ITC KAKATIYA (WELCOME GROUP)

ITC Welcomgroup, India's premier chain of luxury hotels was launched on October 18, 1975, with the opening of its first hotel - Chola Sheraton in Chennai. Since then the ITC-Welcomgroup brand has become synonymous with Indian hospitality. With over 100 hotels in more than 80 destinations, ITC-Welcomgroup has set new standards of excellence in the hotel industry in Accommodation, Cuisine, Environment and Guest Safety.

A leader in the premium hospitality segment, ITC-Welcomgroup Hotels have had the privilege of hosting world leaders, Heads of State and discerning guests from across the world and within.

As one of India's most dynamic hospitality chains, ITC-Welcomgroup has set standards for excellence in the hotel industry by pioneering the concept of branded accommodation. The chain has developed three brands of accommodation ITC One', 'Towers' and the 'Executive Club' to differentiate between the needs of various travelers and provide high

levels of service. First to introduce branded cuisine, its restaurants Bukhara, Dakshin and DumPukht are renowned for their delicious and authentic Indian cuisines from the different regions of India. ITC-Welcomgroup also showcases international cuisine in its specialty restaurants West View and Pan Asian.

ITC-Welcomgroup has strategically customized its hotels and appropriately categorized them to fulfill the service and budgetary needs of travellers. With its exclusive strategic tie up with Starwood for its top of the line premium brand the 'Luxury Collection', the group is strengthening its international marketing stance. ITC-Welcomgroup was also instrumental in bringing the 'Sheraton' brand to India, with which it enjoyed a three-decade exclusive partnership.

ITC-Welcomgroup's properties are classified under four distinct brands:

ITC Hotels - Luxury Collection

In 2007, ITC-Welcomgroup entered a new phase in its collaboration with Starwood Hotels & Resorts. ITC-Welcomgroup now has an exclusive tie-up with Starwood in bringing its premium brand, the 'Luxury Collection', to India. These are super deluxe and premium hotels located at strategic business and leisure locations. The seven hotels which are part of this collection are: ITC Maurya in Delhi, ITC Maratha in Mumbai, ITC Sonar in Kolkata, ITC Grand Central in Mumbai, ITC Windsor & ITC Royal Gardenia in Bengaluru, ITC Kakatiya in Hyderabad and ITC Mughal in Agra.

WelcomHotels offer five-star hospitality for the discerning business and leisure traveller. Currently there are three hotels under this brand namely, WelcomHotel Rama International Aurangabad, WelcomHotel Vadodara and WelcomHotel Grand Bay Vishakhapatnam. Four other ITC-Welcomgroup Sheraton Hotels – Sheraton Rajputana Hotel Jaipur, Sheraton Chola Hotel Chennai, Sheraton Park Hotel and Towers, Chennai and Sheraton New Delhi offer warm, comforting services to the global traveller and a chance to connect.

Fortune Hotels operates mid-market to upscale properties in the first-class, full-service business hotel segment all over India, in major metros, mini metros, state capitals and business towns, promising business and leisure travelers a wide choice of destinations and accommodation. Fortune Hotels currently has hotels operating in Ahmedabad, Chennai, Darjeeling, Gurgaon, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Madurai, Navi Mumbai, Ooty, Port Blair, Pune, Tirupati, Trivandrum, Vapi, Vijayawada, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Lavasa, Noida, Manipal, Bengaluru, Mussoorie, Goa, Thane & Gandhinagar, while several more hotels are expected to be commissioned soon in other key locations in India.

WelcomHeritage brings together a chain of palaces, forts, havelis and resorts that offer a unique experience. WelcomHeritage endeavours to preserve ancient royal homes and the historical Indian grandeur and opulence for the future Indian generations. WelcomHeritage provides a fine range of hotel services inside these architectural legacies present in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, Assam, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharastra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.

WelcomEnviron

is ITC-Welcomgroup's vision for a green world. It's a multi-faceted programme started in order to propagate environmental causes in the cities where ITC-Welcomgroup's hotels are located. With the guiding principle of 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle', each hotel has its own programme, encompassing local participation, creating awareness among employees and internal conservation.

