The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) took on the mandate of catalysing industry's involvement in India's social development agenda, in the early 1990's. CII has undertaken a mission of placing these social objectives on every boardroom agenda.

As a part of this process, CII began its HIV/ AIDS prevention and care program in 1996 and workplace intervention programs were initiated by CII for its member companies shortly thereafter.

The Indian Business Trust for HIV/ AIDS was established in the year 2000, to bring focus on the HIV/ AIDS work, to engage the business leadership and provide a forum for convergence, for the Business' response to AIDS. The IBT is headed by Mr. Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Group and consists of CEOs of public and private sector companies.

CII has a commitment to work with the Government and with NGO's to find innovative and effective mechanisms to join hands for programmes and projects.

CII has set up a permanent secretariat, comprising professionals to work in this area, at the Centre, in the Regions, and with one representative office in Washington D. C.

CII and IBT's activities in the response to HIV/ AIDS, are outlined below:

• First, the framing of a HIV/AIDS code for industry, which includes development of a workplace policy for industry and framing of workplace protocols, which are standardized on ISO 9002.
  
  
• Second, implementation of an `AIDS in the Workplace’ programme in companies.
  
  
• Third, a commitment to get all 5000 + member companies of CII to adopt the HIV/ AIDS Policy for Industry. More than 700 members companies of CII have signed on the CII AIDS policy for Industry.
  
  
• Fourth, a CII - AIC (Australia India Council) clinical care training programme for medical professional to enhance their skills while providing care and treatment. 1400 doctors and 550 nurses & lab technicians from 26 cities have been trained as part of this programme, since its inception in 2003.
  
  
• Fifth, partnership projects with NGOs to provide employment and income generation to HIV positive persons (eg paper recycling) and donation of equipment and tools for this purpose.
  
  
• Seventh, establishment of a programme to provide funds and mentoring to assist HIV positive persons to set up micro enterprises.
  
  
• Seventh, setting up of counselling helplines out of CII offices. Two counseling helplines are operational at CII - Lucknow as well as CII - Chandigarh.
  
  
• Eight, advocacy against stigma & discrimination for People Living with HIV/ AIDS through meets, sports activities, walks and other activities.
  
  
• Ninth, a series of large business meets across the country to accelerate business leadership in the area of HIV/AIDS.
  
  
• Tenth, partnerships at the global level with international agencies as well as the Global Business Coalition for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) for advocacy & sharing of best practices, across countries and businesses.
  
  
• Eleventh, mobilizing corporate sector participation in the Government led national programme for enhancing drugs availability, diagnostics facilities, care & support facilities for AIDS patients on Antiretroviral therapy.
  
  CII has in 2004, donated four CD4 machines to the Government hospitals in Kohima, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi.
  
  
• Twelfth, CII as a member of a NGO-private sector consortium, comprising 5 partners, is engaged in a 5 year project to facilitate the setting up of corporate owned / managed care, support & treatment facilities, for patients on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). The corporate ART Centers are unique models of Public Private Partnership, (PPP) where the corporate houses and National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) are partnering to provide access to care and treatment.
  
  Companies that have set up ART centers include: ACC in Wadi, Karnataka; Ballarpur Industries at Chandrapur in Maharashtra and Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing, Vikhroli, Mumbai.
  
  ACC together with Christian Medical College (CMC) is to set up a center at CMC, Vellore. Others on the anvil include: Bajaj Auto in Pune, Reliance Industries in Patalganga, Maharashtra and Larsen and Toubro in Andheri, Mumbai.
  
  The project is supported under Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB & Malaria (GFATM) Round 4. The ART centres cater to the community in the districts where they are located.
  
  
• Thirteenth, under the same programme, CII/ IBT along with the India Development Foundation (IDF) developed a biometric "Health Smart Card"; to deal with the problem faced in delivery of treatment services. Following the successful feasibility study if the Health Smart Card, this system will soon be replicated across the nation.
  
  
• Fourteenth, to reach to the IT and ITeS sector, CII/IBT and World Bank Institute (WBI) commenced a project in May 2007, on advocating and facilitating HIV/AIDS workplace intervention programmes especially addressing stigma and discrimination
  
  
• Fifteenth, in order to reach to one of the high-risk behavior groups - the migrant labourers, a pilot project - 'HIV/AIDS intervention amongst the unorganized migrant labour of the construction industry', has been initiated in village Badshahpur, Gurgaon. The time period is two years. The project partners include SREI Infrastructure Finance and Modicare Foundation.