Brands
Canon India’s CSR in Bhiwandi village
MUMBAI: Canon India Pvt. Ltd, India’s leading Digital Imaging Company, celebrated yet another milestone, with the completion of two successful years of Karanjoti Village’s adoption under its flagship CSR initiative- Adopt a Village. With a vision to contribute to the societal ecosystem, Canon India had adopted Karanjoti Village in Bhiwandi (Thane) near Mumbai in April 2015.
In sync with the corporate philosophy of Kyosei, signifying living and working together for the common good, Canon India had adopted Karanjoti village to redefine the lives of people in and around the village by providing them with facilities for a well-developed and sustainable living. Situated near Mumbai, Karanjoti Village has seen numerous noteworthy developments, since its adoption. To mention a few, improved basic facilities & infrastructure have been installed at village school for making it child-friendly and generating interest in children to reduce dropouts. Post the intervention, school children are provided with basic health amenities like clean and hygienic toilets and safe drinking water facility. E-learning has been introduced to get children interested in education. Teaching aids such as charts (for science), maps (social studies), formulas (mathematics), and books related to various other subjects have been provided.
Canon India CEO Kazutada Kobayashi said, “Adopt a Village initiative has supported our vision of providing healthy, informed and sustainable lives to the communities we operate in. With Karanjoti completing two years as part of the Canon family, it is a matter of pride for us to witness the outcomes of our various endeavours.”
“Every village we adopt is part of the extended Canon family. Our employees, being responsible citizens understand the impact their contribution can make to the lives of young children in the villages. Under ‘Canon Involve’, they continuously visit the villages to interact with the children and villagers to create awareness and educate them about the basics of living a holistic life. We aspire to continue dedicated efforts in various villages as to achieve an all-round development for the community,” added Kobayashi.
Canon marked the second anniversary of its association with Karanjoti, with its Mumbai office employees visiting the villagers to celebrate the special occasion. ‘Canon Involve’ endeavor witnessed comprehensive engagement between the children and the employees. Activities were conceptualized on the subject of ‘Summer Fun’, where the children made interesting and creative drawings, with their upcoming summer vacations as the backdrop. Learning material was provided to the participating children to encourage their interest in drawing. Employees joined the children while coloring their creatives and shared fond memories of their summer vacations. Employees also educated the children on the subject of ‘Team-Spirit’, encouraging the children to stay together with harmony, where they learn and grow together. This engaging session was wrapped with a cake cutting ceremony, rejoicing the milestone and envisioning a prosperous tomorrow for the young children and their families.
In the span of two years, Karanjoti has witnessed discernible impacts under four core pillars of Canon India’s CSR policy, including Education, Eye Care, Environment and Empowerment. Capacity building in the school has led to students returning to the village school, resource centre with a non-formal education teacher to impart computer literacy, art and craft skills and encouraging sports among the students of all grades. Various environmental campaigns like tree plantation and ground levelling have been organized in which employees; teachers and students were encouraged to pledge and share their commitment towards making earth a healthier planet to live in. To have sustainable eye care facility establishment in the village, a Vision Centre has been set-up in a space provided by the local community. This center has equipment and technician for screening of patients and providing spectacles. Under its fourth CSR pillar Canon is looking forward to start a vocational training centre in the school to support sustainable living for the students and the village youth.
Along with Karanjoti in Maharashtra, Canon India has three more adopted villages, including Ferozepur Namak in Haryana, Maharaja Katte in Bangalore and Sol Gohalia in Kolkata. In the coming year, Canon envisions to amplify its efforts aimed at a holistic development of its adopted villages.
Brands
Hocco crosses Rs 530cr revenue in two years
Sauce.vc-led Rs 100cr raise values ice cream brand at Rs 2,500cr pre-money as quick commerce hits 20 per cent of sales.
MUMBAI: Hocco has just scooped a seriously sweet milestone crossing the Rs 530 crore revenue mark in just two full years of operations. The fast-growing Indian ice cream and indulgence brand announced it has raised Rs 100 crore in fresh capital led by Sauce.vc. The round values the company at Rs 2,500 crore pre-money and underscores investor confidence in its rapid scale and distinctive India-first approach.
Founder Ankit Chona said the brand’s success stems from solving real Indian challenges extreme summer heat, fragmented cold chains and culturally rooted tastes. “In India, product development doesn’t end in the lab. It only ends when it survives the street,” he noted. This philosophy has produced viral hits such as Aamchi mango ice cream, BIX cake-sponge sandwiches, the Oh cone and culturally relevant collaborations like Haldiram’s Barfi and festive Modak specials.
Hocco currently operates manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Panipat with a production capacity of approximately 3 lakh litres per day, running near full capacity in peak season. The fresh capital will help expand this to around 4.5 lakh litres per day.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major growth engine, now contributing ~20 per cent of overall business and growing nearly 2x year-on-year. The channel has boosted product discovery, increased consumption frequency and helped extend ice cream beyond its traditional seasonal limits.
Sauce.vc founder Manu Chandra said, “At Sauce, we believe that when you chance upon an outlier business, you double down with stronger conviction. We see Hocco as just that.”
With a strong innovation pipeline, deeper distribution and continued focus on cultural relevance, Hocco is entering its third year aiming to capture even more mind space and market share. In a category long dominated by legacy players, this young brand is proving that the coolest way to win is to build for India’s realities, one scoop, one street and one satisfied craving at a time.