ITC Green Centre

The ITC Green Centre in Gurgaon, the headquarters of ITC's Hotels Business is the physical expression of this commitment to sustainability - Ecological, Social and Economic. This building is one of the world's largest green buildings with space of over 170,000 square feet and the first non-commercial complex in the country to be awarded the United States Green Building Council-Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design's (USGBC-LEED) platinum rating - the highest in the order.

At ITC Green Centre, energy consumption has been reduced significantly through design integration. The building has been designed to maximize the effect of natural light during daytime, largely eliminating the need for artificial ones. At the same time, the window glass, while allowing light inside, does not allow heat. This not only keeps the office cool from inside during the day, but also decreases the load on air-conditioners. Again, there is

minimum exterior lighting to limit night sky pollution. The water consumption has dropped by 40 per cent and, with a water re-cycling plant, the building is now a zero water discharge building.

History

ITC Limited entered the hotel business on October 18, 1975, with the opening of a hotel in Chennai, which was rechristened Hotel Chola [3]. ITC hotels currently owns and operates 100 hotels in 75 destinations.[1] ITC Hotels have a reputation of playing host to visiting royalty and world leaders time and again.[4][5][6]

Its restaurants Bukhara (restaurant), Peshawari, Dakshin, DumPukht and Kebabs & Kurries are well known cuisine brands today.

ITC-Welcomgroup has one of the most extensive art collections in India. A museum of their collection is being planned in Kolkata.

Y C Deveshwar Chairman

Y C Deveshwar (63), an engineering graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi joined ITC Limited in 1968. He was appointed as a Director on the Board of the Company in 1984 and became the Chief Executive and Chairman of the Board on January 1, 1996. Between 1991 and 1994, he led Air India as Chairman and Managing Director.

Under his leadership, ITC’s Sustainability efforts were given shape through unique business models. ITC became the first Indian company to publish its Sustainability Report, 2004 in accordance with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative. For the efforts at creating sustainable livelihood opportunities, ITC also won the inaugural World Business Award instituted jointly by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the HRH Prince of Wales International Business Leader's Forum (IBLF). ITC’s ‘e-Choupal’, a digital infrastructure initiative to empower marginal farmers in India, is taught as a case study at the Harvard Business School. This initiative won the Development Gateway award at Beijing in September 2005 and the Stockholm Challenge Award in May 2006.

Deveshwar is the Past President of the Confederation of Indian Industry. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Indian School of Business and the former Chairman of the Society and Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. He also serves on the National Executive Committees of some of India’s premier trade and industry bodies.

Amongst several awards and recognitions during his distinguished career, Deveshwar has been honoured with the Global Leadership Award 2010 by the U.S.- India Business Council of the US Chamber of Commerce, the SAM/SPG Sustainability Leadership Award 2007 conferred at the International Sustainability Leadership Symposium, the Business Person of the Year Award 2006 by the UK Trade & Investment by His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. In January 2006, he was inducted to the prestigious Hall of Pride at the Indian Science Congress. He was also named the Manager Entrepreneur of the Year 2001 by Ernst & Young.

Nakul Anand Chief Executive of the Hotels Division

Nakul Anand is the Chief Executive of the Hotels Division. An Economics Honours graduate from Delhi University with an AMP degree from Bond University, Australia, he joined ITC Hotels' Management Training Programme in the summer of 1978. In a career that spans over three decades, he has been acknowledged for his vision and commitment.

He is widely recognized for excellent people management and team building abilities besides infusing the spirit of action and a result oriented work culture. He is a firm believer in value based strategies and has created a unique quality control model of Operational Excellence and also introduced Six Sigma quality standards. Nakul Anand has initiated some very innovative concepts in hoteliering making ITC's hotel business synonymous with the best in the world.

ITC brands

ITC Grand Maratha Hotel, Mumbai

Lavasa Fortune Hotel courtyard, Lavasa, Maharashtra.

