Jindal Panther, the retail brand of Jindal Steel, has launched its ‘Shaant City, Safe City’ campaign, with Bhubaneswar serving as the pilot city. The initiative aims to address noise pollution and road safety, which it identifies as two major challenges in urban India.
To support the launch, Jindal Panther and YouGov surveyed 365 vehicle owners and commuters between the ages of 18 and 65. The survey reported 86% of respondents noticing a significant increase in vehicular noise over the past few years. 94% of residents feel irritable after prolonged exposure, while 91% reported struggling with concentration and heightened stress. Furthermore, 58% of respondents associate quieter cities with reduced stress and safer roads for pedestrians.
The brand also highlights a direct link between noise and physical safety. The study found that 71% of respondents have either been involved in or narrowly avoided an accident due to noise-related distractions, with 38% respondents being involved in actual accidents. Despite these risks, the company notes that 64% of respondents say traffic noise has now become a “normal” part of daily life.
Jindal Panther explains that the campaign will include on-ground activities in busy traffic zones, radio spots, and community participation events. While nearly 70% of residents believe that lowering noise levels can reduce fatalities, the brand aims to turn this sentiment into tangible change. Bhubaneswar represents the first phase of this multicity initiative, which the company plans to expand to other Tier-2 cities across India.
Speaking about the campaign, Gautam Malhotra, CEO of Jindal Steel, said, “Traffic density is rising across Indian cities, and yet, noise pollution remains under-discussed as a major threat to urban health and safety. ‘Shaant City, Safe City’ is an attempt to put people at the heart of this conversation. We aim to make the citizens of Bhubaneswar aware of the unhealthy conditioning we have normalised and how we can become more ‘zimmedaar’ on the road, because a truly ‘mazboot’ city is built through responsible actions by each one of us.”
