Brembo Remains Committed to India

Brembo is a group that has strong ties to the territories in which it operates and in which it always integrates successfully, paying constant attention to the needs of the same and concretely supporting the local communities in the greatest areas of social need through projects and initiatives.

There are five areas of operation where Brembo’s efforts are focused: social and the protection of children, education, training and research, art and culture, sport, social projects in the world.

Concerning this last area of operation, Brembo’s desire to be an active protagonist in the countries that have the greatest social need and where the group is present with its production plants is manifested in the social projects “Casa del Sorriso” and “I was a Sari”, where Brembo has the role of direct promoter of the initiatives through collaboration with the non-profit world.

“Casa del Sorriso” and “I was a Sari” are social projects of the group that Cristina Bombassei, Group Chief CSR Officer, visited recently with the Brembo Brake India team.

I was a Sari

A Sari is a traditional Indian garment for women that has been a key element of the local culture for centuries. “I was a Sari” is one of the projects that Brembo has sponsored since 2015. The initiative was launched by an Italian businessman, Stefano Funari, with the aim of improving the living conditions of Indian women belonging to the most disadvantaged social classes.

Cristina Bombassei explains, “The women of ‘I was a Sari’ hand craft fashion accessories – necklaces, bracelets, bags, wraps – using recycled Sari cloth and premium fabric that is selected and inspected by the women who work in the new Mumbai logistics center. We visited the center on our first stop of the trip, together with the Brembo Brake India team, representatives of CESVI, and Stefano Funari.”

In the logistics area, immersed in the unique colors of the fabric, the women select the cloth, inspect the quality, and cut the best Sari fabric that will be transformed into the fashion collection. The products made in the three tailoring centers are then stored in the logistics center where custom labels with a description of the project are affixed. Afterwards, the products are shipped to customers.

The Casa del Sorriso

In 2017, the Casa del Sorriso was opened out of collaboration between Brembo and CESVI, a non-governmental organization committed to supporting development and fighting poverty. The Casa del Sorriso offers support to women and children who are in highly vulnerable situations. The complex is composed of a service center hub located inside a masonry building in Bibwedi and three educational centers for children and youth in dilapidated slum areas just outside of Pune.  The local NGO, Swadhar, operates in this services and educational centers hub, coordinating activities of psychological support, education and training in the territory of children and youth who attend our classes daily; legal guidance, medical-health assistance, career coaching for women and support programs for young mothers.

“I met a group of children and young people from 3 to 12 years of age in the three centers of Papalwasti, Upper Otta and Rajiv Gandhi Nagar”, Cristina Bombassei recounted – “and looking at their facial expressions, their smiles, their eyes full of energy and a desire to learn, I felt like we are on the right path, a concrete path to help them in their growth and education.”   The new objective is now to replicate the project in the Pimpri area, closer to the Brembo plant, and to create a more ambitious project to open an actual Brembo Village.

“A modular village – Cristina Bombassei explained – that can grow over time, where school classrooms and professional training areas will be set up as mechanical laboratories and a tailor shop with “I was a Sari” for the youth who live in difficult conditions.” Cristina Bombassei concludes, “As I travel back to Italy, in my mind’s eye I once again see the faces and smiles of all the people I met – children, young people, adults. I think again about the red Brembo uniforms worn by the children in the Casa del Sorriso, their large and piercing eyes, their smiles, full of gratitude and desirous to learn… every smile is a goal achieved… I think there is much to do, beginning with training and instruction, but today I feel like, with our project, we have put down strong roots that we hope will soon grow into a strong tree that will bear good fruit.”

Source: Brembo