On September 18, World Water Monitoring Day, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) announced that it has bagged the ‘Excellence in Water Management’ award at the CII-SR EHS Excellence Awards. 

The award was presented by Ms. Vedha Murali, Head - Task Forces on Holistic Sustainability, ESG Agenda, Embracing Energy Transition & CII-SR EHS Excellence Awards - CII, and A Mohammed, Jury of the Competitions, during a ceremony in Chennai, to senior TKM executives. The jury appreciated Toyota’s sustainable water management practices and commitment to lead by example in the automotive industry. 

TKM, through multiple efforts, has reduced its freshwater dependency by 89% in its manufacturing process for FY2022. Further to the strategies developed to optimise water usage in production process, efforts were made to reduce water usage for domestic needs as well through the installation of lowest water footprint aerators for existing taps, automatic dish washers for utensils and utilization of rainwater for domestic usage. Through these efforts the company reduced dependency on river water by 65 percent. Moreover, in its pursuit to achieve excellence in water management, a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant allowing up to 70-85% of wastewater reuse and establishing water harvesting systems has resulting the ground water improvement from 80 ft in 2014 to 26 ft in 2022. 

The award by CII, primarily recognizes and honours, excellence in the realm of water management, celebrating those who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and innovation in water conservation efforts. Furthermore, it seeks to foster knowledge exchange among industries and organizations, encouraging the dissemination of best practices to enhance efficiency and sustainability. Lastly, the award spotlights the significant role of technology development and adoption in advancing water management and practices across diverse sectors. 

B Padmanabha, Associate Executive Vice-President, Manufacturing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “At Toyota Kirloskar Motor, we view this award as a recognition of our unwavering dedication to sustainability and conservation. Our commitment to efficient water management goes beyond just compliance, it is an integral part of our ethos. We firmly believe that as a leading player in the automotive industry, it is our responsibility to set an example by adopting cutting-edge technologies and innovative practices to preserve and protect our invaluable water resources. This award further inspires us to continue pushing the boundaries in sustainable water management, while also sharing our knowledge and experiences with others in our industry for a bright future.”