Page 56 - MASALA Magazine Vol.15 Issue 8 | December - January 2025

With pride, he explains that the company I learn that their compassion extends to Aloke recalls how the team acted swiftly In
thrives as an extension of the Lohia family, helping prisoners in Thailand, especially Lopburi, where their PET and wool sites as

where ethics and purpose are paramount. female convicts who nd themselves in dire well as employees’ homes were underwater.
straits. And in Bangkok, they provide essential Despite the devastation and immense losses to
“Our reputation is tied not just to our name medical supplies such as wheelchairs and their own operations, Suchitra ew in to help

but to the relationships we build and the crutches to people who lack the simplest build kitchens and supply twice-daily free
contributions we make to society. That is the necessities. Meanwhile, in Hua Hin on the meals for months. In an extraordinary gesture,
heart and soul of Indorama Ventures.”
Burmese border, they brought light – literally all employees received their salaries until
What kind of community work does – to a government school with no electricity. the oodwaters subsided and the factories
Indorama Ventures do? Installing solar panels not only powered the were rebuilt. In more recent years, the
school but also allowed students to use their company sponsored the ultramodern cycling
“It’s not just about doing business; it’s about government-provided computers for the rst track around Suvarnabhumi International

giving back,” Aloke says. “From spearheading time. They also built the school’s rst library, Airport, a multi-million-baht investment that

global recycling education initiatives to a treasure trove of knowledge for 200 students. is purely about giving back to the community.
supporting underprivileged communities Aloke hands me a gold-framed picture of the
in Thailand, the company’s impact is far- Listening with admiration to their initiatives cycling track’s inauguration, replete with now-
reaching. We are deeply rooted in the belief that span continents, I learn that in Ghana King Rama X alongside Indorama Ventures
that business must serve a higher purpose,” they promote STEM education using kits that representatives.
he adds. allow children to build windmills. Closer to
home in Thailand, another project provides The company’s CSR efforts extend to
While showing me pictures of the incredible life-saving surgery for kids with cleft palates, supporting activities that help position
community work that Indorama Ventures while the organisation has supplied clean Thailand on the world stage. This year, they
has been doing for years, each of which water to countless villages across the country. sponsored the Thai Amateur Weightlifting
speaks a thousand words, Aloke walks me Their response to the devastating oods in Association, which contributed to Thailand’s

through their Corporate Social Responsibility 2011, which submerged much of northern medals haul at the 2024 Summer Olympics,
(CSR) and sustainability programmes. These Bangkok, is particularly moving. and they regularly sponsor Bangkok’s annual
initiatives, he explains, are central to the International Festival of Dance & Music.
company’s purpose of ‘reimagining chemistry
together to create a better world.’ I ask him
if this includes his recycling initiatives and
global waste management programmes, of
which there are plenty, and he kindly corrects
me: “Recycling is our job. But what we do
for the community is beyond our business of
recycling and waste management.”
His team, who have joined the conversation,
describes with no small amount of awe, the
company’s CSR programmes, which help
communities that surround the company’s
many sites, both local and global. In Texas,
where some of their largest plants are found,
their “Fish-o-Rama” events raised USD
750,000 in 2023 to support local scholarships Thonburi Lace - In 1959, Mr. Mohan Lal Lohia and his business partner, Mr. Bhagat Singh
in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Sethi, founded Thonburi Lace, a textile and lace manufacturing company,
and Mathematics (STEAM) education. in Bangkok. Here, they watch a Royal entourage from the sidelines.
In Rayong, the company found a creative
solution to manage the surplus of mangosteens
and rambutans produced by local farmers.
The site team buys the excess produce,
distributes it to employees, and ensures the

community bene ts from additional revenue.
“It’s a simple and effective way to support
livelihoods, reduce waste, and give back to
our people,” Aloke explains.
His team also outline the work of the separate

IVL Foundation, a non-pro t organisation
co-founded by Aloke and his wife, which they
describe as “pure philanthropy – helping for
the sake of helping. It serves those who are
extremely underprivileged, poor, and abused,”
they tell me with pride.

Suchitra Lohia presents a gift to a child bene ciary of the IVL Foundation - Since 2019,
the IVL Foundation has supported Operation Smile Thailand by helping to fund surgery
| MASALA MAGAZINE DEC JAN for people with cleft palates.