 "Corporates set aside Rs 5,000 crore for CSR, branding at Maha Kumbh")
Companies are estimated to spend Rs 5,000 crore on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and branding at the 45-day-long Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, according to a senior Uttar Pradesh government official.
The Maha Kumbh is expected to welcome more than 400 million pilgrims and offers “an expansive platform to companies for branding and promotional activities,” said the official.
The lineup of corporate entities includes Adani Group, Reliance Industries, Coca-Cola, ITC, Spice Jet, Dabur, Emami, Bank of Baroda, Hindustan Unilever, and PepsiCo, among others.
They span an array of industries and product portfolios such as Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), consumer products, travel, grooming, aerated drinks, financial products, banks, and healthcare, among others.
The multitude of CSR activities includes providing tents, running community kitchens, and free distribution of blankets.
Adani Group has tied up with International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) for a large community kitchen and free distribution of 10 million copies of the Gita published by Gorakhpur-based Gita Press.
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Most image-building activities are planned around the major holy bathing days at the Maha Kumbh, which spans nearly 4,000 hectares around the ‘Sangam’ spot, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said corporate entities had sought permission to run community kitchens at the Maha Kumbh in bulk. Several of them were asked to serve other religious places like Ayodhya.
Earlier, he underlined that the Maha Kumbh will generate revenue of more than Rs 2 trillion. It is expected to create almost a million temporary jobs.
Top companies have hooked up hoardings, unipoles, boats, watch towers, water ATMs, barricades, and arched gates for branding, advertising, marketing, and communication messages.
The firms are also looking to launch new products and take consumer feedback with marketing experiments and pitches.
Meanwhile, UP’s Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) will showcase startups and their products and also scout for angel investors and collaborators at the Mela.