SPJIMR’s Development of Corporate Citizenship (DoCC) welcomed the first cohort of students from EDHEC Business School, France, for the 2024-25 Global Impact Project. Over the following three months, the inaugural group engaged in experiential learning, collaborating with NGO partners Cord India in Himachal Pradesh and Tarun Bharat Sangh in Rajasthan. The students had the opportunity to act, adapt, innovate, and grow by tackling real-world challenges, learning through hands-on action, positively impacting communities, and fostering empathy, collaboration, and cross-cultural understanding.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mayeul Coulon-Berretrot, Scientific and Academic Cooperation Officer at the French Embassy in India/French Institute in India, Varun Nagaraj, Dean of SPJIMR, Nilesh Gaikwad, Country Manager for India at EDHEC Business School, and Chandrika Parmar, Director of DoCC and Philippe Maurin, Scientific and Higher Education Attaché at the Consulate General of France in Mumbai. In his inaugural address, Philippe remarked, “Over the next three months, you will gain profound insights into India, build lifelong friendships, acquire new skills, step out of your comfort zone, and discover your true potential.”
After an orientation week in Mumbai at SPJIMR, the cohort travelled to villages across Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan to work on diverse projects, including water conservation, spring wells and improving school education. They were hosted by and worked with DoCC’s partner organisations in these regions, who observed, “It has been a true delight to have them here—listening, engaging, and sharing parts of themselves as they carried out their meaningful work.”
SPJIMR DoCC has partnered with EDHEC Business School for EDHEC’s Global Impact and Mobility programme, where participants will complete social internships with DoCC’s existing civil society organisation (CSO) partners. This initiative aims to address key issues such as water, education, animal rights, and women’s empowerment, promoting global responsibility.