The group today operates under several distinct brands:

• ITC - Luxury Collection Hotels• WelcomHotel Sheraton Hotels• Fortune Hotels, which has 54 hotels with 4446 rooms in 41 cities across India[8]

• WelcomHeritage Hotels

List of ITC Hotels by Brand

ITC Hotel Luxury Collection

• ITC Maurya , New Delhi

• ITC Mughal, Agra• ITC Maratha, Mumbai• ITC Grand Central, Mumbai• ITC Sonar, Kolkata• ITC Kakatiya, Hyderabad• ITC Windsor, Bangalore• ITC Royal Gardenia, Bangalore

WelcomHotel / Sheraton properties

• Sheraton Chola, Chennai• Sheraton Park Hotel & Towers, Chennai• Sheraton Rajputana, Jaipur• Sheraton New Delhi, New Delhi• WelcomHotel Rama International, Aurangabad• WelcomHotel Vadodara, Vadodara

List of Fortune Hotels

• Fortune Global Select Gurgaon• Fortune Select Palms Chennai• Fortune Select Trinity Bangalor• Fortune Select Exotica Navi Mumbai• Fortune Select Manohar Hyderabad• Fortune Select JP Cosmos [begluru]• Fortune Park Bella Casa Jaipur• Fortune Landmark Ahmedabad• Fortune Landmark Indore• Fortune Park Center Point Jamshedpur• Fortune Hotel The South Park Trivandrum• Fortune Park Calicut Calicut• Fortune Park Galaxy Vapi• Fortune Murali Park Vijaywada• Fortune Park Klassik Ludhiana• Fortune Pandiyan Hotel Madhurai• Fortune Park Panchwati Kolkata• Fortune Fences Tirupati Tirupati• Fortune Resort Bay Island Port Blair• Fortune Resort Sullivan Court Ooty• Fortune Chariot Resort Mahabalipuram• Fortune Resort Central Darjeeling• Fortune Inn Riviera Jammu• Fortune Inn Jukaso Pune• Fortune Inn Sree Kanya Vishakapatnam

Art collection

Art Collection Since 1975, ITC-Welcomgroup has collected a massive bank of art by over 50 artists including some of India’s most important contemporary artists like A.G. Subramanyam, Krishan Khanna, Jatin Das, Ram Kumar, M.F. Hussain, F.N. Souza, J. Swaminathan, Tyeb Mehta, Anjolie Ela Menon, Akbar Padamsee, A. Ramachandran, Satish Gujral, Meera Mukherjee, Jamini Roy, Bikash Bhattacharjee, Sanjay Bhattacharjee, Gopi Gajwani, Biren Dey, Kim Michael, G.R. Santosh and Arpita Singh

Awards and recognition

ITC-Welcomgroup

• ‘ITC Green Centre’ certified by the US Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (USGBC – LEED) is the first largest commercial ‘Platinum Rated’ building in the world.

• ITC-Welcomgroup was adjudged as a Super Brand in the premium hospitality category in 2003-04.

• ITC-Welcomgroup won Today’s Traveler India’s Best Luxury Chain Diamond Award in 2008.

• ITC-Welcomgroup was declared Hewitt Best Employer in India & Asia 2009.

Galileo Express Travel World Award

• ITC-Welcomgroup was declared as the Best Premium Hotel Brand for three consecutive years - 2005-06, 2006-07 & 2007-2008.

• WelcomHeritage won the Award for Best Heritage Chain in India for three consecutive years from 2005 to 2007.

• Fortune Park Hotels Limited was declared the Best First Class Hotel Chain in 2004.

Economic Times Avaya Global Connect Award

• ITC-Welcomgroup was declared The Most Customer Responsive Company (Hotels) in 2006.

The NCPEDP - Shell Helen Keller Award

• ITC-Welcomgroup won the NCEDP ‘Shell Helen Keller Award’ 2008 in

the category ‘Companies / Organisations / Institutions who share our vision and through their policies demonstrate their belief in equal rights and gainful employment for persons with disabilities’.

EHS Awards

• ITC-Welcomgroup won PATA Gold Award in Corporate Environmental Category in 2005.

• ITC Maurya, New Delhi - Environment Champion Hotel of the year in 1997 and 2001-02.

