Lok Sabha elections: Corporate India steps up to make every vote count

From offering free rides and paid leaves to launching ad campaigns, companies are going all out to encourage voting

On April 19, Phase 1 of the 18th Lok Sabha elections witnessed a voter turnout of about 65.5 per cent for 102 seats, marking a decline from the 2019 turnout of 70 per cent. While the election commission has collaborated with various organisations to boost voter participation, corporate India, too, is doing its bit by launching a slew of initiatives – from offering paid leave and work from home to advertising through personalised emails, multiplex screenings, and radio collaborations to energising citizens to head for the polling booths on voting day.

From Dabur India’s strategic radio collaborations to Shree Cement’s patriotic rallying cry of “Vote solid, desh solid” featuring actor Sunny Deol, companies are going all out to encourage voting. Flipkart, too, has jumped into the fray, offering paid leaves on voting days, while fitness firm Fittr is extending flexible work hours to ensure employees can cast their ballots.

 

“We have tied up with 40 radio broadcasting stations across the country to run public service campaigns,” says Prashant Agarwal, marketing head-health supplements, Dabur India. The campaign, apart from encouraging people to vote, urges them to beat the heat this poll season with their product, Glucoplus-C. “The idea behind running ads on radio is to ensure that the appeal reaches maximum people, especially in the northern and eastern states, which will be facing extreme heat waves during the election period,” Agarwal adds.

Besides its “Vote solid, desh solid” campaign, which aligns with its brand Bangur Cement, Shree Cement has also introduced a “Vote ka Vachan” pledge on its website. “For every pledge made, we will donate 1 kilogramme of Bangur Cement by tying up with non-governmental organisations and self-help groups,” says Neeraj Akhoury, managing director, Shree Cement.

To grab the attention of young voters, online dating platform Tinder and digital music service Spotify, too, have taken centre stage. Tinder has launched in-app-stickers such as “voting partner needed”, “first-time voter”, and “I voted” for users to display on their profiles, while Spotify has partnered with the Election Commission of India to start the “play your part” campaign, an on-platform hub featuring playlists to soundtrack the voting process.

Bike service Rapido, which offered free bike rides to voters during Phase 1, says it will continue to do so across 79 cities in 23 states and Union Territories. The service is open to all. The user simply has to type a one-time code, "VOTENOW", for a free ride to the polling booth. 

“Our goal is to not only encourage employees but also enable them to vote,” says a Rapido spokesperson.

Ahmedabad-based financial management firm MP Financial Services has launched a public interest advertisement. “The ad is being played in theatres and multiplexes during movie breaks to encourage people to vote and contribute to creating a thriving democracy,” says Mihir Parikh, founder and chief executive officer, MP Financial Services

India Inc has also stepped up for employees posted in locations other than their voting centres. “All employees are given special leave to vote as per their office base. Colleagues who need to travel from their official location to their voting constituency can also avail of this after informing their performance manager,” says KPMG India spokesperson. Tata Consultancy Services, meanwhile, says it will adhere to the guidelines shared by the Election Commission.

The Representation of People Act, 1951, requires businesses and establishments within the voting area to declare a holiday on polling day. Consequently, employees are entitled to a paid holiday without salary deductions. Since these elections are the first after the Covid pandemic, the ease of work from home is also enabling many employees to exercise their voting rights.

Says Priyanka Khandelwal, head of people management at Fittr: “We are offering flexible work arrangements, including time off and work from home to our employees. We are also sending personalised emails to our customers” with information regarding the elections and encouraging them to vote.

At IT services firm Happiest Minds Technologies, leaders in the firm are spearheading various campaigns like “Ink Your Finger”, “Exercise Your Right”, and “Participate in the Largest Festival of Democracy”. Venkatraman Narayanan, managing director and chief financial officer, Happiest Minds Technologies, says, “We want to lead by example,” adding that they have updated options in their human resource management system to make the leave process smoother during elections.

Highlighting the sense of community, Shree Cement’s Akhoury says, “We have collaborated with local authorities and block offices, and arranged camps to facilitate Voter ID cards for first-time voters.” He adds that the initiative extends not only to the staff and their families but also to nearby areas wherever they have a factory across India.

Engineering solutions firm Applied Materials has declared a paid holiday at all its office locations including Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Mumbai, and Pune on voting dates. Provision has been made for those who have to travel to their constituencies, says Abhay Singh, senior director, HR, Applied Materials India.

Flipkart and mobile marketing platform InMobi, too, are offering flexible work hours, paid leaves and making provisions for employees to travel to their constituencies. “Employees may take a leave of absence to vote in case their work location is different,” says Sahil Mathur, chief human resources officer (People and Culture), InMobi Group. While Flipkart’s office in Bengaluru is closed on voting day, it is offering paid leaves to those who may have to travel to vote.