Layam Group’s Social Responsibility Initiative
Empowering Communities, Creating Sustainable Impact
Introduction: What is Tarang?
Tarang isn’t just a CSR initiative—it’s a promise to open doors, uplift communities, and create opportunities where they’re needed most. Launched on Layam Group’s Founder’s Day in April 2024, Tarang is driven by our Chairman, G.S. Ramesh’s philosophy of “Enlightened Giving”, the belief that true impact comes not just from helping, but from empowering people to shape their own futures.
With this commitment at its heart, Tarang operates through two key pillars:
- CSR : Driving grassroots impact through initiatives in key focus areas
- Consulting and Management : Partnering with organizations to design and implement sustainable, high-impact social responsibility programs.
This isn’t just about responsibility, it’s about creating opportunities that last. Every initiative, every partnership, and every life we touch is a step toward a more inclusive and empowered tomorrow. Because true change happens when we grow together.
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Message from Our Leadership
Chairman’s Message
Through Tarang, we want to do meaningful work in the area of CSR and to work towards everyone’s happiness – Sarve Jana Sukhino Bhavantu. I have always believed that developing empathy is an essential trait which I have tried to imbibe in every step of my life’s journey.
G.S. Ramesh, Chairman
CEO’s Message
I intend to make a significant effect by empowering individuals, fostering well-being, and supporting environmental sustainability through the gradual implementation of specified actions across the entire society through our initiative. Our mission is to make a positive contribution to society’s growth in a way that will boost the well-being of communities and make the future brighter and more sustainable for everyone.
Rohet Ramesh, CEO & Managing Director
Our Vision
It is to support and work with communities at the grassroot level through high impact and effective interventions in our focus areas – through people centric community-based models – place-based community led solutions.
Our vision is to give back to society, to reach out to the rural spectrum of the society, empower lives, build resilience, and create lasting impact by working hand in hand with those who need it most.
We also aim to address emerging challenges, create meaningful transformation with a forward thinking approach – viewing development of the society and the environment as holistic and integrated – Working to create a better future for all by taking targeted actions that promote inclusivity and accessibility. Our goal is to reduce inequality, support learning, and encourage creativity in the digital age for the benefit of everyone.
We strive to break barriers, open doors to opportunities, and foster a future where no one is left behind. Through collaboration, innovation, and sustainable action, we’re not just addressing challenges but building stronger, more inclusive communities. Aligned with UN SDGs and ESG principles, we are committed to shaping a future that’s fairer, brighter, and full of possibilities for all.
HOW WE TRANSLATE OUR VISION INTO PRACTICE
- Interlinking – research and practice – to create sustainable, inclusive, creative action & initiatives.
- Ground level projects creating innovative and cutting-edge work from relevant and high impact research.
- Creating shared value for serving communities as well as monitoring processes, transparent performance, and reporting –– identify new opportunities and use our expertise and knowledge to show the human face of the business operations.
What We Do - Our Focus Areas
Keeping communities at the centre of our operations and taking steps towards sustainability and sustainable development goals.
Our work touches all areas of the development sector, so if you have different requirements and would like to learn more about how we might be able to help, please get in touch.
We operate in the areas of:
- Skill development and livelihood
- Education
- Environment & Sustainability
- Healthcare
- Rural Development
- Cultural Heritage
Through Tarang, we align our efforts with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- SDG 4 - Quality education
- SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth
- SDG 5 - Gender Equality
- SDG 1 - No poverty
- SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
- SDG 3 - Good health and wellbeing
- SDG 9 - Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
- SDG 10 - Reduced inequalities
- SDG 17 - Partnership for the goals
Our focus is on initiatives that foster long-term transformation and inclusive growth.
Two-Part Approach to Tarang
CSR: What Layam Does
We believe that real change happens when communities are equipped with the right tools, opportunities, and support. Through Tarang, we help individuals gain independence, build sustainable livelihoods, and create healthier, stronger communities.
Our Focus Areas
How We Implement It
- Through NGOs/trust/society partners/section 8/foundation - towards areas of focus that align with Tarang's CSR areas of intervention.
- Self-execution - CSR projects through Tarang
- Collaborate with other companies in implementing joint CSR projects by pooling resources expanding the scope and impact of the work.
- Working with organisations that have a rudimentary CSR or where they want to initiate newer actions under CSR.
