Mahindra Lifespaces receives CII – ITC Sustainability Award for its commitment to sustainable urban living

New Delhi, January 14, 2013: Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd., the real estate and infrastructure development arm of the USD15.9 billion Mahindra Group, was honoured at the CII-ITC Sustainability Awards 2012 for its strong commitment to Sustainability in its residential developments and integrated cities. The Certificate of Commendation was presented by the Honourable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee to Ms. Anita Arjundas, MD & CEO, Mahindra Lifespaces, at a special ceremony held in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi today.                      

Ms. Anita Arjundas, MD & CEO, Mahindra Lifespace Developers receiving the Certificate of Commendation from the Honourable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee The Sustainability Awards have been instituted by the CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development and aims to recognise those companies which have been successful in incorporating sustainability in their business models. It is a unique initiative to identify and recognise Indian businesses for their exemplary performance in economic, social and environmental dimensions. Through this award, CII-ITC Centre of Excellence endeavours to promote role models in Indian industry.

Commenting on this recognition, Ms. Anita Arjundas, Managing Director & CEO, Mahindra Lifespaces Developers Ltd & Member of the Group Executive Board, said, “We see ourselves as enablers of an improved quality of life, not just as providers of quality homes and work spaces; an approach that embraces greater responsibility towards the environment and sensitivity to the needs of larger segments of society, in the present and the future. This recognition, therefore, is not only a matter of great pride for me and my team but also encourages us to continue our focus on responsible urbanization.”

Mr. Amit Pal, Sr. GM – Quality, Innovation & Sustainability said “As part of our focus on sustainability we ensure that all our current and forthcoming residential projects are green (pre)certified.  The use of environmental friendly materials like fly ash bricks, rain water harvesting and use of energy conservation principals are initiatives that we mandate for our all developments. We are delighted to receive such an honour and will continue to stay committed to sustainable development. “Mahindra Lifespaces has been at the forefront of ‘Transforming urban landscapes by creating sustainable communities’. It has firmly anchored its sustainability strategy along its entire value chain and has done this by making its residential developments and integrated cities environment friendly thereby reducing the carbon footprint of its developments. Thoughtful master planning, adopting best practices in design development and execution, and building trust based community relationships while ensuring financial prudence has allowed Mahindra Lifespaces to continuously create self sustaining environments.

Mahindra Lifespaces has been conscious of the need to strike a harmonious balance between the inevitable need for urbanization, the responsibility towards sustainability, and a healthy bottom line. This approach of Mahindra Lifespaces is aligned with the Mahindra brand’s Rise philosophy of driving positive change through alternative thinking and accepting no limits. The organization has been the first in the Indian real estate industry to have embraced the triple bottom line approach to sustainability and to publish a GRI compliant Sustainability Report assessed at A+ for transparency and disclosure.