Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy (left, center) shakes hand with M.P. Ahammed, chairman of Malabar Group of Companies, after the opening of the Group's 20th anniversary celebration and launching of its social services programs in Calicut. — Courtesy photo The Malabar Group of Companies celebrated its 20th year anniversary in Calicut on Saturday with its chairman stressing the company's program of providing houses for the homeless, environment conservation and women empowerment, among others. “As part of this we are aiming at programs laying more stress on areas like building houses for the homeless, environment conservation, women empowerment and also on the medical and educational sectors,” M.P. Ahammed, chairman of the Malabar Group, said during the occasion. “We consider it a rare privilege that these programs will be officially announced by the honorable Chief Minister of Kerala,” he added. Ahammed said Malabar Group, which made a modest start in Calicut in 1993, has been actively engaging in activities of corporate social responsibility, adding that company officials believe that this has helped the group to become one of the best jewelry companies in six overseas countries. The Malabar Group consists of nearly 1,600 investors, 6,000 management staff and has nearly 10 companies in India and overseas engaged in the fields of jewelry, infrastructure as well as domestic and commercial building. “On this occasion of the 20th year celebrations, even as we had ensured reasonable income for investors, decent remuneration for the management members and ... fulfillment of the promises made to customer, we are aware that there is a large chunk of people who are incapable of buying even one gram of gold,” Ahammed said during the occasion. “(This is) the reason why we decided to earmark 10 percent of our profits for the benefit of these people so as to incorporate them too as a part of Malabar Group. “Our aim is to become one of the socially responsible and value-based groups in the world within the next five years. We dream of becoming the world's best Indian jewelry brand that makes available value-added gifts articles in the form of gold, diamond and platinum ornaments, that are presented to dear ones as a token of love and recognition.” He said the company is planning to open in August its 100th showroom in Kolkata. He thanked “from our heart” the company's customers, building workers, management staff, political, social as well as religious leaders, artists and media and all those who helped in the company's success. As part of the Group's 20 th anniversary celebrations, the group's corporate social responsibility was declared by the Chief Minister of Kerala. In the statement, the company enumerated its major contributions: Health sector, Rs8 crores; housing, Rs7 crores subject to a mamimum of Rs50,000 per person for 1,400 beneficiaries; senior citizens' care, Rs500 every month for 10,000 beneficiaries totaling Rs6 crores yearly; marriage fund, Rs5 crores subject to a maximum of Rs25,000 per beneficiary for 2,000 women; environment programs like Green India campaign, litter-free campaign and plastic-free campaign, a total of Rs2 crores; and empowering womanhood program for starting a women's jewelry packaging unit Rs2 crores. All of the contributions sum up to Rs34 crores for this year's corporate social responsibility activities. — SG
