NEW DELHI (India CSR): In an era where corporate responsibility is more crucial than ever, Nestlé India Limited has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to sustainable development and community well-being. For the financial year ended March 31, 2025, the company has reported a significant investment of Rs 76.62 crores towards its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, surpassing its statutory obligations. This substantial expenditure reflects Nestlé India’s deeply ingrained philosophy of “unlocking the power of food to enhance the quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come,” as detailed in its latest Annual Report.
Table: Nestlé India’s CSR & Sustainability Highlights for FY 2025
| Category | Key Highlights |
|---|---|
| Total CSR Spend (FY25) | Rs 76.62 crores |
| Prescribed CSR Spend | Rs 76.28 crores (2% of Rs 3,813.44 crores average net profit) |
| Obligation after Set-off | Rs 67.46 crores (after Rs 8.82 crores set-off) |
| Actual CSR Expenditure | Rs 63.82 crores + Rs 3.39 crores (Admin) + Rs 0.59 crores (Impact Assessment) |
| Excess CSR Spent (FY25) | Rs 0.34 crores (not carried forward) |
| Key Beneficiaries | ~16 million individuals across India |
| Project Jagriti Reach | ~14.7 million women, adolescents, couples |
| Healthy Kids Programme | ~6.39 lakh adolescents, 71,000 parents in 25 states/UTs |
| Serve Safe Food Vendors Trained | ~92,800 street food vendors in 26 states/UTs |
| Project Vriddhi Villages | 19 villages, ~25,000 beneficiaries |
| Mid-Day Meals (PM Poshan) | 54.8 lakh meals distributed across 9 states/UTs |
| Sanitation Access (Girls) | ~3.74 lakh girl students benefited |
| GHG Emissions Reduction | 70% (Scope 1+2) per ton product vs. 2018 baseline |
| Energy/Water Reduction (per ton) | 13% energy, 31% water usage reduction since 2018 |
| Plastic Reduction | 900+ tonnes virgin plastic reduced; 59% packaging recyclable |
| Plastic Neutrality | Maintained since 2020; 24,600 MT plastic responsibly managed |
| Renewable Energy Use | 100% renewable electricity via PPAs and RECs |
| Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) | 8 of 9 factories ZLD compliant |
| Coal Usage | Eliminated from 8 factories |
| NESCAFÉ Plan Farmers | 5,000+ engaged; 93% sustainable sourcing |
| MAGGI Spice Plan Reach | ~2,500 farmers; 100% traceability of 10 spices |
| Dairy Development Program | 80,000+ farmers supported across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan |
| Other Agriculture Programs | 3,100+ farmers in paddy, wheat, and sugarcane projects |
| Local Sourcing | 89% of input materials sourced locally |
| New Products Launched (since 2015) | 150+ products; 7% contribution to sales |
| MAGGI Performance | Doubled business; India is largest MAGGI market globally |
| NESCAFÉ Reach | 4.3 crore households; market leader in RTD coffee |
| KITKAT Growth | Doubled market share; India is 2nd largest market globally |
| CERELAC/CEREGROW Innovation | Launched with no refined sugar |
| Greek Yogurt Launch | Nestlé a+ unsweetened, low-fat Greek yogurt introduced |
| Petcare Growth | Highest ever double-digit growth via PURINA brands |
| OOH Business Rank | 2nd largest in Asia-Oceania-Africa zone |
| Future Investment | Rs 900 crores investment in 10th factory (Odisha) |
A Purpose-Driven Approach to Social Impact
Nestlé India’s CSR framework is not merely a compliance exercise but a core tenet of its operations, guided by a purpose-led and motivated spirit. The company’s initiatives align seamlessly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and national priorities, focusing on three pivotal ambitions: fostering healthier and happier lives, nurturing thriving and resilient communities, and diligently stewarding the planet’s natural resources. This holistic approach is managed by a dedicated CSR Committee, which, as of March 31, 2025, includes prominent figures such as Ms. Suneeta Reddy as Chairperson, Mr. Suresh Narayanan, Ms. Anjali Bansal, and Ms. Svetlana Boldina. The committee convened four times during the financial year to oversee these vital programs.
