Oracle entered India in 1987 and set up an India Development Centre in 1994. Today, Oracle has two India Development Centres at Bangalore, Hyderabad and Noida as well as Indian hubs for Oracle's global support, consulting and financial services operations. Oracle is one of the largest multi-national software employers in India. Oracle India has grown to over 24,000 employees across the country with a technology network, which has over 400,000 Indian software developers. Through its extensive network of more than 400 channel and alliance partners under the Oracle PartnerNetwork, Oracle India markets the complete range of Oracle products and services across India. Oracle India has more than 7,000 customers in the telecommunications, banking, insurance, manufacturing, life sciences and utilities industries, across the government and private sector. Oracle India is a major partner for E-Governance initiatives of Central and State Government bodies in India. The Oracle-HP E-Governance Centre of Excellence, Oracle Asia R & D Centre and Partner Solution Center are located at Oracle India's head office in Gurgaon, near New Delhi. Oracle's Retail Centre of Excellence is located in Bangalore.

Oracle Volunteers - Hyderabad, India

Oracle employees have a strong interest in community involvement. This interest is the driving force behind Oracle's corporate volunteer program. Established in 1991, Oracle Volunteers creates opportunities for Oracle employees to actively address social needs and make a measurable, positive impact in the community. Oracle Volunteers support employee volunteerism in our offices around the world. Local projects are organized and coordinated by a committee of employee volunteers and are designed to offer employees the opportunity to work in partnership with area non-profit organizations to help address a variety of community needs.

Oracle Volunteers engaged in recreational activities with children

Team of Oracle Volunteers

• Non Formal Education (NFE) for the underprivileged youth and fund raising for them, so that they can have access to better education.
• Numerous group activities and group discussions for the disabled for raising their awareness levels
• Spending quality time with the following different sections of society and conducting various activities for them.
  • Young at risk. Street Children, Orphaned/Abandoned kids
  • Specially Challenged individuals
  • Child Laborers
  • Abandoned Senior Citizens
  • HIV Infected kids
• The activities include:
  • Education
  • Fun Fairs
  • Sporting Events
  • Outings to Educational/Recreational places

HIV/AIDS Initiatives:

Oracle Volunteer's works closely with the Freedom Foundation as part of their annual celebration of employee volunteerism, Oracle Global Volunteer Days (GVD).

Freedom Foundation's de-addiction (Substance Abuse) home has the highest recovery rate in the country at 49% while its HIV/AIDS facility is considered a Nodal Centre to be replicated in the rest of the country. Oracle volunteer's association with Freedom Foundation started with GVD 2004. It is here that they got involved with the project DIYA. DIYA was born out of the need to accommodate HIV+ kids in a separate facility given the fact that young kids have their own specialized needs. Currently, DIYA has around 28 kids in the age group between 15 months and 12 years. Except for two, the rest are all orphans. Of the 28, 22 attend a private school daily and some of them are top rank holders in their class.

Numerous recreational activities are carried out with the HIV+ children:

• Excursions to the theme parks thrice in a year
• Co-curricular activities with the children at weekends and giving them exposure to everyday activities like shopping, going out for movies. These help in stigma reduction.
• Celebrating major festivals and children's birthdays

Apart from recreational activities, Oracle volunteers, also help in their academics through Non Formal Education (NFE). The rationale behind engaging in these activities is to fill the gaping hole that lack of interaction with the outside world leaves in the lives of these children.

At the workplace: Oracle employees also are engaged into awareness drives at their own workplace. In 2003, an AIDS awareness run was organised at Narayanguda in association with Prayas for the employees. Each year oracle employees wear red ribbon on 1^st December, World AIDS Day to show solidarity in fighting against HIV/AIDS. Last year, Ms Mondira Jaisimha was invited to talk about HIV/AIDS and its prevention and care and treatment aspect. The idea was also to clarify myths and misconceptions about the disease.

For more related information contact:
Mr. Raghuram Jagarapu,
President, Oracle Volunteers Club,
Oracle India Private Limited,
Building No. 8, Raheja Mindspace,
Hitech City, Madhapur,
Hyderabad - 500081
Phone: 040 - 66111576