Tata Sponge Iron Limited (TSIL) was the first sponge iron company to receive the prestigious ISO-14001 certification. Now, it has become the first Indian company in the DRI sector to bag the Gold Greentech Environment Excellence Award (GEEA). The award has been instituted by the Greentech Foundation, Delhi. 

The award was received by Ashok Pandit, MD and D. K. Mohanty, senior DM (PS and Environment) at the awards ceremony held in Khajuraho.

In a statement to the press, Mr Pandit remarked, "We are obviously happy that our efforts to maintain a clean and green company, in an industry reputed to be notoriously polluting, is now being recognised at the national level. This should provide our company with good exposure and project our company's image as an eco-friendly organisation, though operating in the metals sector".

The foundation is a non-profit non-governmental organisation, established to promote industrial safety and environment management in the country. And the GEEA is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the field of environment management. Its objective is to encourage implementation of strategies for improvements in environmental management standards in the country and to recognise those industrial units / organisations and service sector units that make outstanding contributions in the protection of the ecology.