NewsVoir
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 9: Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India, the Global Capability Centers (GCCs) of Allianz Group in India, celebrated the landmark achievement as their Plastic Waste-Free Rivers Project - a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, crossed the milestone of recovering over 1,000 tons of plastic waste from Thiruvananthapuram's rivers and waterways over four years, preventing it from reaching the Arabian Sea. This is equivalent to removing 50 million plastic bottles from the city's waterbodies - if kept end-to-end, the bottles would stretch to 12,000 km which exceeds the coastline of India. The milestone was formally announced at an event held in Thiruvananthapuram, graced by an august gathering of dignitaries such as P.K. Kunhalikutty, Minister for Industries, IT, AI and Startups, Adv. Mons Joseph, Minister for Water Resources, K M Shaji, Minister for Local Self Government, Adv. V V Rajesh, Mayor of the Corporation of Trivandrum, V Muraleedharan, Member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly (Kazhakoottam constituency), Jison John, MD & CEO, Allianz Services India, Jayant Tulsiani, Branch Head India, Allianz Technology SE.
Since its launch in 2022, This four-year journey has been entirely funded by Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India, who have together invested more than INR 5 crores (EUR 500,000) from CSR funds in the project.
"Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in Kerala are not merely engines of economic growth - they are responsible corporate citizens who invest in the communities and ecosystems that sustain them. This milestone also reinforces a powerful message to global investors: Kerala's industrial growth is inseparable from its commitment to environmental excellence," said P K Kunhalikutty, Minister for Industries, IT, AI and Startups.
"What makes the Plastic Waste-Free Rivers Project particularly commendable is its sustained, systematic approach," said Adv. Mons Joseph, Minister for Water Resources. "I urge corporates, local bodies, and citizens alike to draw inspiration from this model," he added.
"I call upon our Panchayats, Municipalities, and the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram to draw inspiration from this model and deepen their collaboration with initiatives of this nature," said K.M Shaji, Minister for Local Self Government.
"Reaching the 1,000 ton milestone is incredibly meaningful for Allianz - every piece of plastic removed from rivers is one less harming the ocean. It reflects a clear conviction: to protect biodiversity and ocean health, we must act upstream. This is about more than cleanup - it's about lasting change: creating jobs, raising awareness, and transforming how communities manage waste. But we are only at the beginning. Preventing plastic pollution at scale requires deeper collaboration, systemic solutions and long-term commitment - because caring for tomorrow means protecting the ecosystems that sustain life today," said Barbara Karuth-Zelle, Member of the Board of Management (Responsible for Allianz Services and Allianz Technology) and Group COO, Allianz SE.
The Plastic Waste-Free Rivers Project deploys low-cost floating barriers called TrashBooms to intercept plastic waste in rivers and urban waterways. Today, 15 TrashBoom systems operate across critical sites - including Thampanoor thodu, Ulloor thodu, Pattom thodu, Thekkinakara canal, Amayizhanchan thodu, Karamana river, Killi river, Kariyil thodu, and Thettiyar canal - collecting and removing plastic waste daily. Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India run this initiative in association with NGO partners Thanal Trust and Sustera Foundation, deploying technology from Plastic Fischer, Germany. The project provides local employment and is supported by three Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) at Injakkal, Venpalavattom and Vallakadavu, managed by Plastic Fischer's team of 23 professionals responsible for recovery, transportation, segregation and shipping. Collected non-recyclable plastic is transported to the Thiruvananthapuram MRFs and subsequently co-processed at the plants of Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited in Tamil Nadu, while recyclable plastic is repurposed locally, including into TrashBins now installed at Veli Beach.
Globally, nine million tons of plastic reach the oceans every year. In Thiruvananthapuram, 79% of debris on major water banks is plastic, and the Karamana and Killi rivers have the highest microplastic densities in the region. Without intervention, plastic is projected to outweigh fish in the world's oceans by 2050 - a stark reality that makes this milestone all the more significant.
In 2025, Allianz Services India and Allianz Technology India launched grassroots-level programs in Puthenthope, Kadinamkulam and Veli, in association with NGO partners Thanal Trust and Sustera Foundation, marking a strategic shift towards preventive waste management by extending impact from interception to behaviour change and early intervention. The initiative encourages visitors, local merchants, and residents to dispose of waste responsibly. Employees regularly collaborate with NGO partners to undertake beach cleanup drives and awareness campaigns, while close collaboration with the Corporation of Thiruvananthapuram and the Government of Kerala (Departments of Local Self Government and Water Resources) ensures the initiative complements local governance efforts.
This achievement demonstrates that Thiruvananthapuram-based GCCs are driving environmental initiatives with measurable outcomes through corporate citizenship. The 15 sites span critical urban waterways surrounding Technopark and key industrial zones, and by removing massive plastic blockages, this industry-led initiative helps local authorities mitigate urban flood risks, protecting tech infrastructure and enhancing the liveability index that attracts global talent to the city. The project has also earned endorsement from the UN Ocean Decade. What began in Thiruvananthapuram is now being replicated by others in Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kanpur, and Varanasi - demonstrating that structured, long-term action backed by strong partnerships can deliver real, scalable impact.
Allianz established its Global Capability Centers (GCCs) as one of the early tenants of Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram. They are among the first GCCs in Kerala and today employ over 6,600 professionals, making Thiruvananthapuram Allianz's largest GCC location by headcount globally. Allianz Services is the AI-powered value accelerator for Allianz Group, one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers and, Allianz Technology India is a key delivery center for Allianz Technology and a strategic hub within the Allianz Group's global IT and digital transformation strategy.
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