Main policies and initiatives in effect:
- Closing the digital divide: the core of Indra’s community work strategy
- University chairs for research into assistive technology: collaborations with universities for the development of technology for the disabled
- Corporate volunteering: community work projects in which our employees get involved.
- Institutional relations: Indra’s statement on its relations with governments.
- Indra and lobby groups: Indra’s statement on its position on lobby groups.
- Indra and tax havens: Indra’s statement on its business operations in nations considered tax havens.
By carrying on our core business activities we have a positive impact on society, creating jobs directly and indirectly.
We also create jobs for skilled sector professionals, contributing to the social and economic development of the communities where we do business.
Digital divide
As a global player in the Technology business, Indra believes it is vital to clearly state its position on the digital divide and to be publicly accountable for its efforts on this front, as this is an area where it can make a decisive contribution as a business.
What is the digital divide?
The digital divide refers to the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology such as internet, mobile handsets and other devices and those with limited or no access at all.
It encompasses the imbalance in the resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen, i.e., the gap in the access of various social groupings to information and knowledge.
Lastly, the term digital divide is sometimes used to refer to differences between groups with access to high-quality digital content and those without such access.
Although the digital divide usually stems from gaps existing prior to advent of the technology itself, the companies and entities working in the IT field play a fundamental role in narrowing it.
Reasons for our mission to reduce the divide.
Indra, as a global player, operates in markets where the digital divide varies significantly in scale. Our goal is to try and minimise this gap. The very nature of our emerging technology solutions and services defines their social value. This is why one of our goals is to promote greater equality in their use and to sponsor access to higher-quality content in a bid to raise everyone’s living standards.
Institutional relations
Indra believes its business operations should be law-abiding and comply with free market principles, while being conducted in an ethical and transparent fashion.
As a global player, Indra is aware of the importance of acting independently of any single government or political power, whether at the national, regional or local level. Indra’s presence in its operating markets is governed and guided by respect for national legislation and cordial relationships with the various public institutions and governments, at all times ruled by its transparency and ethics principles.
In light of the range of technology solutions and services provided by Indra, its customer base includes multiple public institutions and administrations.
Against this backdrop, Indra is unwaveringly committed to fighting against bribery and corruption. This is the only way to effectively combat situations which can impede a truly free market and cause instability, inequality and insecurity, preventing economic and social development to the detriment of the least privileged.
Indra is committed to combating bribery and payoffs and indeed any form of active or passive corruption. To this end, Indra declares that it does not contribute to any political parties whatsoever and discloses publicly, as part of its policy on transparency and public accountability, all contributions made to non-profit entities.
Indra and tax havens
Indra has trade and business dealings with companies and administrations in 100 countries. These include business dealings in Panama, Andorra, Bahrein and Hong Kong, all of which may be considered tax havens. Indra’s business operations in these countries are in no way tax-driven, reflecting rather its international business development as a provider of technology solutions and services to customers operating in a broad spectrum of industries such as healthcare, energy, telecommunications, manufacturing and consumer goods, etc. These business relationships warrant the establishment of offices, subsidiaries or trading partnerships in numerous countries, including those categorised as tax havens.
In keeping with the recommendations listed in Spain’s Unified Code of Good Governance, the Board of Directors of Indra has expressly stipulated in its Regulations the duty to ensure that the incorporation of, or acquisition of interests in, companies domiciled in countries or territories considered to be tax havens, or any analogous transactions, are pursued for legitimate reasons and in no way unjustifiably undermine the transparency of the Group’s business operations and structure. To this end, the Board Regulations stipulate that the Board must approve the aforementioned transactions subject to a prior favourable report by the Audit and Compliance Committee.
Indra and lobby groups
In a number of markets, lobbies are recognised and regulated and constitute a legitimate sphere of action vis-à-vis legislative and administrative authorities and are governed by transparency and public disclosure rules. Companies, as well as associations or organisations with commercial interests of one kind or another, such as non-profit organisations, hire professionals to lobby government or parliament, reporting to them on specific technical aspects that imply legislative reform in one direction or another, depending on the entities they represent. Lobbying is entirely legal in these markets, and is always in the public domain (it is known who each professional lobbyist works for and how much they earn). It is carefully regulated as a legitimate business activity which companies and other organisations are entitled to conduct to uphold their interests and as agents on the political stage.
Against this backdrop, Indra states that it carries out no actions aimed at changing government policy. Indra’s relationships with the authorities are exclusively business or administratively driven and at all times comply strictly with prevailing law.
Specifically, Indra's US subsidiaries have commercial relations with law firms as this is the procedure followed in this country to obtain information and manage contracts, subsidies and aid.
Contributions are made in compliance with prevailing legislation and in keeping with the company’s public statement on lobbies. Information is available at: https://lda.congress.gov/lc/home.aspx
