Deutsche Bank and Swades Foundation have announced a CSR initiative by which 40,000 fruit-bearing trees will be planted in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.

The initiative marks 40 years since Deutsche Bank opened its first branch in India (in Mumbai) and also four years of a successful corporate social responsibility (CSR) partnership with Swades Foundation in Raigad district.

“Supporting small-scale agriculture has a significant impact on reducing rural poverty as it offers the most direct route for people in rural areas to benefit from land and labour – their principal assets,” said Kaushik Shaparia, Chief Country Officer, Deutsche Bank India. “We’re confident that our partnership with Swades Foundation will meaningfully transform the lives of people in Raigad district.”

Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Deutsche Bank and Swades Foundation have together distributed over 11,000 grocery and daily essentials kits in rural homes in Raigad since April.