Mahindra and Mahindra

No leading practices were identified for the company in the governance and strategy measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the environment measurement area.

No leading practices were found for the company in the nutrition measurement area.

No leading practices were found for the company in the social inclusion measurement area.

Sustainable development strategy
Mahindra and Mahindra’s sustainability strategy includes three pillars with sustainability priority topics under each. These cover topics addressed in the benchmark’s environment and social inclusion dimensions. The company discloses its process for identifying and prioritising these topics, which includes a materiality assessment. While the company has set some sustainability targets, these do not appear to cover all objectives listed in its sustainability framework. In addition, the company has an opportunity to include topics related to nutrition in its strategy.

Stakeholder engagement
Mahindra and Mahindra does not disclose stakeholder engagement activities, including how it selects the stakeholders, nor an overview of the topics discussed or their outcomes.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
Mahindra and Mahindra discloses having teams and people responsible for executing its sustainability strategy as well as that the board is ultimately responsible for the strategy and its implementation. However, the company does not demonstrate that remuneration for board members or executives is tied to sustainability performance.

Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions
Mahindra and Mahindra has set a 2033 target to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions 30% per sold product unit against a 2018 baseline. While the company reports progress against the target annually, this does not yet demonstrate a reduction in scope 3 emissions. Mahindra and Mahindra has an opportunity to align its target with a 1.5- degree scenario.

Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions
Mahindra and Mahindra has set a 2033 target to reduce scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 47% per product unit against a 2018 baseline. The company reports progress against the target annually and demonstrates year-on-year reductions. As the target is currently in line with a well-below 2-degree scenario, Mahindra and Mahindra has an opportunity to disclose a target in line with a 1.5-degree scenario.

Plastic use and packaging waste
While Mahindra and Mahindra has set a target to reduce and recycle non-hazardous waste, it is unclear whether this includes a reduction in plastic use and the intention to transition towards sustainable packaging.

Soil health and agrobiodiversity
Mahindra and Mahindra does not disclose that it offers or is developing agricultural machinery solutions that can improve soil health.

Water use
Mahindra and Mahindra has a 360-degree water management programme. This includes a 2022 target to achieve 50% water recycling and demonstrate quantitative reductions in water withdrawals across its operations. However, no reporting on progress against this target was found.

Food loss and waste
Mahindra and Mahindra does not disclose that it is contributing to reduced food loss in agriculture. The company therefore has an opportunity to disclose a commitment by demonstrating it is undertaking activities, such as product development, that tackle food loss and reporting on their impact.

Availability, accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
Mahindra and Mahindra commits to supporting the production of healthy foods by providing customised farming solutions. The company discloses evidence of several projects to improve food security, such as its Samriddhi project that aims to help 2 million Indian farmers become more productive through offering centres for soil testing and agri counselling. While the company demonstrates that it enables improved yields and productivity with its products, it does not demonstrate how it contributes to an increased availability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Workforce nutrition
Through offering organic and healthy products in a canteen at one of its facilities, Mahindra and Mahindra demonstrates it positively contributes to the nutrition of a portion of its workforce. The company has an opportunity to expand this programme to include all its locations as well as to offer other services aimed at improving the nutrition of its workforce, such as nutrition-focused health-checks and support for breastfeeding mothers.

Child labour
Mahindra and Mahindra commits to prohibiting child labour in its operations and requires its suppliers to adhere to the same standard. However, the company has an opportunity to disclose a coordinated and coherent monitoring system for its operations and supply chain.

Forced labour
While Mahindra and Mahindra commits to prohibiting forced labour in its own operations and supply chain, it has an opportunity to disclose a requirement that prohibits its suppliers from retaining workers’ personal documents and restricting workers’ freedom of movement.

Living wage
Mahindra and Mahindra does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its suppliers to do the same. Neither has it set targets to do so in the future.

Farmer and fisher productivity and resilience
Mahindra and Mahindra commits to supporting the economic resilience of farmers and provides examples of support projects, such as the Krishi Mitr rural development programme that helps to improve agricultural productivity and income generation for farming communities. While the company reports on the impact of some of these activities, it has an opportunity to demonstrate that it measuring the impact of all its support activities as part of a holistic, strategic approach.

Health and safety of vulnerable groups
Mahindra and Mahindra recognises that women, migrant and disabled workers often face higher occupational health risks in its supply chain. The company discloses that it provides additional training and undertakes support activities for these groups. Among them is the Prerna Initiative that teaches women how to use farm tools and equipment in a safe and ergonomic way. The company has an opportunity to demonstrate it is assessing occupational health risks to vulnerable groups in its supply chain and disclose relevant data such as work-related injuries by demographic criteria of vulnerable groups.

Mahindra and Mahindra provides grievance mechanisms for workers and third parties and commits to respecting the human rights of its workers. While the company addresses the ILO core labour rights in its Sustainability Report, no policy commitment to respect these rights in its operations and supply chain was found. Moreover, Mahindra and Mahindra does not provide sufficient evidence of a human rights due diligence process nor disclose how it engages with affected and potentially affected stakeholders.

Mahindra and Mahindra commits to respecting the health and safety of its workers and places health and safety expectations on its business relationships but can strengthen its monitoring and quantitative reporting. The company reports on collective bargaining agreements in its operations, but does not demonstrate how it supports collective bargaining in its supply chain. Moreover, Mahindra and Mahindra provides some quantitative reporting on workforce diversity and gender equality but lacks disclosure on, for example, employees by age group and ethnicity. No commitments on living wage and working hours were found.

Mahindra and Mahindra prohibits bribery and corruption in its own operations, includes clauses in its contracts with suppliers, and provides a whistleblowing mechanism. However, the company does not disclose how it identifies bribery and corruption risks and impacts. While the company addresses personal data protection on its website, a commitment to protect personal data is lacking and the company does not provide information about the types of information it collects. No policies setting out Mahindra and Mahindra’s global tax strategy or approach to lobbying and political engagement were found.