• ITC Kakatiya, Hyderabad FHRAI - The Environment Champion award in 2005• ITC Sonar, Kolkata received Five Star rating in the Environmental Management

System from British Safety Council in 2007• ITC Mughal, Agra won TERI Corporate Environment Award in 2003-04• ITC Maratha, Mumbai won FHRAI Green Champion of the year among Large

Hotels in 2004• ITC Grand Central, Mumbai won FHRAI Award for Green Champion of the year

among Large Hotels in 2008• ITC Maurya, New Delhi India declared by Today Travel Plus Toplist Survey as

the Eco Friendly Hotel in 2008-09

Tourism Awards

• Sheraton New Delhi Hotel won The National Tourism Award - Best Eco Friendly Hotel in 2004-05

• ITC Maurya, New Delhi won National Tourism Award for Best Eco Friendly Hotel 2008

• ITC Grand Central was recognised as the best Private Public Enterprise Providing Facilities for Physically Challenged Persons by Ministry of Tourism in the year 2007-08

ITC Kakatiya, Hyderabad

Location. In Hyderabad's Begumpet neighborhood, this hotel is close to Hussain Sagar and Birla Venkateshwara Temple.

Features.ITC Kakatiya Hyderabad has a health club, an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness facility. Business amenities at this 5.0-star property include a business center and audio-visual equipment. This Hyderabad property has a restaurant, a bar/lounge, and a coffee shop/café. Event facilities consist of conference rooms and banquet facilities. The staff can arrange tour assistance and currency exchange. Additional amenities include a concierge desk, gift shops/newsstands, and a grocery/convenience store.

Guestrooms. ITC Kakatiya Hyderabad has 188 guestrooms. Guestrooms have LCD televisions with cable/satellite channels. Guestrooms provide phones and complimentary newspapers. Guestrooms feature coffee/tea makers. Bathrooms offer hair dryers. Additional amenities include minibars, air conditioning, and in-room safes. In addition, housekeeping is offered and amenities available on request include wake-up calls. Cribs (infant beds) and rollaway beds are available.

FACILITIES: Property

24-hour front desk Arcade/game room ATM/bankingBabysitting or child care Business center ConciergeTravel counter Swimming pool Currency exchangeFitness equipment Laundry facilities Parking(secure)Room service Room service(24 hours) Safe deposit box-front desk

Room Air conditioning-Room Cable/satellite TV Clock radioHair dryer In-room safe Internet access-surchargeIron/ironing board Minibar Refrigerator-RoomTelephone-Room Wakeup-calls Handicap accessible roomsTea Coffee Maker Attached Bathroom

Dublin (At ITC Kakatiya)Address6-802/3, ITC Kakatiya Sheraton & Towers, Greenlands, Begumpet, Hyderabad - 500016 Contact InformationTelephone: 2340-0132, 2339-9042Fax: 2340-1045

Address6-802/3, ITC Kakatiya Sheraton & Towers, Greenlands, Begumpet, Hyderabad - 500016 Contact InformationTelephone: 2340-0132, 2339-9042Fax: 2340-1045

If you want to get out and party but would still like more elbow room than a tin of sardines, and perhaps have a little more privacy than you'll find on a free-for-all dance floor, then Dublin is a pretty good bet. And yes, it is Irish-flavored, which is good luck for a pub, the Irish being notoriously fond of their drink.

So, you'll find, are a lot of people who come here. They fall into two broad categories - either they're fresh-out-of-college-and-working, or slightly older and going steady. Then there are the power-lunch bunches.

Since this pub has five-star rates, thanks to its location at the ITC Sheraton, you'd either have to be making good money and/or be going out with someone who does. Otherwise you're just there to check out the scene, and are not really keen on sticking around. In

which case, Dublin might not interest you too much. People who come here don't usually pub-hop, they're there to stay the evening.

Dublin claims to fix its drinks with original and imported ingredients, using traditional recipes, so you might want to give their margaritas a shot. If you're going dry, we'd recommend the orange-juice-based Calcutta Dawn.

Every Friday, the pub has a new look based on its theme - Mexican, Halloween, and the like. And for all the country music lovers, Wednesday is classics' night. On Saturdays, however, DJ Errol plays all the club hits, and dancers clear a little area near the console to themselves, although there is no official dance floor here. And this usually suits the regulars just fine. As long as they have their snooker table, a cricket match on mute and enough space to chill with friends, they're doing good.

Kaya Kalp the Spa

“Kaya Kalp – a Sanskrit word meaning

Rejuvenation of mind, body and soul.” India’s culture lies at the heart of the Indian experience….. Journey through this majestic land of ancient customs and rituals, and recapture the spiritual and medicinal legacies that have been handed down through the centuries.

