Economies around the world are aligning themselves to the requirements of rapid globalisation. In a global village, where market accessibility is no longer a hurdle, the tough part is capturing market shares and retaining them. Only those, who have adopted global quality standards leveraging their intellectual capital have managed this feat. Guided by this fact, CII has embarked on smarter initiatives that enhance competitiveness of Indian industry by underlining the need for rapid up gradation on parameters like quality, corporate governance, knowledge management, energy efficiency and environment management. All this, not only to increase productivity and profitability but also to enhance the quality of life of the community. Different divisions and councils of CII develop and undertake new services for the business community and beyond.
Specialised Services Division aims to provide solutions to organisations not just for their competitiveness needs, but also to help them become more self reliant by helping them develop flexible strategies that cater to changing needs. Corporate Services Group assists companies maximise corporate and shareholder value through a range of activities covering : Consulting, Research Projects, Knowledge Based Events and Research Papers.
Energy Management Division provides its expertise to domestic as well as overseas organisations. The range of services offered includes : comprehensive energy audits, in-house and centre-wise intensive training programmes, specific energy consumption norms, 'Energy Conservation (Encon)' missions and international conferences / exhibitions on trends in energy efficiency.
Environment Management Division facilitates the utilisation of national and international expertise through seminars, workshops and training programmes. It undertakes a wide range of programmes & awareness activities covering legal and technical aspects including design and implementation of Environment Management systems as per ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and SA 8000. Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization Initiatives, Green Supply Chain Management, Environmental Performance Evaluation, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Sustainable Development and Environmental Planning, Hazardous Waste Management, Site Feasibility Assessment etc. are some of the other services offered. The EMD transitioned into the CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development in 2006, and since then has been working with a mission to catalyse innovative ideas and solutions, in India, to enable business, and its stakeholders, in sustainable value creation. Green Services Division operates through the Green Business Centre (CII-GBC), offering niche Green Services to Indian industry. The objective of the CII-GBC is to promote Green Concepts leading to sustainable development, efficiency and equitable growth. Services offered : Green Process Certification, Green Building Certification (advisory services on construction of green buildings and award of Green Building certificate), Technology Centres, Training Programmes on Green related topics and business incubation facilitating entrepreneurs in developing and marketing new and innovative Green products for commercialisation.
Technology Services Division offers the following services to members : Technology Audit, Technology Export, technology transfer and problem solving skills from R&D and academic institutions (through CII TDB Technology Transfer Centres). Total Cost Management is offered as a company-wide systematic and structured approach, which involves providing a holistic framework to control, reduce and eliminate costs, across the value chain. Managing the financial outcome of activities prevails over all operations, both internally and externally; and is one of the most powerful tools that corporations can use in their quest for competitive advantage.
CII Institute of Quality in Bangalore, provides a comprehensive range of services to members for Business Excellence, Total Productive Maintenance, Lean & Six Sigma, Quality Management System Standards, Low Cost Automation and many other Quality Tools through : multi-client training and awareness programmes, in-company training, individual company counseling and advisory services, seminars and focused missions within India and overseas to study and share best practices.
'Quality of life' is not the privilege of a few, but the birthright of every human being. And the responsibility of taking it to the underprivileged lies with the privileged, more so with profit making organisations. Towards this end, CII's Social Development and Community Affairs Council (SDCA) has pledged the allegiance of all members, taking the 'More for India' slogan to their boardroom agenda. SDCA's various initiatives cover issues like education, child rehabilitation, women empowerment, rural development, human rights, population, healthcare and the control of HIV/AIDS.
Trade Fairs organised by CII act as windows to the world, showcasing all that is current and more that could be expected. They serve as effective platforms for technology transfer and business development. The Made in India Show has traveled to several countries and is the largest overseas exposition of Indian goods and services. International Engineering & Technology Fair (IETF) and Auto Expo are two reputed biennial fairs held in Delhi, now into their 23rd and 15th editions respectively. Other trade fairs cover diverse sectors, ranging from biotechnology, information technology and railways to water.
International Conferences organised by CII work towards keeping its members abreast of contemporary global standards and emerging trends. With a firm belief in the credo 'Confer to Prosper', CII has been instrumental in bringing together decision makers, thought leaders, influencers and policy makers on common platforms to pool in their intellectual resources for the good of all. The Partnership Summit has established itself as India's most important business event. Other conferences cover a variety of themes like leadership, marketing, entertainment, fashion, retail and the environment, to name a few.
In the last few years, CII has also stepped up its engagement on a wide range of issues that it identifies as being of national concern and priority. 4 Missions and 2 Campaigns have been launched: on Manufacturing Innovation, Knowledge and Skills Development, Sustainable Growth and Inclusive Growth. The Campaigns are on Brand India and Integrity India.
The Mission on Manufacturing Innovation was begun to inculcate Innovation as a way of life in Indian business. Global competitiveness is being promoted through global partnerships for learning sessions with leading international practitioners in innovation.
The Mission on Knowledge and Skills looks to "Promote a Sustainable Framework that would assist Industry across sectors in developing Knowledge and Skills abilities in its Workforce to International standards."
The Mission on Sustainable Growth proposes to promote and champion sustainable growth in Indian Industry, without compromising on high and accelerated Growth."
The Mission on Inclusive Growth facilitates Inclusive Growth for Sustainable and Equitable Growth. The Bihar Project focuses on the Samastipur district, one of the 100 most backward districts. Yet another unique project is the Art-North-East Project, an initiative by CII and NEDFi to provide market linkages for handlooms and handicraft products from North East. The project has had direct and indirect benefits for 7100 families. The Rural Business Hubs project is taking off with the institution of many partnerships. 4 RBH Pilots projects initiated range from fruits in Nainital, Jathropa Cultivation for Bio diesel in Haryana to carpet weaving and 'Blue Pottery' from Rajashthan.
Through the Brand India Campaign, CII strives to Build Brand salience for India by positioning it as a "Globally Competitive and sound Investment destination and as a Reliable Partner to do business with."
The Integrity India Campaign takes on the challenge of "working to improve probity in public life by putting the issue of Integrity on the front burner.
Under the leadership of Dr Jamshed J Irani, the Affirmative Action Task Force has brought out a detailed report on the Concrete Steps that industry would take voluntarily to intervene and bring into the mainstream the marginalized sections of our society, viz the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. This is the first time that Indian Industry has come together to undertake an initiative, which has far reaching implications and effects on Industry and on society at large.