Cover Story

CSR in each state has a unique story to tell. The efforts that the state government has taken, the support and contributions made by the stakeholders is an interesting narration. Some have done very well, some have potential, and others are learning. – M. Rajendran Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India has traditionally been a philanthropic activity; it was an activity that was performed but not deliberated. CSR in India remains within the philanthropic space, but it has moved from institutional building (educational, research, and cultural) to community development through various projects. Enactment of the Companies Act, 2013 by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India was one of the world’s largest experiments in introducing CSR as a mandatory

A strong Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy is a force multiplier. Organizations must integrate their sustainability efforts into a core CSR and transformation agenda strategy. Like other countries globally, India is experiencing the challenge of large development, and the discourse around environment, social impact, and governance issues is increasing. Since 2013, the narrative in India has shifted to the crucial role corporations can play in bringing about positive change in human development and social inclusion. CSR is no longer seen as corporate social assistance or philanthropy but as essential to a good business strategy, helping reduce investment risks and enhancing business profits by improving transparency and accountability. It is about working together – with government, with civil society, and

As a child, all of us have been taught by our parents or grandparents at home that sustainability is based on a simple principle that everything we need for our survival and well-being depends, directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Once we grow as adults and begin to look for earning our livelihoods, we tend to dilute those basic principles, learnt as children, forgetting that sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations. That is at the individual level. The same example can be applied to companies that grow for big corporate houses. By aligning CSR initiatives with

The 9th International Day of Yoga created more than just a Guinness world record for India. It registered India’s global entry into the corridors of nations bestowing the unique gift of emotional, mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing through the power of yoga! It was a matter of great pride for every Indian when our Prime Minister Hon. Shri Narendra Modi led the 21st of June 2023 International Day of Yoga event at the UN Headquarters in New York. The overwhelming participation by yoga enthusiasts comprising 135 Nationalities in a single yoga session was a record feat and made its way to the Guinness Book of World Records. Originating in India Yoga has soared in popularity and has become unanimous with

India is at the cusp of emerging as a global economic superpower, with government policies and programs redefining this dynamic nation’s growth. It has set global benchmarks in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), that will determine businesses globally would redefine their work and contribution to National Building. A national interest and debate on the potential role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in nation-building and the corporate sector’s responsibility in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is the way to go forward for a country like India. We have witnessed that over the years, the implementation of CSR has gathered critical mass and is now poised to consolidate and grow further. In India, CSR awareness and CSR consciousness have increased exponentially among large

India is moving from restrictive to transformative era in housing sector, writes Vinod Behl In its seven decades of journey since independence, the real estate and housing sector has come a long way from early years of restrictive policies, deficient planning and highly inadequate resources to reach a progressive, planned, organised and reformative stage, facilitating urban transformation and speedy economic growth. The present government’s vision is to ensure long-term inclusive development through good governance and transformative reforms to boost real estate, housing and infrastructure—the vital sectors that hold key to economic development. It is a far cry from early years after independence (1947 – 64), when not much attention was paid towards housing and urban infrastructure due to lack of