For the financial year 2024-25, Nestlé India’s average net profit, as per Section 135(5) of the Companies Act, 2013, was Rs 3,813.44 crores. This set its prescribed CSR expenditure at Rs 76.28 crores (2% of average net profit). After accounting for an Rs 8.82 crores excess spent in the previous financial year and carried forward for set-off, the total CSR obligation for 2024-25 was Rs 67.46 crores. The actual expenditure incurred during the year, encompassing ongoing and other projects, amounted to Rs 63.82 crores, with an additional Rs 3.39 crores allocated to administrative overheads and Rs 0.59 crores for impact assessments. The total CSR spending accounted for during the year, including the set-off from the previous year, reached Rs 76.62 crores, resulting in an Rs 34 lakhs excess expenditure for the financial year, which the company chose not to carry forward. This demonstrates a robust commitment, exceeding its mandated spending.
Empowering Communities and Enhancing Livelihoods
Nestlé India’s human-centered approach is evident in its diverse range of community-focused programs, which collectively impacted approximately 16 million beneficiaries.
- Project Jagriti: This flagship initiative, contributing to the health of women, young couples, and adolescents, has positively touched around 14.7 million beneficiaries across seven states and one Union Territory since its inception. Through engaging behavior change communication methods like street plays, counseling, and roadshows, Project Jagriti ensures its messages resonate deeply within marginalized communities, even incorporating mental health well-being initiatives.
- Nestlé Healthy Kids Programme: This vital program champions healthy and active lifestyles, reaching approximately 6.39 lakh adolescents and 71,000 parents across 25 states and Union Territories. It empowers young minds with knowledge on nutrition, hydration, physical activity, and responsible plastic waste management, fostering healthy habits from an early age. The company also collaborated with the Magic Bus India Foundation to extend this impact through sports and games.
- Project Serve Safe Food: Recognizing the importance of food safety beyond its own products, Nestlé India trained around 92,800 street food vendors across 26 states and four Union Territories. These vendors received essential training in safe food handling practices, along with certificates and hygiene kits, contributing significantly to enhancing their livelihoods and public health.
- Project Vriddhi: This integrated rural development project has brought about positive changes in 19 villages, benefiting approximately 25,000 individuals. It focuses on improving public services, water conservation, and farm livelihoods, aiming for holistic and sustainable village development.
- Feeding Support Programme: A new initiative for 2024-25, this program delivered around 54.80 lakh cooked meals to students in government schools across nine states and Union Territories, in partnership with the Akshaya Patra Foundation. This supports the PM Poshan Scheme, enhancing student attention, attendance, and retention rates.
- Clean Water and Sanitation: Highlighting a critical need, Nestlé India’s efforts in providing access to clean toilets have benefited approximately 3.74 lakh girl students, promoting a more dignified learning experience and reducing absenteeism.
Environmental Stewardship and Sustainable Operations
Nestlé India’s commitment to the planet is robust, with significant advancements in reducing its environmental footprint and fostering sustainable practices across its value chain.
- Net Zero Ambition: The company is dedicated to achieving net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2050, with ambitious intermediate targets of a 20% reduction by 2025 and 50% by 2030, based on a 2018 baseline. For FY 2024-25, Nestlé India reported a 70% reduction in GHG emissions (Scope 1+2) per ton of product manufactured compared to the 2018 baseline.
- Energy and Water Conservation: Through continuous efforts, the company reduced energy usage by 13% and water usage by 31% per ton of production compared to 2018. Initiatives include achieving 100% renewable electricity through Power Purchase Agreements and Renewable Electricity Certificates, installing biomass boilers in its Moga, Nanjangud, and Sanand factories, and converting to cleaner fuels like natural gas. Notably, eight of its nine factories are now Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) facilities, recycling and reusing treated effluent within the factory premises. The company has also eliminated coal usage from eight factories.