- Internal CSR – developing the capabilities of the employees for CSR along with partner NGOs/Think Tanks.
- With government, semi-government organisations, educational institutions/academic institutions (govt or private), Self-Help Groups, other consultancy organisations.
Consulting & Management
We develop growth solutions to shape social equity, social cohesion and social transformation – for corporates, CSR foundation, government agencies.
We also work in the area of collaborative orchestration – facilitating programme co-creation and management with multiple stakeholders including governmental bodies to enable systemic change.
Additional services such as social impact storytelling creating platforms dedicated to creating social change through storytelling, innovation and strategic partnerships. It emphasises the role of narratives in driving collective action and mobilising support for significant societal issues.
One of the projects we are passionate about is to create and host a resource library! which we envision to be a shared collaborative of “ideas to change in the social sector” and facilitate knowledge sharing through our collective impact forum which we will build, shared value initiative, and talent rewire in the social sector.
We want to work on projects that make a difference and to address challenging issues in the social sector by harnessing the power and resources of multiple stakeholders like corporations, foundations, government, multilateral and bi-lateral parties and to make impact through intra, inter, multi-disciplinary work and cross – sector collaborations.
We follow the regenerative business model and regenerative community strategy approach, we aim to use systems, design and strategic thinking approach
Approach and Planning
Design/build framework – to operate with a programmatic approach which will create an orientation to how we work – recognize that the social problems and conditions are not static.
We aim to use a system centric approach, to use human centered approach and non-linear iterative process for problem solving, operations, data analysis, research, evidence building, social impact consulting and create and manage projects and our other solution-based services.
We believe in a multi-disciplinary and a holistic approach.
We are looking forward to designing and executing innovative solutions with a deep understanding of operations and an understanding of ground realities, with a balanced approach, interested people and with a smart and hardworking team.
We don’t believe in only a top-down approach! We will be using a hybrid approach for all our initiatives, projects and interventions.
We are working hard to foster a culture of evidence-based decision making. We employ a full range of strategic planning, monitoring, and organizational development tools to deliver results.
We design strategies and rigorous project designs based on evidence and stakeholder consultation.
To ensure accountability and organizational learning, we establish systems for monitoring and measuring performance with high quality data.
We help clients use performance data to support adaptive management and make programs more efficient and relevant.
We use cutting-edge methodologies to build, develop and measure human and institutional capacity for social impact.
Prediction, Emergence, Adoption, Knowledge, and Intervention – Human rights-based and dignity approach. Leveraging Emergence: Recognizing that the best solutions emerge when people come together to innovate and create lasting change.
Focusing on design thinking and systems thinking that will lead us to take strategic thought process and active action. We Attend to our work in an ongoing way: scan the landscape, strategize, and build feasibility plans, understand, and challenge our assumptions, assess our effectiveness, measure our contributions, learn from our efforts and take advantage of emerging opportunities.
Using SMART (Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Reliable and Time Bound). The process is time bound – providing parameters within which we exercise these adaptations over time starting from the strategy phase to the monitoring and evaluation phase – be explicit about our thinking, action, be goals based and build in and use regular cycles of feedback in our work.
Our Internal CSR Activities
What Drives Our Work
- Building resilience index - aiming to create regenerative models that integrate different domains
- Embrace principles of sustainability - creating projects in synergy with sector wide scalable solutions
- Harness the transformational power of shared value approach focused on people - research and stakeholder consultation, construct + customise projects, connect with communities at the grassroot level, implement and orchestrate actions, monitor, and follow due compliance and reporting.
- Foster innovation - Driving change through new ideas and strategic interventions.
Which we aim to empower communities through:
- Creation of skill development, employment, entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities for youth and marginalised members of the community and development of the 21st century through education and skilling.Leverage programs designed to lift individuals and communities step-by-step from one tier of economic opportunity to the next, enhancing their earning potential.
- Support basic health and wellness - water, sanitation and hygiene needs of communities and other projects in line with the vision.
- Promote equitable access to resources by prioritising those within the community who need it the most and create an inclusive process which facilitates access for all - especially for individuals and communities that are marginalised.
- Understand and tailor each solution to the community, thereby facilitating a process to address the most essential needs.
Our Approach: Design Thinking+System Thinking
At Tarang, we combine Design Thinking and System Thinking to create sustainable, adaptable, and scalable solutions. Every initiative is built with a deep understanding of community needs, long-term feasibility, and measurable impact.
