From as early as 1975, Tata Power identified, empathized and took over a cause for a species that was on a steady decline, the Mahseer a freshwater fish, which is popular the world over for being an outstanding game fish. Once available in great numbers in the Himalayan Rivers, its population has declined by about 50% due to loss of habitat, poaching and indiscriminate fishing. Taking cognizance of the alarming decline in the population of Mahseer, Tata Power took upon itself to draw attention to the threat posed to Mahseer from as early as 1975. A Mahseer breeding hatchery was set up in Maharashtra to breed the fish artificially and distribute its fingerlings to other states in India to ensure an even growth.

In 2015, the ‘Act for Mahseer’ campaign was conceptualized to highlight Tata Power’s commitment to save the mighty fish, encourage participation and engagement of key stakeholders and augment the conservation agenda. Besides building public empathy for saving Mahseer, we had to position Tata Power as an eco-friendly company that undertakes green initiatives that go above and beyond its CSR mandate. Tata Power was named as India’s second biggest company for CSR and sustainability program, with over 180 print media stories in CAT A publications and magazines across the country, hundreds of people signed the pledge to save the Mahseer on the campaign’s microsite.