India’s rich cultural, spiritual and ancient traditions are intertwined throughout our treatment menu with healing stones, soothing music and the healing hands of the therapist’s that will be effectively integrated into an experience that is relaxing,

rejuvenating and rebalancing to each person on a soul level.

Kaya Kalp also offers western style therapies using luxurious products that are natural but deliver the desired effects, and an array of hair and beauty services.

The spa’s luxurious interior designs will start your sensory journey as soon as you enter with a delightful aroma and relaxing surroundings, you will walk into a haven of peace, tranquility with unparallel luxury.

“A visit promises to deliver a journey of relaxation and rejuvenation through a world of regal luxury and pampering”.

ITC One

The 626sq ft. ITC One rooms are a treat for the eyes and music to the soul. A perfect tribute to the visionaries at the pinnacle of power. The grandeur of space, tastefully furnished, with an air of quiet understated elegance. Sit in the comfort of the air pressure chair, with a hand held body massager watch your particular choice of movies, or relive nostalgia on a professional quality personal music system.

Privileges : Complimentary usage of board room at Towers Club for upto 4 hours subject to availability, Access to exclusive Towers Club Lounge and library with business facilities, Complimentary flight reconfirmation. Choice of complimentary breakfast either in the room or the buffet at Deccan Pavilion.

Kakatiya Towers

The Towers is a perfect blend of luxury, design and functionality. Furnishings with elegant hues of light purple, green and yellow, a plasma TV and with an enhanced service design, the room is the preferred choice of the crème de la crème. An exclusive check in area. Welcomdrink upon arrival awaits you.

Privileges: Complimentary buffet breakfast in coffee shop, Cocktails at Towers Lounge from 1800 - 2000 hours every evening, Complimnetary usage of board room at Towers Lounge subject to availability for 4 hours.

Executive Club Room

The Executive Club rooms are luxurious with a comfortable sitting area and a large writing table. With a size of 340 sq. ft., the room is well designed to suit the requirements of the frequent business traveller.

Privileges : Access to exclusive Executive Club Lounge with business facilities, secretarial services and complimentary Tea/ Coffee service through the day. Cuisine

Deccan Pavilion

The Deccan Pavillion is a 24 hour coffee shop with a difference. Serves ‘mood cuisines’ catering to every mood. Round the clock from a choice of five show kitchens. It has a wide multicuisine buffet spread for Lunch and Dinner apart from A La Carte.

Time: 24 hours

Kebabs and Kurries

The latest branded offering, it has in its harmory not only the clay Owens of Peshwari, the iron tandoor of Hyderabad, the exotic and slow simmered curry preparation of the Dumpukht and the largest offering from the open spit charcoal grilled kebabs, but also the selective offering from its years of research and development. The experience in this Indian Restaurant is not only an eclectic journey through clay ovens, grills and simmering pots of delectable kurries, but also an exploration of the senses of the palate and the delights of the eye which urges you to come again and again.

Time: 12:30PM – 2:45PM, 7:30PM.- 11:45PM.

To learn more about Kebabs and Kurries, please visit our WelcomCuisine section.

Dakshin

Experience the wealth and variety of South Indian cuisine in the Dakshin… from the Deccan heartland to the palm fringed coast. A culinary voyage that takes you from Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) to Goa and ends on the Malabar Coast.

Time: 12:30PM – 2:45PM, 7:30PM.- 11:45PM.

To learn more about Dakshin, please visit our WelcomCuisine section.

In line with ITC's aspiration to be India's premier FMCG company, recognised for its world-class quality and enduring consumer trust, ITC forayed into the Personal Care business in July 2005. In the short period since its entry, ITC has already launched an array of brands, each of which offers a unique and superior value proposition to discerning consumers. Anchored on extensive consumer research and product development, ITC's personal care portfolio brings world-class products with clearly differentiated benefits to quality-seeking consumers.

ITC's Personal Care portfolio under the 'Essenza Di Wills', 'Fiama Di Wills', 'Vivel Di Wills' 'Vivel UltraPro', 'Vivel' and 'Superia' brands has received encouraging consumer response and is being progressively extended nationally.

