Thomas Cook
Thomas Cook
Client at a Glance
Thomas Cook India, the country’s leading integrated travel and travel-related financial services company, operates a vast network across travel, MICE, Forex, and visa services. With over 1,000 branches and a complex multi-business structure, the company faced the significant challenge of transitioning from fragmented, manual data management to a streamlined, tech-enabled ESG framework.
What began as a response to SEBI’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) mandate evolved into a deep-rooted cultural transformation. By engaging Oren as their technology and consulting partner, Thomas Cook India shifted ESG from a "year-end compliance activity" to a strategic "revenue enablement" lever, embedding sustainability into the very core of their travel offerings.
The Challenge: Fragmented Data and Compliance Firefighting
In FY21–22, the introduction of BRSR presented a steep learning curve for Thomas Cook India. The organisation faced several critical hurdles that threatened its ability to meet new regulatory standards:
- Extreme Data Fragmentation: ESG data was scattered across 1,000+ branches, making manual collection error-prone and incredibly time-consuming (taking 4–5 months annually).
- Lack of Ownership: There was no centralised system or clear accountability for ESG data, leading to a "compliance firefighting" mindset where ESG was viewed purely as a cost centre.
- Investor Scrutiny: Following the 2020 bankruptcy of its US entity, the Indian entity needed to rebuild global investor confidence through transparency and robust ESG performance.
- Scope Complexity: Tracking Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions across a diverse service portfolio, ranging from diesel generator sets at branches to employee commutes and global business travel, required a level of granularity the company was not yet equipped to handle.
Oren’s Solution: A Multi-Year Transformation Journey
Oren’s engagement was designed to move Thomas Cook India through a maturity curve: from regulatory readiness to employee-driven participation and finally to business integration.
Year 1: Building the Compliance Foundation (FY22)
The immediate priority was to replace "compliance firefighting" with a digital-first approach.
- Digital Onboarding: We deployed Oren Sustainability Hub (OSH) to define organisational boundaries. Complex entities were onboarded in 10–15 hours, while simpler units were integrated in under 3 hours.
- BRSR Mapping: We created a BRSR-to-data-point mapping, assigning clear owners and frequencies to every metric.
- Governance Framework: We established "Maker–Checker" roles to ensure data entered at the branch level was reviewed and approved through automated workflows.
Year 2: Data Accuracy & Cultural Shift (FY23)
With the platform live, the focus shifted to trust, data integrity, and employee ownership.
- The Maker–Checker Model: We institutionalised a rigorous documentation process, increasing data accuracy from a baseline of 65% to 88%.
- Employee Engagement: Oren helped launch monthly ESG newsletters, webinars, and branch-level sustainability competitions.
- Grassroots Initiatives: These efforts sparked employee-led initiatives, including e-waste collection drives, carpooling programmes, and energy-saving rewards, resulting in a 47% employee engagement rate.
Year 3: ESG as a Revenue Lever (FY24)
In the third year, the CFO issued a bold mandate: convert ESG from a cost centre to a revenue stream.
- Revenue Integration: Oren enabled carbon emission tracking per booking and transaction-level certifications.
- Green Travel Subscriptions: We helped pilot "Green Travel Subscriptions" with corporate giants like HCL and LTI Mindtree, allowing Thomas Cook to offer carbon-neutral event packages.
- KPI Alignment: ESG-linked KPIs were set for individual business lines, ensuring that sustainability performance directly influenced business growth.
The Outcome: From Data Collection to Decarbonization
The partnership has transformed Thomas Cook’s ESG profile from a regulatory burden to a competitive advantage.
| Impact Area | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Operational Efficiency | Reduced data collection time from 5 months to 15 days; review time reduced by 90% via AI-led workflows. |
| Data Integrity | Achieved 100% data accuracy, moving from manual spreadsheets to an audit-ready digital trail. |
| Revenue Enablement | Unlocked new revenue streams through carbon-neutral event packages and monthly footprint reports for corporate clients. |
| Cultural Shift | Achieved a 47% employee engagement rate; 100% of employees trained on sustainability basics. |
| Investment Readiness | Prepared a roadmap for EcoVadis improvement and initiated real-time carbon data integration for 3-star+ hotel bookings. |
Complexities Managed
The engagement required navigating the unique intricacies of the travel and service sector:
- Geographic Scale: Managing data flows across 1,000+ diverse branches required a highly intuitive UI and robust training to ensure local participation.
- Scope 3 Maturity: Initially deferred due to complexity, Oren successfully integrated employee commute and business travel data into the central dashboard by Year 2.
- Mindset Transformation: Shifting the executive view of ESG from a "regulatory requirement" to a "differentiation engine" required constant strategic alignment with the CFO and compliance leadership.
Conclusion
Through its partnership with Oren, Thomas Cook India has proven that ESG is not just about reporting; it is about resilience and future-ready growth. By establishing a strong digital foundation and progressively moving toward revenue-linked sustainability, Thomas Cook has evolved from a company meeting a mandate to a market leader defining the future of green travel.
Today, with Oren as their strategic technology partner, Thomas Cook India possesses a data-driven operating model that turns environmental responsibility into business credibility and new market opportunities.
