Sustainable Development Goals of Mhril Report 2022

Running head: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF MHRIL
Sustainable Development Goals of MHRIL
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Executive summary:
Sustainable development goals are a set of 17 goals, laid out by the United Nations General
Assembly in 2015. These global goals aim to address major global issues and call for
institutional, as well as organizational partnership. Through this collaboration, the
international body strives for attaining viable solutions for those problems by setting a
deadline of 2030. As a part of the program, many organizations including non-profit, for
profit and government agencies across the globe have come forward with the vision of
creating a better world for the future generations. However, these goals are interpreted by the
organizations as method to enhance organization success and sustainability as well. They
incorporate the SDGs in their strategies and policies to increase their profit, as well as to
ensure stakeholder engagement. Mahindra and Mahindra Group of companies is an
internationally acclaimed organization for their CSR and Sustainability practices. As a part of
the said group, MHRIL also invests much of their resource and planning to ensure the
implementation of the SDGs in their corporate policy. The following paper is an analysis of
the sustainable development goals of Mahindra Hotels and Resorts India Ltd. It discusses the
basic notion of SDGs followed by the company-specific SDGs. It identifies and explains the
triple bottom line approach of the organization and points out the major focus areas of
MHRIL's SDGs. Further, it discusses the implementation process of those goals in the
reporting and planning of the organization. The report concludes with an analysis of
challenges in implementation and recommendations to overcome those challenges.

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Table of Contents
Company Overview...................................................................................................................5
Challenges to implementing SDG in the organizational function.............................................6
Sustainable Development Goals of MHRIL..............................................................................6
Policy Statement.....................................................................................................................6
Current sustainable foci: Triple bottom line approach...........................................................6
Economic sustainability.....................................................................................................7
Social sustainability...........................................................................................................7
Environmental sustainability..............................................................................................7
Utilizing SDGs in Planning and Reporting............................................................................8
Analysis of the SDGs of the organization..................................................................................9
Driving forces of implementing the SDGs.............................................................................9
Most Relevant SDGs to MHRIL..........................................................................................10
Planet: Affordable and Clean Energy..............................................................................10
People: Reducing Inequality............................................................................................10
Profit: Sustainable Cities and Communities....................................................................11
References................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction
The sustainable development goals are a set of 17 goals undertaken by the United
Nations General Assembly in 2015, further categorized into 169 targets to achieve
sustainable development in terms of social, economic and environmental improvement. The
vision for this program is to achieve the goals by the year 2030 (UN DESA, 2015). This is the
United Nation's Post-2015 Development Agenda to lead the future global development
program into fruition. The Sustainable Development Goals were developed to aid the
Millennium Development Goals which ended in 2016. The major drawback of the said
MDGs was the lack of a global partnership in materializing the agenda. Hence, the United
Nation convened a general assembly consisting of all the 193 member countries to improve
the "donor-recipient" relationship. (UN.org, 2018)
The UN General Assembly undertaking aims at all business organizations and
institutions to comply with the program through their CSR outreach and organizational
policies. ON 25th December 2015, all the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly ratified
and adopted the 2030 Development Agenda. Consequentially, all the corporate, as well as
public organizations, incorporated the agenda in their company policies and procedures.
(Waage et al., 2015)
The following article is a report on a travel and Leisure Company and a critical
account of their sustainable development goals and executions. The company of choice is
Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Limited. The paper will try to identify their sustainable
development goals and discuss the importance of SDGs in the organizational proceedings.
Further, it will analyze the challenges that they face in realizing those goals followed by the
evaluation of the planning and reporting of the same. The article will also try to provide

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recommendations to implement the SDG strategies for further development and contribute to
identifying future potential targets and evaluative indicators of the said SDG strategies.
Company Overview
Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Ltd. (MHRIL) is an organization serving in the
Leisure and Hospitality sector. It is a part of Mahindra Group, a USD 20.7 billion
multinational organization. It is comprised of approximately 200000 employees operating in
over 100 countries across the world. It is also one of the top ten industrial houses. Mahindra
Group specializes in the manufacturing industry with interest in aerospace, aftermarket,
agricultural business, automobile and correlated parts, defense, energy, farm equipment,
industrial equipment, finance and insurance, consultancy services, industrial technology and
leisure and hospitality. (Mohanty & Augustin, 2014)
Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Ltd. Was founded in 1996 as an extension of
Mahindra Group serving the leisure and hospitality sector. Owning a range of hotels and
resorts MHRIL provides holidays on a timeshare basis. The key business element of the
organization is vacation ownership membership for over an estimated period of 25 or 10
years. The flagship brand of MHRIL is Club Mahindra.
Club Mahindra is the largest vacation ownership brand outside the United States of
America. It operates through 50 resorts in India and overseas destinations. Also, it is
affiliated with over 4500 resorts all over the globe. It offers a range of products such as Club
Mahindra Holidays, Club Mahindra Fundays, Club Mahindra Bliss etc. The membership in
Club Mahindra allows a week-long vacation in then ownership or partner resorts every year
depending upon eligibility and availability. The membership is generally applicable for 25 or
10 years as per the nature of the membership. (Club Mahindra, 2018)

