Bangalore, India – June 4, 2010: With World Environment Day just around the corner, ThoughtWorks has launched an initiative to plant 1,000 saplings over the next one year to help restore Bangalore’s greenery. Of late, Bangalore has undergone unprecedented growth which has, in turn, had profound effects on the climate in the city. While this growth cannot be stopped or hindered, steps can be taken to restore Bangalore to its former verdant glory. ThoughtWorks is determined to be an active agent in this restoration. This project is being carried out as part of “ThoughtWorks’ Social Impact Program”, headed by Rohit Bansal.

Praveen M, a developer at ThoughtWorks, is driving this initiative, and over the next 12 months, ThoughtWorks will provide all the necessary logistical support like buying saplings, tree-guards, digging tools, etc. The intent is to partner with resident associations and NGOs to ensure that once the saplings are planted, they will be nurtured on a regular basis.

When asked for the motivation behind this effort, Rohit said, "We want to demonstrate how easy it is to plant a tree in the hope that every resident will commit to growing at least two trees around his or her home, and thus participate in rebuilding a green Bangalore. We want to reach a state whereby for every tree chopped down in the name of development, citizens plant at least 10 trees in its place." The first leg of tree-planting took place on May 26 at Puravankara Park, Domlur, and it will continue to take place in different locations all over Bangalore till the end of the year. However, to take advantage of the monsoon season, most of the saplings will be planted within the next few months.

The ThoughtWorks Social Impact Program is a focused approach to build collaborative and mutually bene¬ficial professional relationships with socially responsible organizations by providing expertise in the latest technologies, and rich experience in various fields. In addition to this, the program also supports other CSR initiatives. ThoughtWorks is passionate about upholding humanitarian values and being socially responsible citizens.