N V Balachander, is currently leading the Sustainability agenda for Ashok Leyland. He also leads Communication, Corporate Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility. He is a seasoned HR professional with over 30 years of Corporate experience in leadership roles. One of the most significant achievements is the shaping the ‘Road to School’ program, a CSR initiative of Ashok Leyland in primary education in Govt Schools, currently influencing thousands of children in under-resourced communities in TN. Mr. Balachander is currently an Executive Member in the SR CII TN Committee on CSR and a Past Chairman of the SR CII HR and IR Committee and Past Chairman of the SIAM HR Council and ASDC. As an alumnus of Loyola Institute, he is a proud recipient of the ‘Most Distinguished Alumni Award’ in the year 2018 at the Loyola Global Alumni Meet.

He answered the following questions during the interview:

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey in the CSR space?
2. Education is the best social leveller. Can you substantiate the statement with reference to the mission and vision of your programs?
3. We are aware of the impactful work being carried out by Ashok Leyland in the space of education. Share with us briefly about your Road to School (RTS) Program.
4. Are there any programs in place for children after they finish their education to equip them with needed skills for the marketplace?
5. COVID19 has adversely affected the education of children. What challenges did you face? And how did you overcome these challenges?
6. What is your approach to partnerships for strengthening and amplifying the work that you have been doing?
7. Lastly, what is the big shift in the domain of education that we need to look for and prepare our children around?