ndian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA) was established in 1961 in the erstwhile Koraput district. Shaifalika Panda, Trustee & Founder CEO of the Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF) and Chief of CSR (Special Initiatives) at IMFA, mentions that the company was founded with the idea of providing livelihoods to the people of Odisha. She adds that since its inception, the philosophy has focused on bringing communities along. She explains that when she took over her role, IMFA was already operating in four districts of Odisha and was one of the largest ferroalloy producers. Her primary task, she notes, was to craft the CSR vision for IMFA, which ultimately led to the formation of the Bansidhar & Ela Panda Foundation.
She goes on to explain that the foundation embodies the values and ethos of the company, continuing the legacy of community-centric growth. At IMFA, Panda’s role is like Phase 1 and involves emphasising the importance of social development to the corporate teams, while aligning CSR initiatives with the company’s overarching strategy. Once this alignment is established, the CSR team works on specific verticals to deliver the vision and select geographical areas for creating an impact investment framework. In Phase Two, which is her role at BIPF, Panda focuses on the implementation of initiatives, as they are one of the few corporates working directly at the ground level.
Overcoming Gender Gap Challenges
Shaifalika Panda points out that gender gap challenges are deeply rooted in patriarchy and manifest in societal norms, socio-cultural barriers, lack of awareness, unpaid care work, and a lack of self-belief. She adds that roadblocks like limited access to education, skills, the inability to have a voice in household decision-making, and the digital gender divide are significant barriers. According to her, the key isn’t simply empowering women, but creating an environment where they can thrive. She stresses that to achieve this, gender expectations for both men and women need to be redrawn across families, communities, and workplaces. Shaifalika Panda suggests that the most effective way to accelerate progress is by addressing gender norms early in life through gender-sensitive training in both schools and homes.
She believes that community-driven change and behaviour-change campaigns are essential to create awareness. Influencers, media, and tech-aided communication can play a significant role in advocating that gender equity is not just about women—it’s essential to include men in the solution.
Empowering Marginalised Women
Shaifalika Panda explains that empowering marginalised women requires a multi-dimensional approach, addressing both immediate barriers and long-term systemic issues in society. She emphasizes the need for a holistic approach that integrates education, healthcare, economic empowerment, legal rights, and a shift in mindset. She states that agencies like theirs play a crucial role as catalysts in connecting marginalised communities to resources and opportunities.
She adds that it’s vital to connect these communities to various schemes and interventions that can benefit them. She mentions the Lakhpati Didi scheme as an example, highlighting that while the scheme is well-publicized, understanding how to access it remains a challenge.
Shaifalika Panda also stresses the importance of promoting financial and social literacy, particularly through Self-Help Groups (SHGs). She believes that by adding customized solutions to SHG projects and enhancing their capacity to make informed decisions, the socio-economic well-being of marginalized women can improve. Additionally, she believes that garnering community buy-in is crucial to changing mindsets, especially among community elders and leaders, to ensure the acceptance of empowered women.
G20 Empower Group on Mentorship
Shaifalika Panda explains that the G20 Empower Group on Mentorship focused on three key areas: women’s entrepreneurship, promoting women’s leadership at all levels, and education. She notes that access to technology and digital tools was a critical cross-cutting factor in the group’s initiatives. Shaifalika Panda emphasises that mentorship is essential for helping women navigate systemic challenges, break barriers, and seize opportunities. She explains that such platforms offer women the exposure to professional networks that can unlock career and entrepreneurial opportunities.
According to her, the G20 Empower Group also helped women access an aggregator platform to understand various schemes and opportunities available, whether related to financial linkages or market access. She believes this platform continues to play a key role in mentoring women’s empowerment.
Reimagining CSR
Shaifalika Panda is convinced that reimagining CSR involves making strategic investments that go beyond sporadic charity. She highlights the shift in CSR from a compliance-driven activity to a purpose-driven approach, with a focus on measurable outcomes and long-term social impact. She believes that collaborations are essential for sustainable progress toward achieving the SDGs by 2030. She stresses that partnerships are necessary to fuel efficiency and scale, and to avoid duplication of efforts. These collaborations, she argues, should support government initiatives and contribute to national goals and the SDGs.
She also highlights the important role of philanthropy, which she believes can provide funds in crucial areas to bridge existing gaps. Philanthropy can also support long-term interventions and provide the flexibility needed to curate local solutions. She feels that this is already visible and expects a greater impact in the future.
Project Unnati
Shaifalika Panda explains that Project Unnati focuses on skill building and vocational training and seeks collaboration with the government as much as is possible. She emphasises that education and skill building are essential for intergenerational change. Panda highlights that corporates like IMFA, which work at the grassroots level, are uniquely positioned to understand the needs of local communities and provide tailored solutions.
She elaborates on Project Unnati, an SHG-driven initiative for social and financial inclusion. At each stage, they partner with local administration to connect women to available ecosystem linkages. She mentions that over 4,000 women have already benefited from the project, and there are plans for a 30% expansion in the coming year due to the company’s growth in new areas.
Shaifalika Panda expresses satisfaction with the project’s outcomes, noting that after a three-year hand-holding process, clear parameters were established for an exit policy. She assures that the exit only happens when those parameters are met, and even after that, a distant mentorship continues. She describes the project as a group mentorship program, with the ultimate goal being self-reliance.
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