By Sekhar Seshan. Consulting Editor, Business India

Pre-owned automobile specialist Shriram Automall India Limited (SAMIL), like many other large corporates, has a range of CSR activities – but the most effective of them is its initiative to ensure that its customers’ children can continue their education without any hurdles. “Most of our customers belong to the transport fraternity, so education sometimes takes a backseat for them,” explains SAMIL chief executive officer Sameer Malhotra. “However, we realise the value of good education and offer a scholarship programme to help them.”

Incorporated back in 2013, SAMIL’s education scholarship programme is tailored to support students belonging to economically weaker and underprivileged sections of society. Today, the company distributes around 1,000 scholarships.

The support is towards a student’s expenses for pursuing school education without any disruption from the eighth to 12th standards. Those studying in a government-run school, or even a private one that does not charge exorbitant fees, are eligible for a scholarship of Rs3,000 a year till class 10 and an increase to Rs3,500 from there on till class 12.

The main criterion is that the child’s parent should be either a driver of a commercial vehicle or a small transporter who has owned a commercial vehicle for at least a year, with a monthly income of not more than Rs25,000. The child must also have scored more than 60 per cent marks, and should not be a beneficiary of any other grant or donation.