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Challenges to implementing SDG in the organizational function
As a part of Mahindra, MHRIL has successfully implemented the estimated approach
of sustainability in its operation. Now, the organization is aiming for achieving the 2050 SDG
that includes the installation of solar power plants for power generation and solar-powered
systems for hot water generation. However, the organization has to overcome challenges such
as cost-effectiveness and infrastructural deficiencies. Lack of efficiency and cooperation in
the government's part is also a concerning issue that the organization has to cope with.
Sustainable Development Goals of MHRIL
Policy Statement
MHRIL has adopted SDGs in their organizational policy and implement it in their
organizational proceedings. The policy statement elucidates the company's ideal
underpinning as well as business strategy regarding sustainable development programs. The
policy statement describes their approach towards sustainability as "Meeting the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". The
organization aims to merge its corporate social responsibility with sustainable development.
(Club Mahindra, 2017)
Current sustainable foci: Triple bottom line approach
MHRIL maintains its vision of sustainability by the effort of treating its employees
and the extended community with fairness. Also, protecting and nurturing the natural
environment has been placed with the utmost importance on the agenda of the program. The
organization aims to deliver these values in their activity by the means of their "triple bottom
line" benefits, which is interpreted as focus on People, Planet and Profit. To elucidate, the
organization bases its strategy on the social impact, environmental impacts and economic

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impacts of their activity. The implementation of these values also represent the SDG
indicators of the organization.
Economic sustainability
The organization aims to generate prosperity among the different strata of society.
Besides, it strives to address the cost-effectiveness of all kinds of economic activity by
implementing innovations and development of technology to conserve natural resources and
consequentially reducing cost, generating revenue and maintaining the improvement for the
long term. (Club Mahindra, 2017)
Social sustainability
The organization makes it imperative to respect individual rights and provide equal
opportunity to all the associated individuals as well as the extended community. Besides, for
upholding social sustainability, it aims to maintain an equitable distribution of resources and
eliminating poverty, avoiding all forms of discrimination by facilitating equality and
diversity, refraining from any form of exploitation and improving the quality of livelihood in
general. (Club Mahindra, 2017)
Environmental sustainability
The central vision of the organization aligns with the notion of conservation of the
natural environment. Hence, it employs the method of Reuse, Reduce and Recycle. To
elucidate, the organizational functions have adopted the use of renewable and clean energy,
reduce the dependency on traditional natural resources and recycling. More specifically, by
2030, the organization emphasizes the reduction of intangible resources as a fundamental step
to achieve the desired environmental impact of their activities. (Club Mahindra, 2017)

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Utilizing SDGs in Planning and Reporting
According to the SDG Compass report, making the Sustainable Development Goals
and Targets public is an effective communication tool for business organizations (SDG
Compass, n.d.). This may reflect in inspiring and engaging employees and stakeholders on a
long term basis. Also, it provides an excellent basis for constructing a dialogue with external
stakeholders. The goals and targets can be communicated through the annual or quarterly
reports of the organization or as integrated into their planning. This also reflects the
transparency and corporate responsibility of the company.
Mahindra Holidays actively participates in the Mahindra Group's initiative for
Corporate Sustainability Reporting. The ‘Sustainability Report' of the Group is prepared by
the internationally accepted framework specified by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
Also, Mahindra is the first company in India to publish an integrated report and carbon
pricing. ((Mahindra and Mahindra Group, 2018)
Besides, sustainability is a core component of the organizational planning of MHRIL.
It follows the directives and guidelines of its parental organization regarding their reports and
planning. Mahindra Group has undertaken three bottom-line approach to develop
sustainability and consequent competitive advantage at the core of their planning and
strategy. They have adopted several steps, referred to as "The Four Commitments" in the
initiation of their planning and strategizing. They are as the following:
1. Creating 100% awareness of the social, environmental and economic impact among
all the employees.
2. Enhancing the monitoring and assessment of the current position of the company in
terms of sustainability.

