HCLTech Expands Climate Action Grant Programme to 24 Countries with $1.25 Million Allocation

IT major HCLTech announced on Tuesday the expansion of its flagship Climate Action Grant programme to 24 countries. The initiative aims to back a wider pool of non-profit organisations (NPOs) that are working to combat climate change and restore ecosystems and biodiversity.

The company originally launched the HCLTech Grant for Climate Action in the Americas in 2023 to support locally relevant solutions to pressing environmental issues. At the time, the company committed $5 million over a five-year period to eligible NPOs across 10 countries in the Americas and has disbursed $3 million over the past three editions.

Following the response to the regional initiative, HCLTech is taking the programme global. The 24 countries included in the expanded scope are Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, the UK, the US, and Vietnam.

As part of this global rollout, the winners will be announced on June 5, 2027, following a screening process. The primary winner will receive $500,000, while three runners-up will each be awarded $250,000, bringing the total commitment for this cycle to $1.25 million.

Dr Nidhi Pundhir, Global Head of CSR at HCLTech, commented on the development, stating that great ideas can emerge from any community and that solutions developed in one region can create possibilities elsewhere. She noted that the global grant has evolved from experiences in India and the Americas, serving as a platform to support locally rooted ideas and help high-potential solutions scale their impact.

In addition to the grant programme, HCLTech maintains broader corporate sustainability targets. The company has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. It has also been featured in TIME's World's Most Sustainable Companies list for two consecutive years, while retaining an EcoVadis Gold rating and an MSCI AA (Leader) ESG rating for the second year in a row in FY26.

Domestically, the company's corporate social responsibility initiatives are delivered through the HCL Foundation in India. According to the company, these programmes have impacted over 8.8 million lives—with 54 per cent of beneficiaries being women—planted over 3.6 million saplings, greened 74,000 acres of land, and harvested more than 155 billion litres of water.

"HCLTech's decision to take its Climate Action Grant global demonstrates how large technology enterprises can effectively institutionalise sustainability commitments beyond their core business operations. By allocating structured funding across 24 countries and tying it to measurable environmental outcomes, the company is creating a sustainable framework for supporting grassroots non-profit innovations. For businesses scaling globally, integrating targeted corporate social responsibility with long-term ecological goals like net-zero targets builds enduring institutional value and stakeholder trust." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes