India Inc has always been an active contributor towards the upliftment of the society. And now, they are "running" the extra mile to serve the purpose further

Corporate houses today are displaying a keen interest towards participating in social events like the Standard Chartered Marathon, the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, BSA Hercules India Cyclothon, National Stock Exchange's Investothon and other such events of a similar stature. And it is not just a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activity for them anymore as they aspire to attain a much larger objective.

Standard Chartered Bank, which has been organising the Mumbai Marathon for the past nine years feels that though India is crazy about sports, there are very few sporting events that allow participation not only from firms, but also that cut across gender, age or social strata. "There are several reasons why individuals or companies participate. But I would argue that a large part of it is to do with raising money for several charities. Also, this platform is perceived as a premium one, which allows just that," shares Sumeet Singla, regional head corporate affairs India & South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank. There are hardly any companies one can think of that do not participate in the marathon in some capacity. There are about 220 NGOs who had come forward for the 2012 marathon; so there are 220 causes people could get associated with.

GE's John F Welch Technology Centre based in Whitefield has been a regular sponsor of the Whitefield Midnight Marathon held annually. Garima Varma, communications leader, GE John F. Welch Technology Centre (GE JFWTC) says, "By participating in events like marathons where the proceeds are utilised for social causes, companies are able to successfully contribute in two ways. One, contribute to the development of the larger community and second, encourage their employees to participate, thereby propagating the concept of a healthy lifestyle." Shaily Gupta, head HR, Edelweiss Group adds, "Such events encourage employees to come together and contribute to causes that are essential for the upliftment of the society."

Similarly, Bird Group has been actively participating in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon every year to support Sukarya - an event that contributes to the physical and mental well-being of the marginalised and vulnerable sections of the society, particularly women and children. Ankur Bhatia, executive director, Bird Group shares, "Marathons provide a great platform to raise awareness about various causes and they have gained popularity by becoming fund-raising platforms with the participation of big corporate houses. By expressing solidarity towards a cause close to their hearts, employees feel a sense of pride."

Hence, you could be running for a cause very close to your heart or in a quest to get fitter - but the repercussions to this trend will only help garner positive results.

- Yasmin Taj

The writer can be reached at yasmin.taj@timesgroup.com