- How We Work
- Tracking Impact
- What Drives Our Work
How We Work
- Design Thinking helps us deeply engage with communities, using research-driven strategies to craft interventions tailored to real-world challenges.
- System Thinking allows us to build holistic solutions that evolve, adapt, and remain interconnected within the larger ecosystem.
- Strategic & Adaptive Execution ensures that every initiative is well-planned, flexible, and sustainable. We analyze landscapes, challenge assumptions, and refine approaches to create meaningful, lasting change.
The SMART Approach
- Specific: Every project is designed with a clear, well-defined objective.
- Measurable: Impact is tracked through key performance indicators and real-world data.
- Achievable: We set ambitious yet realistic goals, ensuring tangible results.
- Relevant: Each initiative directly addresses critical community needs. Time-Bound: Regular monitoring keeps us accountable and on track.
What Drives Our Work
- Grounded in Research & Real-World Needs: Every intervention is backed by data, insights, and hands-on experience.
- Built for Resilience & Sustainability: We don’t just solve immediate challenges, we strengthen communities for the future.
- Led by Communities: We co-create solutions with grassroots organizations, ensuring cultural and social alignment.
- Focused on Continuous Improvement: Monitoring and evaluation are embedded in everything we do, allowing us to refine and enhance our efforts.
At Tarang, sustainability isn’t just a goal—it’s embedded in everything we do. Our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) values guide us in building a more responsible, inclusive, and ethical future.
Environmental Responsibility
We implement sustainable practices by:
- Managing waste effectively and adopting eco-friendly disposal methods.
- Recycling resources, including RO water, and promoting food composting.
Social Commitment
We drive social impact through:
- Community-focused initiatives that support marginalized groups.
- Employee development programs and outreach activities.
- A balanced approach to People, Planet, and Profit for sustainable progress.
Governance & Accountability
We ensure ethical business practices through:
- POSH Committee – Sexual Harassment
- Grievance Redressal Committee – to handle employee grievances and to handle issues with discrimination and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- CSR committee – for Tarang
Tarang will make a full report of its CSR projects/programmes undertaken during the previous year in the format prescribed for the annual report on CSR activities (as written in appendix 4) to be included in the Chairman’s annual report in the companies (CSR policy) amendment rules 2021 which is in consonance with section 134 of the act.
We will create an annual report, which shall report the annual CSR and Sustainability development achievements, agenda and initiatives undertaken during the year.
CSR reporting would form part of the company’s Chairman’s annual report. The reporting would be in the format prescribed under the Companies Act, 2013 and rules in respect thereof.
Our operations, the projects/initiatives and activities comply with standards such as:
OPERATIONS: Nodal Operations – Net Positive and ISO 26000 approach.
Instruments: Social Return on Investment/International Framework/British Standard on Sustainability Management, BS 8900 – For work with implementation partners.
Materiality Investment & London Benchmarking group framework – BSRS Reporting & Global Reporting Initiative sustainability reporting guidelines – for self-execution projects.
We are working on laying a trail on social consciousness along three pathways – corporate social responsibility, corporate social innovation, social entrepreneurship.
Get Involved – Collaborate with Us
At Tarang, we aim to create hyperlocal impact first – sustainable management operations require collaborations and partnerships.
We are looking forward to partnering with other like-minded corporate organizations, foundations, governmental and non-government organizations, educational institutions/academic institutions, self-help groups, and other consultancy organisations to further its CSR objectives to address complex issues.
- Must be registered as an NGO/Society/Trust as per Government legislation.
- Minimum of 3 years satisfactory track record
- Financial credibility as per audited annual records
- Non-political identity
- Objectives aligned with our initiatives.
- Access to, and credibility with the target community
- Adequate infrastructure and team for effective execution of initiatives
- Effectiveness of resource utilization, i.e. how much of the fund reaches the beneficiaries.
Get in touch with us.. Organisations can register their interest by sending an email to r.shalini@layamweb.in (email – CSR Manager) to partner on programs.
We will definitely respond to partnership emails based on common needs and interests and on factors including but not limited to capacity, expertise, and interest as well as alignment to Tarang’s vision and mission.
Work, Volunteer
Volunteer with us! We invite driven, passionate and sincere volunteers who’d like to contribute to our vision and to create high impact within vulnerable and marginalised communities.
Write to us – r.shalini@layamweb.in