New Delhi, August 04: The 13th National CSR & ESG Summit and Awards 2026 were held in Le Méridien, New Delhi, on 04th August. Organised by CSR Times, a leading periodical on corporate social responsibility, the summit facilitated critical discussions around the theme “Role of Responsible Businesses for Inclusive Bharat.” The Summit was graced by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Union Minister for Culture & Tourism, as the Chief Guest. The Summit brought together over 500 delegates including business leaders, CSR professionals, ESG leaders and numerous award winners from across India, while over 2,500 participants joined via live streaming.
The inaugural session was honoured by the presence of Shri Pramod Boro, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Dr Medha Kulkarni, Member of Parliament, H.E. Ms. Sena Latif, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Romania to India, H.E. Mr. Juan Rolando Angulo Monsalve, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Chile to India, among other distinguished dignitaries.
Shri Prashant Das, Editor, CSR Times, opened proceedings with a welcome address, drawing attention to the remarkable diversity of industries represented in the audience. He emphasized that while each sector brings its own unique strengths and perspectives, together they form a mosaic of impact for driving meaningful and lasting social impact.
Dr Bhaskar Chatterjee, Former Director General and CEO – Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Jury Chairman-CSR TIMES and Bharat ESGS Awards, in his summit overview, reposed his faith in the transformative power of responsible businesses and congratulated the award winners for setting exemplary benchmarks in corporate social responsibility. Reflecting on the rigorous evaluation process, he highlighted the parameters that guide the Awards, emphasizing measurable social impact, innovation, sustainability, scalability, and governance. He also acknowledged the growing number of leading organizations that have partnered with CSR Times over the years.
Shri Pramod Boro, Hon’ble Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), addressing the morning session said, “Small interventions but resilient intervention is the way forward”. He emphasized that responsible businesses have a vital role to play in changing lives through sustained grassroots interventions. He called for greater support for tribal communities living in forest regions, advocated for the organized development of the organic food sector, and stressed the importance of preserving and promoting indigenous education systems as integral to building inclusive Bharat.
Speaking at the Summit, Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, said, “Every one of us contributes to climate change, every one of us is also affected by it. Protecting biodiversity and restoring ecosystems must remain at the heart of responsible business and sustainable development.”
During the summit, CSR projects were honoured that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to creating sustainable and measurable social impact across diverse sectors, having passed a rigorous selection process led by a respected jury comprising Dr Bhaskar Chatterjee, Former Director General and CEO – Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Sh. Vijay Rana, Air Marshal (Retd.), Chief Advisor, Himalaya Unnati Mission, Dr. Amit Kumar Thakur, Ph.D. Associate Director & Head CSR, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Dr. KK Upadhayay, Professor and Chairperson Centre for Sustainability & CSR, Birla Institute of Management Technology (BIMTECH), and Prof Sanjoy Roy, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Delhi. Some of the prominent winners were Bisleri International Private Limited, Reliance Industries Limited, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd., PepsiCo India, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, Bajaj Electricals Foundation, and DLF Foundation, among others.
The summit featured an engaging panel discussion on “How CSR Can Drive Deep Science Innovations Across the Country,” moderated by Mr. Gopalakrishnan Nambi, Head – Outreach, FSID, exploring how CSR can catalyse scientific research, innovation, academia-industry collaboration, and technology-led social transformation. Joining the discussion were Mr. Arvind Chandrasekhar – Head, CSR & Government Affairs, AMD, Mr. Atul Choudhari – Chief Technology Officer – Tata Consulting Engineers, Mr. Raj Waghray, CEO – STEM Cell, FSID, Ms. Radhika S Rao, Head of Corporate Brand and CSR,Tesco Bengaluru, and Dr Binita Verdia, Head-CSR, Zydus Lifesciences.
The post-lunch session was graced by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Hon’ble Union Minister for Culture & Tourism as the chief guest, alongside H.E. Mr. Chandradath Singh, High Commissioner Embassy of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Surendra Nath Tripathi, Retd. IAS, Formal Director General-Indian Institute of Public Administration, Shri Manoj Garg, Retd IAS, President All India Business & Community Foundation, among other distinguished guests.
Hon’ble Union Minister for Culture & Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in his address to the vast gathering said: when each of India’s 140 crore citizens recognizes and fulfils their own social responsibility, the dream of Viksit Bharat will become a reality dream of visit bharat come true. He highlighted that CSR and ESG are not just corporate commitments, but are instruments of nation-building. “ESG is a step ahead of CSR. It aligns Indian businesses with global benchmarks while encouraging organizations to create value beyond economic returns through meaningful social and environmental action”, he concluded. Mr. Shekhawat congratulated the winners of CSR awards and applauded their projects towards building an inclusive India.
In a landmark announcement, CSR Times introduced its highest honour, the CSR Times Platinum Award for Best CSR Project 2026, which was presented to NTPC Mouda Super Thermal Power Station for its pioneering project on integrated rural infrastructure development, recognized for its exceptional innovation, scalability, sustainability, and transformative contribution to community development.
The post-lunch panel discussion on “Role of Responsible Businesses for Inclusive Bharat” moderated by Shri Ratnesh, Executive Director, UNGCNI, with Mr. Shiddalingesh Ballolli, Program Head, SBI Gram Seva, Ms. Antara Kapoor, Lead – Social Impact, PepsiCo India, and Dr. Shabnam Asthana, Executive Editor-CSR Times, as panelists, deliberated on how businesses can drive equitable and sustainable growth. The session explored the evolving role of CSR and ESG in fostering inclusive development, empowering underserved communities, strengthening public-private partnerships, and embedding sustainability into core business strategies.
Dr. Shabnam Asthana, Executive Editor, CSR Times, and Shri Ravishankar, Director, CSR Times, presented the new strategic verticals of CSR Times, highlighting the platform’s expanding vision to create greater opportunities for corporates, NGOs, PSUs, foundations, and other development stakeholders. They outlined upcoming initiatives aimed at fostering stronger cross-sector collaborations, and driving impactful partnerships in the CSR and ESG ecosystem.
Dr. Shruti Sharma Rana, Academic Lead and Associate Professor, TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS), observed, “We live in an era of polycrisis: marked by a fractured world, war with people, and war with nature. Responding to these challenges requires businesses to combine compassion with accountability. CSR provides the heart, ESG builds the framework, and sustainable business delivers the long-term strategy for transformative change.”
In the vote of thanks, Ms. Vatika Singh, Head-Strategic Partnerships – CSR TIMES, expressed deep gratitude to all participants, guests, speakers, and awardees. She acknowledged the invaluable support of Co-Sponsor-NTPC; Associate Partners-SECI, SJVN, THDC India Limited, Bank of India, BPCL, LIC, REC Limited, Engineers India Limited, HPCL, and NHPC; Deep Science Innovation Partner-Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID), Knowledge Partner-TERI, Outreach Partner-UN Global Compact Network India, and Telecast Partner-ET NOW, for making the 13th National CSR & ESG Summit & Awards 2026 a resounding success. The summit concluded with a renewed commitment from all stakeholders to strengthen partnerships, champion responsible business practices, and drive sustainable and inclusive development across the nation.