charity. Its approach combines structured processes, employee volunteering, digital integration, and partnerships with grassroots institutions to ensure measurable impact, particularly among underserved and vulnerable populations.
Within these thematic areas, JK Lakshmi Cement has rolled out a range of initiatives designed to address gaps across the life cycle of learning and livelihood. In education, Project Vidya anchors the company’s interventions, notably through the JK Lakshmi Vidya Scholarship Programme, launched in FY 2018–19 to support meritorious students from economically challenged backgrounds. Delivered through the digital NSDL Vidyasaarathi portal, the programme ensures transparency and ease of access, benefiting over 4,000 students across India. Complementing this is a Career Counselling and Guidance Programme for Classes X–XII, which combines psychometric assessments, self-exploration sessions, one-on-one counselling, and guidance on 21st-century skills, reaching more than 10,000 students, with a strong focus on government schools in rural areas. Strengthening foundational learning, initiatives like JK Lakshmi Pro+ for STEM provide structured after-school academic support in mathematics, science, and English for government school students, particularly girls, helping bridge learning gaps and improve educational outcomes.
Project Aarambh is JK Lakshmi Cement’s targeted intervention for school dropout and out-of-school children, designed to bring them back into the formal education system. The programme focuses on re-engaging children who have discontinued schooling by providing academic bridge support, foundational learning, and sustained mentoring to help them reintegrate into age-appropriate classes.
Beyond education, the company’s skilling and livelihood programmes focus on employability and income generation through vocational training, job readiness programmes, computer education, tailoring, beautician training, farm-based training, and coaching for competitive examinations, benefiting over 2,000 youths annually: “We have more than 2,000 youths we have trained, we have placed them with different corporates.” Jha emphasizes JK Lakshmi Cement’s core belief: “JK Lakshmi Cement truly believes that the transformational change or the inter-generational impact can only be created if you are able to provide a person with good education and some skills for their economic independence. Our key area has been employability and skill development.”
A standout example is the Employability Training Program, initiated three years ago after a needs assessment revealed 90% youth unemployment due to skill gaps, with 80% lacking local training options. Over 1,000 youths have been trained in industry-focused modules on soft skills, communication, and job-readiness, achieving 95% placement rates in reputed companies, including a 45-day module for 120 ITI students and graduates where 90% secured jobs. Stories like Neeta Kumari’s (name changed), a 23-year-old who overcame family debt and loss through the program to gain employment and uplift her household, highlight its transformative power, with nearly 60% female participation in remote tribal areas.
In health and nutrition, JK Lakshmi Cement works closely with anganwadis to enhance child-centric infrastructure and service delivery, while also organising regular blood donation camps across its plants and offices to support broader community health needs. The Naya Savera maternal and child health program, started in 2002 in partnership with the Population Foundation of India, has slashed infant mortality rates in remote tribal areas from over 100 per 1,000 to under 20: “That itself is a humongous achievement for us.” Environmental efforts repurpose abandoned mining pits for water harvesting, supporting local irrigation and domestic needs, alongside commitments to over 50% renewable energy, low-carbon products like JK Lakshmi Pro+ and Green+, and water-positive operations four times over. The company leads in LC3 cement with 50% clinker and has reached 11% thermal substitution rate (TSR) via waste co-processing, aiming for 20% by FY 2029-30, with all facilities as Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plants. Collectively, these initiatives have directly impacted over 3.5 lakh lives, reflecting the company’s emphasis on scale, sustainability, and community ownership in its CSR journey.
Building Lasting Partnerships
Jha stresses stakeholder mapping as essential for effective CSR, engaging diverse groups from influential sarpanches to disadvantaged communities: “You need to have a good understanding of the local stakeholders. You also need to do a stakeholder mapping.” Local NGOs provide technical expertise, such as in water conservation, while direct CSR teams ensure personalized interactions that foster trust. In conversation with The Logical Indian, he notes, “CSR, when you deploy your own CSR team in the local community, day-to-day basis in the community, the relationship building and interactions become very personalized on behalf of the company.”
This relational capital proves vital, especially as corporate entry shifts community dynamics toward higher expectations of mutual benefit: “Relational capital or social capital is a key requirement in order to deliver good CSR projects also.” To ensure lasting change, JK Lakshmi Cement uses a participatory approach with stakeholders, internal data monitoring, third-party impact assessments, and the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle for course corrections, as seen in Naya Savera’s 20-year success and employability programs’ improved retention.
Awards and Proven Impact: A Legacy of Excellence
Under Jha’s stewardship, JK Lakshmi Cement’s CSR has garnered prestigious accolades, including the 2025 FICCI CSR Award for outstanding impact in aspirational districts (Jaykaypuram Unit), the 2025 Bhamashah Shiksha Bhushan Award (Rajasthan), and the Best Exemplary Initiative in Skills & Livelihoods by UNICEF (Durg Unit). Earlier honors span National CSR Awards from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (2020), Golden Peacock CSR Awards (2019, 2022), and multiple Greentech and Indian CSR Awards for education, health, and livelihoods.
These recognitions affirm the company’s commitment to excellence through standardized processes and employee volunteering. Sustainability milestones include 50% green power in FY 2024-25 via innovations like Rajasthan’s first floating solar panels, cutting 85,000+ tonnes of CO₂ annually at plants like Durg (80% renewables), and commitments to RE100 net-zero and EP100 energy productivity by 2040.
Reflections from the Frontlines: Jha’s Insights
In dialogue with The Logical Indian, Jha reflects on the symbiotic nature of CSR: “The business imperative of CSR as well as the community development imperative of CSR are essentially interlinked very closely to each other. And if you do good CSR projects with good relationship building, it helps both business as well as the community in achieving both their KPIs and their goals.” Over the last decade, sustainability conversations in Indian corporations have evolved, driven by 2011 National Voluntary Guidelines (NVGs) on social, environmental, and economic responsibility, precursors to NGRBCs—SEBI’s Business Responsibility Reporting, climate pressures, and investor demands, expanding to diversity, ethical governance, and supply chains.
JK Lakshmi Cement balances cement sector growth with stewardship through resource efficiency and circularity. Jha advises young professionals in social impact: gain technical skills, empathy, business context awareness, multistakeholder collaboration, and stay updated on external changes while lobbying internally and externally.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At its heart, his philosophy reveals a lifelong commitment: “I always felt a deep urge to do something meaningful, to help people improve their lives.” Through decades of grassroots work, corporate innovation, and stakeholder trust-building, backed by a Board-level CSR & Sustainability Committee, ESG core team, and KPI-tracked roadmaps, Jha embodies purpose in action, proving that true leadership lifts communities while strengthening business for generations to come.
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