KPIT Cummins Blog

Shrikant Kulkarni, Senior VP & CIO, KPIT Cummins, takes a look at the results of our green initiatives and considers what’s next for the environmentally friendly campaign.

Courtesy: Hindrik Sijens

KPIT Cummins is a responsible corporate citizen. What does that mean? Simply put, amongst other things, it is our duty to provide future generations with a clean and sustainable world. Of course, that’s much easier said than done, but we’re committed to this duty, and we’ve established several initiatives to make the ‘green ideal’ a reality.

Last year, KPIT Cummins achieved ISO 14000 certification which addresses various aspects of environmental management. A milestone that helped our Facilities and Logistics Management (FLM) team understand the nitty-gritty’s of this very important topic. Since then, we have been busy working towards building a sustainable working environment by optimizing every aspect of our day to day processes.

FLM now carefully monitors every operational process, assessing possible impacts on the environment and carrying out the necessary preventive action where needed. With every decision, environmental protection becomes an even more integral part of our operating processes and practices.

Also, I must mention here that our employees play a significant role in helping us build a sustainable environment. They contribute in a big way to each initiative, and it’s really their interest and enthusiasm that keeps driving it all forward.

Let’s look at some of the results achieved so far…

Waste management

• Food and garden waste is recycled through vermin-compost plants, generating 3500 kg
      vermin compost manure every year, which is then used for our gardens. 
• The sewage treatment plant recycles 1.2 lac liters of water every day, and this water is
      used for our lawns and plants in the company premises.
• E-waste is recycled or disposed through certified vendors
• Other waste is segregated at the point of generation, and paper and plastic are recycled

Electricity

• Energy efficient VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume) air conditioning units have been
      installed 
• Software based AC controls are used
• Auto power off software has been added to all desktops
• AC operation is fine tuned as per ambient temperature 
• CFL and LED lamps are used as default options
• Solar water heaters are used for canteen and gym water
• 800 Virtual desktops have been installed in place of regular desktops

These measures have helped in reducing our daily power consumption - per employee - by 26% in the last four years!

Water

• Pneumatic, water pressurized systems have replaced overhead tanks
• Water pressure is optimized
• Housekeeping water usage is monitored

Thanks to the above, we’ve lowered water consumption per employee by 21% compared to last year.

Fuel for employee transport

• Better cab routing to maximize utilization 
• Constant reviewing of  routes and load per bus to improve vehicle utilization

These are great results; however, it is important that we keep a constant lookout for newer opportunities to get greener. It is imperative that whether we’re at home, in the office, or even on a holiday, we work to conserve what nature has given us, and not spoil it.

In fact, for the coming months, KPIT Cummins has identified the following additional focus areas:

• Dedicated, global communication networks, and the deployment of Tele-presence
     technology across offices to reduce travel and consequently the carbon foot print
• Wind power generation on exhaust fans in toilets and canteen
• Tree  plantation within and outside company premises
• Employee car pools
• Smarter paper consumption

Let’s set a great example, and nurture the ‘green culture’ in our children. ‘Go Green’ should become a way of life for future generations.

We’d like to hear your ideas! How else do you think should we contribute towards a more sustainable future?