Divya Pariyani is a key leader in Marketing and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd, one of India’s leading sustainable real estate firms. She spearheads initiatives that align Mahindra Lifespaces’ brand and community-building efforts with impactful CSR programmes across education, skill development, healthcare, and environmental sustainability.
The company invests 2% of its average net profits annually under India’s Companies Act into these programmes, which include large-scale tree plantations, rural electrification, water conservation, and health infrastructure upgrades.
Mahindra Lifespaces has also committed to net zero carbon buildings by 2030 and overall carbon neutrality by 2040, reflecting its wider sustainable development agenda. Recent collaborations with partners like Tata Projects Ltd strengthen the company’s focus on eco-friendly urban ecosystems.
Company leaders highlight that CSR is integral to business growth and stakeholder value, aiming to create resilient, thriving communities around their developments.
Mahindra Lifespaces’ CSR Strategy and Tangible Impact
Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd demonstrates a comprehensive CSR strategy targeting critical community needs in the areas where they operate.
The company’s CSR policy dedicates 2% of its preceding three years’ average net profits to these efforts, focusing on education, skill development, health services, and environment and sustainability.
Under Divya Pariyani’s marketing leadership, CSR messages are integrally woven into the brand narrative, emphasizing both social and economic value creation.
In the education sector, Mahindra Lifespaces ensures access to affordable and quality education for children in neighbouring communities, coupled with skill development programmes targeting youth and women to improve employability.
For instance, industrial sewing machine training conducted in villages near Mahindra World City Chennai has trained 85 women, with 30% securing jobs in garment industries and 70% becoming self-employed entrepreneurs.
Healthcare initiatives include the construction of bio-toilets in government schools across villages near Mahindra World City Jaipur as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The company also contributes medical equipment such as vaccine carriers and deep freezers to primary health centres supporting COVID-19 vaccination drives.
Environmental projects constitute a major pillar of Mahindra Lifespaces’ CSR work. The “Mahindra Hariyali” tree plantation drive planted approximately 5,000 trees around Mahindra World City Jaipur between 2020 and 2021, contributing substantially to local afforestation and biodiversity enhancement.
The firm has installed LED tube lights in over 7,000 rural homes, panchayats, temples, and schools under sustainability-focused initiatives like the C40 Cities program.
Water conservation structures developed near project sites have conserved around 44 crore litres of water per year, directly benefitting agricultural practices and groundwater recharge in these rural zones.
The cumulative effect of these have significant socio-environmental outcomes: improving quality of life, boosting agricultural productivity, reducing carbon footprints, enhancing public health, and progressing towards sustainable urbanisation that includes its rural environs.
Sustainability and Innovation at the Core
Mahindra Lifespaces’ approach goes beyond traditional CSR by embedding sustainability deeply within its business operational model. It is the first real estate company in India to commit to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), setting ambitious climate goals aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
The company pledges to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 63% by 2033 (baseline 2018), and Scope 3 emissions by 20% by the same year.
Significantly, Mahindra Lifespaces has maintained a 100% green-certified project portfolio since 2014. Landmark projects include “Eden” in Bengaluru, India’s first net zero energy residential development, showcasing cutting-edge renewable energy integration and climate-adaptive architecture.
The corporation aspires to construct only net zero buildings starting in 2030, with an overarching goal to achieve carbon neutrality across all operations by 2040.
It has also established the Mahindra-TERI Centre of Excellence (MTCoE) for developing energy-efficient building materials and techniques tailored specifically for Indian climates.
Over 100 materials have been tested so far, aiding designers and developers to choose sustainable building envelopes compliant with Energy Conservation Building Codes.
Further, Mahindra Lifespaces supports transparency and accountability by endorsing the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), becoming the first company in India’s real estate sector to do so. These measures enable better disclosure of climate risks and opportunities to investors, regulators, and stakeholders.
Background, Partnerships, and Company Outlook
The roots of Mahindra Lifespace’s CSR and sustainability efforts stem from the wider philosophy of the Mahindra Group, which aims to drive positive change across society by challenging conventional thinking and innovatively using resources.
The organisation recognises that its social licence to operate depends on ongoing, sincere engagement with and benefits to its local communities.
The company’s long-term strategy emphasises co-creating urban ecosystems where communities, businesses, and nature thrive symbiotically. This includes developing affordable housing, creating skill-building pathways, fostering health and sanitation improvements, and implementing environmental conservation projects.
Recent developments include a strategic collaboration with Tata Projects Ltd to enhance construction methodologies that are more resource-efficient and environmentally sensitive. This partnership reflects a growing industry trend towards integrated urban development that prioritises sustainability, affordability, and resident wellbeing.
Moreover, corporate volunteering and grant programmes extend employee engagement into community service, supporting local schools, health camps, and environmental awareness campaigns.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The integration of CSR into core business operations at Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd, exemplified through Divya Pariyani’s roles, illustrates a paradigm where profit and social responsibility intersect productively. It highlights the capability of large corporations to contribute meaningfully to community development while advancing their commercial objectives.
This model encourages industries to embed empathy, environmental stewardship, and social upliftment into their frameworks, contributing to societal harmony and sustainable progress. In an era of urgent climate and social challenges, such initiatives are not just corporate obligations but strategic imperatives.
To foster wider adoption of responsible business practices, reflective questions arise: How can industries systematically align economic ambitions with the needs of vulnerable communities and the planet? What role can leaders like Divya Pariyani play in inspiring sector-wide change? How might consumers and stakeholders best encourage transparency and accountability in corporate social responsibility?
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