- Waste Management and Circular Economy: Nestlé India is committed to a vision of “no packaging ending up in landfill”. In 2024, 59% of its packaging was designed for recycling, and it achieved a reduction of over 900 tonnes of virgin plastic. The company has been plastic neutral since 2020, responsibly managing approximately 24,600 metric tons of plastic packaging in the reporting period. Innovations like the “Thermofoam cup” for MAGGI Cuppa noodles reduced plastic content by 40% per cup, and the company promotes proper waste segregation through campaigns. Food waste and organic process waste are effectively utilized as animal feed, while sludge from wastewater treatment is converted into manure.
Driving Sustainability Through Responsible Sourcing
Nestlé India understands that true sustainability begins at the source. The company fosters strong partnerships with farmers and suppliers, ensuring ethical, environmental, and social responsibility across its supply chain.
- NESCAFÉ Plan: This initiative engages over 5,000 coffee farmers and has been instrumental in strengthening its leadership in the coffee category. Since 2011, Nestlé has directly collaborated with around 1,800 coffee farmers in India, helping them improve livelihoods, farm productivity, and environmental management. Over 93% of Nestlé’s coffee is sustainably sourced through this program.
- MAGGI Spice Plan: Aiming to map the origins of spices and uphold quality standards, this program has positively impacted approximately 2,500 farmers across eight states, ensuring 100% traceability for 10 key spices.
- Dairy Development: Through its Responsible Sourcing Programme, Nestlé India works with over 80,000 dairy farmers across Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, providing technical assistance, veterinary services, and training on animal health and feed management. This focus on efficiency, cow comfort, and animal welfare has significantly improved farmer livelihoods and resilience.
- Broader Agricultural Initiatives: The company extends its sustainable sourcing efforts to other key commodities, including the Sustainable Paddy Project (engaging over 800 farmers in Telangana and Madhya Pradesh), the Sustainable Wheat Project (assisting approximately 900 small farm holders in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh), and regenerative agriculture practices with over 1,400 sugar farmers across three mills. A remarkable 89% of Nestlé India’s input materials are sourced locally.
Innovations in Product Portfolio and Consumer Focus
Beyond its environmental and community initiatives, Nestlé India continues to innovate and enhance its product portfolio, catering to evolving consumer preferences and nutritional needs. The company recalibrated its portfolio since 2015, launching over 150 new products that now contribute 7% of its sales. Key achievements include:
- MAGGI: Doubled its business in India, making it the largest market worldwide for MAGGI. The company introduced new variants like Spicy Cheesy noodles and MAGGI Besan Noodles, and achieved a 40% reduction in plastic in its Cuppa noodles range.
- NESCAFÉ: Strengthened its leadership, bringing over 4.3 crore households into the coffee category and achieving its highest household penetration. The launch of NESCAFÉ Ready-to-Drink cold coffee gained market leader position among young consumers.
- Confectionery: Tripled its business in the last decade, with KITKAT doubling its market share to become the second largest market for KITKAT globally.
- Nutrition: Introduced new CERELAC and CEREGROW ranges with no refined sugar, reinforcing its commitment to nutritious choices. The company also launched an unsweetened low-fat Greek yogurt under Nestlé a+.
- Petcare: This business reported its highest-ever double-digit growth, driven by the success of PURINA FELIX, FRISKIES, and PRO PLAN brands.
- Out-of-Home (OOH): Emerged as one of Nestlé’s fastest-growing businesses, becoming the second largest OOH business in the Asia, Oceania, and Africa zone. This growth is fueled by innovations like NESCAFÉ Compatto and Duo Gusto machines, and collaborations with major brands like Chai Point, SOCIAL, and Pizza Hut.
You Learn: A Sustained Journey of Impact
Nestlé India’s comprehensive CSR report for 2025 paints a picture of a company deeply invested in the well-being of its people and the planet. From robust financial outlays and innovative product development to far-reaching community programs and stringent environmental stewardship, the company demonstrates a holistic approach to corporate citizenship. With continued investments in new capabilities and capacities, including the upcoming Rs 900 crores factory in Odisha (its tenth factory in India), Nestlé India is poised for further growth, driven by its enduring purpose and a commitment to creating shared value for all stakeholders. This proactive stance, particularly in an unpredictable global landscape, underscores Nestlé India’s resilience and its dedication to building a sustainable future.
(India CSR)