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3. Crafting a roadmap for an estimated 3 to 5 years to implement sustainability in the
executions and performances.
4. Setting a target of non-renewable energy sources. (Mahindra and Mahindra Group,
2018)
Analysis of the SDGs of the organization
Driving forces of implementing the SDGs
Mahindra Group is a well-known organization for their Corporate Social
Responsibility programs. Apart from their manufacturing and service industry, Mahindra
Group has invested a lot of effort in the fields of education, social welfare, and conservation
of the environment. The company has a strong and active department of CSR as well as SDG
management. The vision of the management in this regard is to retain their triple bottom line
approach to ensure sustained competitive advantage. The company recognizes that SDG
management has a vast potential for future economic benefit and business sustainability by
ensuring the welfare of the stakeholders.
Club Mahindra, as a flagship brand of Mahindra Hotels and Resorts India Ltd. also
incorporates this vision of the sustainable organization and stakeholders' welfare. The
Chairman of MHRIL. Mr. Arun Nanda also opines that the hospitality industry of India has
recognized the potential benefits of sustainability and adopting various methods to promote it
(Nanda, n.d.). MHRIL also has undertaken various programs and agendas to ensure
sustainability and competitive advantage through stakeholders' welfare.

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Most Relevant SDGs to MHRIL
Planet: Affordable and Clean Energy
One of the main focuses of MHRIL's sustainable development goals is reducing
carbon footprints and using clean and renewable energy in their establishments. They strive
for following the Reuse, Reduce and Recycle approach religiously. The organization has
installed biogas plants and compost machines to recycle dry and wet garbage respectively.
Also, some of the establishments have been converted into solar energy harvesting farms.
The parking lots have been transformed with solar energies in several hotels and resorts,
which serves as energy efficient units as well as is highly praised by the visitors for providing
shaded parking spaces. As a measure to ensure energy efficiency the organization has also
replaced CFL lights with LED lights in their offices, factories and resorts, optimized air
conditioning temperature and hydro-pneumatic pumps at their hotels and resorts and timing
of heavy machinery operation. As a result, Club Mahindra has achieved an approximate 18%
energy savings as of 2017. (Mahindra and Mahindra Group, 2018)
Besides, as a measure to reduce their carbon footprints, the organization has taken up
an initiative called Mahindra Hariyali that aims to plant a million trees a year. The
organization has also established biogas plants fuelled by food waste and rainwater
harvesting systems in multiple locations.
People: Reducing Inequality
People are an important resource for any organization. MHRIL also emphasizes the
quality of human resource and standard of living for its stakeholder community as major
focus areas of their sustainable development goals. In terms of employee satisfaction and the
standard of their employer brand, MHRIL has been rated as one of the best companies to
work for in India along with four other flagship brands of Mahindra Group.

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The organization also participates in the Mahindra Group's education and
empowerment program, Nanhi Kali, which provides education and skill-based training to girl
children and women in the rural areas of India. This is an initiative to promote women
empowerment and equality among the communities. (Mahindra and Mahindra Group, 2018)
Profit: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Club Mahindra has been commended for its promotion of responsible recreation. The
resorts are managed as a source of greenery and biodiversity with excellent amenities where
guests are encouraged to enjoy their vacation experience responsibly.
Club Mahindra also facilitates local communities with employment and business
opportunities. In some locations where MHRIL operates, they have come up to be the largest
employment provider of the area. Besides, the organization promotes local businesses and
enterprises in the local community. For example, in the Kumarkom resort situated in Kerala,
India, MHRIL has conducted training sessions on organic farming and marketing of
mushrooms and other vegetables which are often purchased by the resort itself. In Cherai
resort, Kerala, rural women are trained and assisted to make jute bags and market them. In
Kumbhalgarh resort, women living below the poverty line are encouraged and trained in
poultry farming, making plates from areca leaves, and fish farming. In Coorg, the apiculture
and farming of honey indigenous to the area (Kala) are patronized. These are some of the
examples of investing effort in improving the economic condition of the community and
enhancing sustainability. (Mahindra and Mahindra Group, 2018)
Conclusion and Recommendation
MHRIL has been a leading organization in implementing sustainability in their
operations and meeting their SDGs. However, to meet the further goals for 2050, the
organization could utilize some key elements as recommended by SDG Compass. It could

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map their SDG against the value chain. It would help them identify the priority areas as well
as SDG targets. The logic model could further help to identify the indicators. Finally, public
reports and transparent communication with internal and external stakeholders will increase
company partnerships to achieve 2030 as well as 2050 goals.

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