Regions: INDIA

#SpeakUp Campaign

INDIA (2020)

To highlight the pertinent issues faced by women around the globe, which were heightened due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, we organized a series of conversations with stellar Penguin authors, hosted by journalist Pragya Tiwari. The spectacular panel of authors puts the spotlight on topical and relevant themes, which aim to support women by way of empowering them with information, building awareness in the community, and opening doors to more such pathbreaking conversations. In conversation with Tiwari over five distinct episodes, our authors addressed wide-ranging concerns. Sohaila Abdulali and Samra Zafar addressed the issue of domestic violence and sexual abuse, while Kavita Krishnan discussed the idea of women’s safety and personal freedom. Economic journalist Puja Mehra talked about the economy and finance in the context of the current global environment, and Shiromi Pinto spoke on why women artists and architects are often forgotten. To learn more, click here and here.

DK’s Sustainability Working Party

DK’s global Sustainability Working Party was created to deliver plans on sustainability as volunteers from our offices around the world meet monthly to create and execute our global strategy. The meetings also act as a forum to discuss ideas that will drive forward sustainability initiatives. We also have local colleague-led Green committees dedicated to encouraging sustainable behaviors among colleagues, including reducing printing and single-use plastic. These committees also participate in local and global events throughout the year to raise awareness about environmental causes, such as Earth Day and World Environment Day.

DK’s Green Pledge

At DK, we care deeply about an ethical supply chain and taking positive actions beyond that of a publisher. Our Green Pledge was launched in early 2020 and pulls together all the important work we do to maintain an ethical supply chain, and the positive steps we are planning for the future. Our work is split into four key areas—materials, environment, safety, and sustainable supply chains—and these will continue to be the focus of our efforts. Our Green Pledge acts as an essential framework for our processes, identifying what we have achieved so far in our sustainability goals and what our next steps will be to maintain an ethical supply chain. To learn more about the pledge, click here.

Partnership to Build Access to Education

INDIA (2019)

In 2019, we partnered with Agrasar, a Gurugram-based NGO that works with disadvantaged communities in India, and the Community Library Project, a Delhi-based reading project for children that focuses on building community libraries in the country. Their Learning Program is a low-cost, volunteer-driven citizen initiative. They work with disadvantaged communities, especially children, providing them access to a range of books and encouraging reading. We sponsored a reading fluency program for approximately 150 children from local village areas, helping them enhance their speed and reading accuracy, thereby honing their creative imagination and reading skills. This enabled kids to be more confident readers, accelerate their reading rate, and enjoy longer and more complex books. The children’s progress exceeded expectations in both fluency and accuracy. Many readers became skilled and confident to read longer, more age-appropriate books.

Birthday Celebration for Sudha Murty

INDIA (2019)

In August 2019, we launched a monthlong integrated campaign to celebrate iconic bestselling writer Sudha Murty’s 69th birthday, highlighting not only her writing but also Murty herself. A literary gem, Murty writes about a variety of topics that are contextual and relatable, and we wanted to pay tribute to her written work and humanitarian spirit. We created a complete collection of all her books for adults and children called the Sudha Murty Library, donating several sets to five public libraries as well as to the Community Library Project, which establishes free community libraries in underserved communities. We also created special, exclusive collectibles to be sold at bookstores across India that showcased her books and decorated their shops to highlight the writer all month long. To learn more, click here.