· Camps were held across 460+ locations in 14 states and treated over 1 lakh cattle in a single day
· The company received a World Records Union Provisional Certificate for the 6th edition of Pashu Vikas Day
· Over 4,000 employees of SMFG India volunteered for the annual PVD event across the country
· A total of 315 health camps were organized from 4-10th Feb, benefitting over 30,000 people
National, February 2024: One of India’s leading NBFCs, SMFG India Credit Co. Ltd. (Formerly Fullerton India Credit Co. Ltd.), conducted their 6th Pashu Vikas Day (PVD), the largest one-day cattle care camp across the country. These camps were simultaneously held across 460+ locations across 14 states and provided essential healthcare services to over 1 lakh cattle.
In India, more than 8 crore households are directly associated with the dairy sector and women represent 70% of the workforce. To commemorate the efforts of these women, the 6th Pashu Vikas Day celebrated ‘Women in Dairy Farming’. This initiative reflects the ‘Social’ aspect within the ESG framework, emphasizing the significance of gender diversity and inclusion in driving social upliftment.
Apart from cattle care, SMFG India Credit also organised over 300 health care camps for community across the country from Feb 4th – Feb 10th 2024 benefitting over 30,000 people. 6th Pashu Vikas Day in its entirety touched and impacted over 1,25,000 lives.
The company’s diverse workforce is a strategic enabler as they cater to a Pan India customer base across 600 towns and 65,000+ villages. Their focus is on ensuring an overall inclusive ecosystem by funding dreams through credit and upskilling rural India for finer livelihoods in the local communities they operate in.
Pashu Vikas Day also witnessed active participation of over 4000 employees across the country, who volunteered and came together on a single day to drive this initiative.
Speaking about the company’s social initiatives, Mr. Shantanu Mitra, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, SMFG India Credit, said, “More than 90% of our rural customer base is women. A lot of our customers take loans for cattle procurement, which is a large source of income for them. Our community development programs act as catalyst for change and focus on uplifting rural livelihoods, enhancing overall quality of life and boosting income streams. Beyond livestock welfare, we also actively promote skill development and financial literacy, contributing to the holistic well-being of the communities we serve. At SMFG India Credit, we are dedicated to establishing a strong connect with our customers by fostering inclusive growth in the underserved communities through innovative and sustainable socio-economic initiatives.
Commenting on Pashu Vikas Day, Mr Swaminathan Subramanian, Chief Operating Officer, SMFG India Credit, stated, “At SMFG India Credit, we remain steadfast in our commitment to rural development and our mission to champion robust social initiatives. As a leading credit provider, we aspire to harness the ‘Social’ aspect of ESG through our community outreach activities, inclusive programs and a diverse workforce working in unison. With this in mind, Pashu Vikas Day is specifically designed to address the unique healthcare needs of cattle and their owners in rural areas. The event powers aspirations of cattle-owners and focuses on enhancing livestock productivity, subsequently elevating household incomes. Our focus will be to sustainably extend support to the underserved, facilitating empowerment and upliftment of not only our customers, but also the community at large.”
Pashu Vikas Day exemplifies the company’s unwavering dedication to creating a positive change and fostering sustainable practices in the dairy farming sector. This year, the company has set a new record with the World Records Union for the largest single-day cattle care camps held across the country. In the past few editions, PVD was featured in the 2015 Limca Book of Records for the Largest Single Day Cattle Care Camp organised across India, in 2018 as the World’s Largest Single Day Cattle Care Camp by Best of India Records, and in 2019 as the Largest Cattle Care Camp by World Books of Records.