ITC's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility meets stringent requirements of hygiene and benchmarked manufacturing practices. Contemporary technology and the latest manufacturing processes have combined to produce distinctly superior products which rank high on quality and consumer appeal.

Extensive insights gained by ITC through its numerous consumer engagements have provided the platform for its R&D and Product Development teams to develop superior, differentiated products that meet the consumer's stated and innate needs. The product formulations use internationally recognised safe ingredients, subjected to the highest standards of safety and performance.

List of products & brands

In FMCG, ITC has a strong presence in:

• Cigarettes : W. D. & H. O. Wills, Gold Flake, Navy Cut, Insignia, India Kings, Classic (Verve, Rush, Regular, Mild & Ultra Mild), Silk Cut, Scissors, Capstan, Berkeley, Bristol, Lucky Strike and Flake.

• Foods: (Kitchens of India; Ashirvaad; Minto; Sunfeast; Candyman; Bingo brands in Ready to Eat, Staples, Biscuits, Confectionery and Snack Foods);

• Apparel: (Wills Lifestyle and John Players brands);• Personal care: (Fiama di Wills; Vivel; Essenza di Wills; Superia; Vivel brands of

products in perfumes, haircare and skincare) [2]

• Stationery: (Classmate and Paperkraft brands)• Safety Matches and Agarbattis: [Ship (through ownership of WIMCO); iKno;

Mangaldeep; Aim brands]

Other businesses include:

• Hotels : ITC's hotels (under brands including ITC Hotel /Welcomhotel) have evolved into being India's second largest hotel chain with over 80 hotels throughout the country. ITC is also the exclusive franchisee in India of two brands owned by Sheraton International Inc.- The Luxury Collection and Sheraton which ITC uses in association with its own brands in the luxury 5 star segment. Brands in the hospitality sector owned and operated by its subsidiaries include Fortune and Welcomheritage brands.

• Paperboard, Specialty Paper, Graphic and other Paper;• Packaging and Printing for diverse international and Indian clientele.• Infotech (through its near-wholly owned subsidiary ITC Infotech India Limited

which is a SEI CMM Level 5 company)

Rural initiatives

ITC's Agri-Business is India's second largest exporter of agricultural products. ITC is one of the India's biggest foreign exchange earners (US $ 2 billion in the last decade). The Company's 'e-Choupal' initiative is enabling Indian agriculture significantly enhance its competitiveness by empowering Indian farmers through the power of the Internet. This transformational strategy, which has already become the subject matter of a case study at Harvard Business School, is expected to progressively create for ITC a huge rural distribution infrastructure, significantly enhancing the Company's marketing reach.

The company places computers with Internet access in rural farming villages; the e-Choupals serve as both a social gathering place for exchange of information (choupal means gathering place in Hindi) and an e-commerce hub. What began as an effort to re-engineer the procurement process for soy, tobacco, wheat, shrimp, and other cropping systems in rural India has also created a highly profitable distribution and product design channel for the company—an e-commerce platform that is also a low-cost fulfillment system focused on the needs of rural India. The e-Choupal system has also catalyzed rural transformation that is helping to alleviate rural isolation, create more transparency for farmers, and improve their productivity and incomes.

Corporate philanthropy

ITC Echoupal creatively leverages information technology to set up a meta-market in favour of India's small and poor farmers, who would otherwise continue to operate and transact in 'un-evolved' markets.

As of July 2010, services through 6500 Echoupal across 10 states, reach more than 4 million farmers in about 40,000 villages. Free access to Internet is also opening windows of rural India to the world at large.

ITC eChoupal e-choupal is now being regarded as a reliable delivery mechanism for resource development initiatives. Its potential is being tested through pilot projects in healthcare, educational services, water management and cattle health management with the help of several service providers including non-governmental organizations.

When Classmate notebooks were launched, it came up with the initiative of contributing 1 rupee towards the education of poor children,from every single notebook it sold.

Classmate, has launched a programme called Classmate Ideas for India challenge. The programme would be a part of the company's centenary initiative.[3] The nation-wide programme would invite ideas of the youth, who have the potential to transform India. Classmate Ideas for India challenge plans to reach out to 25 lakh students across 30 cities, 500 schools and 200 colleges across the country.[4]

Forbes ranking

ITC features on the Forbes Global 2000 rankings for 2007 at position 1256 [5].

