Panjim, August 23: The 11th Corporate Social Responsibility Summit and CSR Times Awards 2024 were held in Goa on Friday. The summit was organised by CSR TIMES- a periodical on corporate social responsibility, in association with the Goa CSR Authority.

The occasion was graced by dignitaries including Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and Sadanand Shet Tanavade, Hon’ble Member of Rajya Sabha and Goa BJP chief, among other distinguished guests including business leaders, CSR professionals, and numerous award winners from across India.

The venue of the summit bears special significance as Goa, being a small state and relatively easier to manage with regard to CSR, can well serve as a prototype for other parts of the nation to emulate. Besides, Goa is leading among the handful of states in India in its CSR functions, thus trailblazing this immensely worthy pursuit.

Setting the tone for the summit, Mr. Harish Chandra, Editor, CSR Times spotlighted the purpose of the occasion: “To harness the potential of CSR across the nation.”

Chief Minister Dr. Pamod Sawant, in his address to the vast gathering, said: “I reckon, this year’s theme, ‘Empowering States Through Sustainable Development’, resonates deeply with the vision that we have for Goa and indeed for the entire country.”

In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of turning India into the world’s third largest economy, Goa particularly has been leading the way forward, and CSR has been the propeller in this direction.

“In Goa, we have embraced CSR as a crucial component of our development strategy. The Goa CSR Authority, which we established with a clear mandate to channel CSR initiatives effectively, has been instrumental in driving various initiatives across the state. From education and healthcare to environmental sustainability and infrastructure development, the Goa CSR Authority has been working relentlessly to ensure that every rupee spent through CSR makes a tangible difference in the lives of our people,” Chief Minister Sawant said, addressing the conglomerate.

On April 1, 2014, India became the first country to legally Mandate Corporate Social Responsibility. Section 135(4) of the Companies Act, 2013 requires companies that meet certain criteria to include a statutory CSR disclosure in their annual board report. The law also requires companies to spend 2 per cent of their average net profit from the previous three years on CSR activities. These activities must be undertaken by way of a project or a programme.

Corroborating with him was Rajya Sabha Member and Goa BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade, who spoke of the immense power that lies in the hands of both corporations and state authorities when they align their goals towards the greater good of society.

“Corporate Social Responsibility is a fundamental pillar of how businesses operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. It is about creating value not only for shareholders but for society at large,” he said.

The very measure of CSR is the impact it has on ground and the difference it visibly makes in the less than smooth-functioning systems that had been carrying on due to lack of alternative.

Some of the prominent organisations that won the awards for their CSR projects were…

Out of 177 projects which were selected through a rigorous process by the Jury consisting of Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Sh. K C Sreenath, and Air Marshal VPS Rana for the CSR TIMES Awards, some worth mentioning projects were Vedanta, Anil Agarwal Foundation, Grasim Industries, Jindal Steel and Power, Central Coalfields, DLF Foundation, Sir Ness Wadia Foundation and various others.

CM Sawant, praising the conduct of the summit, pointed out: “One, it would highlight our CSR work in Goa which could inspire other states, two, it would open up doors for you to explore opportunities of expanding your CSR activities in Goa.”

In the vote of thanks Prashant Das the Associate Editor of CSR TIMES acknowledged the contributions of all stakeholders including the officials of Goa CSR Authority, the sponsors Bhutani, Canara Bank, Tata Sons, SAIL, RCF, Radico etc. Das also reiterated CM Sawant’s agreement in principle to organise next three CSR Summits in Goa.