Partnerships And Purpose

India is transforming into one of the world’s great superpowers. This can be achieved with a healthy population. The Government of India is focused on advancing universal health coverage with the help of state governments through provision of accessible and affordable healthcare. To achieve the goal of ‘Health for All’, the government has laid down the National Health Policy and launched  mission mode projects like PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centres, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

Despite such people-centric initiatives, an average Indian’s access to proper healthcare continues to be affected due to shortage of medical professionals and infrastructure, and poor affordability. This enormous task at hand requires all of us to play a proactive role, in whichever way we can, to build a healthy India.  Health results in wealth, prosperity and that at a national level will make India a global power. It is also a doorway to realise the various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Hygiene is the foundation for a healthy nation, but without universal handwashing it will be tough for any country, especially India, to emerge as a true superpower. It would also help to value preventive healthcare like hygiene, which is to a large degree dependent on hand hygiene, to reduce the burden of healthcare nationally and personally.

At Reckitt, our purpose is to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world. Our purpose defines who we are as a business. Purpose is about knowing and realising why you do certain things. At the heart of Reckitt’s moral and value compass is the mantra to always do the right thing and do it the right way. This motivates us and the workforce in taking the right decisions, not just for us but for the society as a whole. Our corporate philosophy is embedded in pursuing this purpose through business actions and decisions. It provides the foundation to our businesses. This determination and vision defines our on-ground actions. We also realise that such initiatives cannot be based on a one-time approach, or a single size fits all. Our focus has to be continuous and relentless.

The way to achieve our purpose is through a population realising its full potential in health enabled by access to adequate infrastructure, products and services. We work to enable people’s access to the highest quality of hygiene, wellness and nourishment. We see it as a right of every citizen, not a privilege enjoyed by a few sections of the society. We are conscious of that fact that providing universal hand hygiene for everyone is a big challenge, but we also believe it is attainable through provision of access to quality and affordable products that improve people’s health. It is this belief that inspires and motivates us, every day.

Since the challenge is big and time is of essence, partnerships matter. Partnerships help in leveraging synergies and achieving better results faster. Our constant endeavour is to bring together the brightest minds. We work with individuals, both experts and local opinion makers, and institutions at the national and global levels. The combination of unique skills, expansive knowledge and commitment ensures that the outcome is larger than the sum of parts.

Our focus on sustainable outcomes is helped to a great deal by our partners, in nudging people across communities and inculcating in them long-lasting and sustainable behaviour change. We act as catalysts, instigators and positive fire-starters to drive behaviour change. It is not about our products; it is about hygienic and healthy habits and practices that are passed on from one generation to another, and we will continue to do so in the future. This explains why our efforts tend to focus on children, along with parents and other stakeholders. Youngsters are more probable to emerge as agents of change, as influencers to impact families, relatives, friends and neighbours. This meshes with the central government’s aims to transform behaviour patterns, especially among the economically weaker sections. In our own small way, we try to complement the efforts made by governments, civil society and other stakeholders to create an enabling ecosystem with our partners.

Our partnerships with organisations like Apollo Foundation, Plan India, Gramalaya, Jagran Pehel and others have been instrumental in catalysing sustainable impact at scale and have taken the message of health and hygiene to the grassroots where they work.  Riding on its success, the Dettol Banega Swasth India initiative has launched its ninth edition this year. The foundation laid by the partners has garnered appreciation from the heads of state governments and from the leaders in the executive and legislature of the central government, including the Vice President and the Prime Minister of India.

Instead of resting on our laurels, such recognition encourages us to innovate and deliver smartly. In this endeavour, local communities act as our guides. Our engagement with local communities enables us to loop in feedback to better understand the needs of the consumers and incorporate it in our ongoing innovations.

It helps us focus better on strategies that break barriers, whether social or economic, and inculcate complete hygiene behaviour in people. This reflects in the products that we launch continuously. For example, our powder-to-liquid handwash helps to make quality handwashing accessible to a wider consumer base. Similarly, the foaming handwash range endeavours to make hand hygiene a fun experience while ensuring 10X better germ protection.

Innovations, however, have to be coupled with better quality, sustainability and affordability. In fact, we don’t view consumer-centric originality as a corporate-centric aim. Innovation at Reckitt is cultural, it is in the group’s DNA. Our brands across segments and sectors are connected through an innovation pipeline. We believe that this is the right way to drive future development. We bet on new ways of thinking, not just manufacturing and marketing products. We feel, even as we think, about our existing and future consumers – and the country.

Gaurav Jain, Senior Vice President, Reckitt – South Asia