ITC is the only Indian FMCG company that features on the Forbes Global 2000 rankings for 2009 at position 987.[6]

ITC also featured on the Forbes World's Most reputable Companies List at position 95.

Global and other Honours

• ITC is the first from India and among the first 10 companies in the world to publish its Sustainability Report in compliance (at the highest A+ level) with theest G3 guidelines of the Netherlands-based Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a UN-backed, multistakeholder international initiative to develop and disseminate globally applicable Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.

• ITC is the first Indian company and the second in the world to win the prestigious Development Gateway Award. It won the $100,000 Award for the year 2005 for its trailblazing ITC e-Choupal initiative which has achieved the scale of a movement in rural India. The Development Gateway Award recognizes ITC's e-Choupal as the most exemplary contribution in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for development during the last 10 years. ITC e-Choupal won the Award for the importance of its contribution to development priorities like poverty reduction, its scale and replicability, sustainability and transparency.

• ITC has won the inaugural 'World Business Award', the worldwide business award recognising companies who have made significant efforts to create sustainable livelihood opportunities and enduring wealth in developing countries. The award has been instituted jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the HRH Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF).

• ITC is the first Corporate to receive the Annual FICCI Outstanding Vision Corporate Triple Impact Award in 2007 for its invaluable contribution to the triple bottom line benchmarks of building economic, social and natural capital for the nation.

• ITC has won the Golden Peacock Awards for 'Corporate Social Responsibility (Asia)' in 2007, the Award for ‘CSR in Emerging Economies 2005’ and ‘Excellence in Corporate Governance' in the same year. These Awards have been

instituted by the Institute of Directors, New Delhi, in association with the World Council for Corporate Governance and Centre for Corporate Governance.

• ITC Hotel Royal Gardenia, Bengaluru is the first Indian Hotel and world's largest, to get the LEED Platinum rating - the highest green building certification globally.

• The Stockholm Challenge 2006 for the e-Choupal initiative. This award is for using Information Technology for the economic development of rural communities.

• United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Award at the international conference on Sharing Innovative Agribusiness Solutions 2008 at Cairo for ITC's exemplary initiatives in agri business through the e-Choupal.

• The Corporate Social Responsibility Crown Award for Water Practices from UNESCO and Water Digest for its distinguished work carried out in the water sector in India. ITC also received the National Award for Excellence in Water Management 2007 in the 'beyond the fence' category from the CII Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre for its leadership role in implementing water and watershed management practices.

• The watershed programme also won the Asian CSR Award 2007 for Environmental Excellence given by the Asian Institute of Management. The Award recognizes and honours Asian companies for outstanding, innovative and world-class projects. The Company also received the Ryutaro Hashimoto Incentive Prize 2007 for Environment & Development from the Asia Pacific Forum. This Award aims at promoting information dissemination of good practices towards sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.

• The Readers' Digest Pegasus Award for corporate social responsibility, recognising outstanding work done by socially conscious companies.

• The Corporate Award for Social Responsibility 2008 from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in recognition of its exemplary initiatives in implementing integrated watershed development programmes across 7 states in India. The company also won the award in 2004 for its e-Choupal initiative. The Award provides impetus to sustainable development and encourages ongoing social responsibility processes within the corporate sector.

• The 'Enterprise Business Transformation Award' for Asia Pacific (Apac), instituted by Infosys Technologies and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania for its celebrated e-Choupal initiative.

• The Best Corporate Social Responsibility Practice Award 2008 jointly instituted by the Bombay Stock Exchange, Times Foundation and the NASSCOM Foundation.

• The NASSCOM – CNBC IT User Award 2008 in the Retail & Logistics category. The Company has been recognised for its pro-active and holistic approach to IT adoption and the seamless alignment of IT with business strategy. This is the fourth time that ITC has won Nasscom's Best IT User Award since it was instituted in 2003.

• The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting with its Annual Report and Accounts, adjudged as a commendable entry under the Category 'Manufacturing and Trading Enterprises’.

• The Business Today Award for the Best Managed Company in recognition of its outstanding initiatives in the consumer products segment.