 ONGC and Indian Oil Corporation has been spending 0.

75-1 % of
their net profits on CSR activities. ONGC‟s CSR projects focus on
higher education, grant of scholarship and aid to deserving young
pupils of less privileged sections of society, facilities for
constructing schools etc.
 SAIL has taken successful actions in environment conservation, health
and medical care, education, women upliftment providing drinking
water
 BHEL & Indian Airlines have been acclaimed for disaster management
efforts. BHEL has also adopted 56 villages having nearly 80,000
inhabitants
 Reliance Industries initiated a project named as “Project- Drishti” to
bring back the eyesight of visually challenged Indians from the
economically weaker sections of the society. This project has brightened
up the lives of over 5000 people so far.
 Mahindra & Mahindra launched a unique kind of ESOPs- Employee
Social Option in order to enable Mahindra employees to involve
themselves in socially responsible activities of their choice.
 GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals‟ CSR programs primarily focus on
health and healthy living. They work in tribal villages where they
provide medical check-up and treatment, health camps and health
awareness programs. They also provide money, medicines and
equipment to non-profit organizations that work towards improving
health and education in under-served communities.
 Bajaj Electricals Ltd corporate social responsibility activities include
Education, Rural Development & Environment.
 Tata consultancy services is India’s largest software service company
and has won the Asian CSR award for initiating community
development work and implementing various programs and devoting
leadership and sincerity as ongoing commitment in incorporating ethical
values. Major focus of the company is on education sector. Company is
working upon literacy program that cares TCS designed computer based
literacy model to teach adults and this program is known as a adult
literacy program.
  Infosys: As a leading software company Infosys is into the providing
language and computer education. Company has special program for
unprivileged children by which company teaches them various skills
and change their outlook too. Company also donates carom, chess
board, chocolates etc. to the needy ones.
 Wipro Cares: Focus area of Wipro cares is on taking educational and
health care initiatives for migrated communities and environmental
issues and disaster rehabilitation.
 ITC: ITC Limited (ITC) is among one of India's leading private sector
companies having a assorted portfolio of businesses. ITC is working
with the concept of ‘Triple bottom line’ that will contribute to the
growth of economy, environment and social development. Major focus
area of the company is on raising agricultural productivity and helping
the rural economy to be more socially inclusive.
 Maruti Suzuki a automobile industry works upon global warming and
global issues like climate change Company has been strongly investing
on environmental friendly products and manufacturing best products
for the society. Maruti Suzuki is working upon conserving environment
and preserving natural environment. Concept of reduce, reuse and
recycle has been promoted by company in all the manufacturing units.
Here are the 8 big trends that would dominate CSR in 2021:

1.New learnings to be deployed:

The COVID year 2020 changed the dynamics of almost everything. Work was
stalled for months in organisations. However, the CSR fraternity continued
their projects albeit in a tweaked way. The changing environment also
brought many new learning for the implementation agencies. For example,
they learned how to continue outreaching the communities and helping them
without doing mass gathering.

Adoption of digital turned out to be a big saviour for many CSR projects,
especially in the education sector.  The CSR stakeholders will utilise their
learning of COVID times to make their CSR projects future ready.
Implementation agencies will also for more of technology adoption in their
working and data gathering.

2.COVID Vaccination to be visible in CSR planning

As the year 2020 drew a heavy CSR focus on COVID relief measures, the
year 2021 is going to be the year where corporates will plan COVID
vaccination for community and supply chain workers under their CSR
programme.

As multiple COVID vaccines are going to be available in the market, the

corporates will invest their CSR money in procuring COVID vaccines and
engaging with communities on pre-vaccine and post-vaccine procedures.

3.Educational support to be key agenda

Besides health issues, the education sector has been deeply affected during
the COVID pandemic. Due to closure of academic institutions, millions of
students could not continue their study. With this disruption in the academic
environment, the possibility of their dropping out of formal education has
increased multifold.

The corporates will be increasingly planning educational activities to support

under-privileged students. Further, CSR activities will also focus on a blended
mode of learning where students could be enabled to learn in a virtual
environment.

4.Livelihood support to continue

As millions of workers lost their job due to lockdown and slowing economic
activities last year, the CSR projects will be giving thrust on the skill
development and job-oriented training programme to enable job-seekers for
new jobs.

The skill training programmes will be focussing on new skills that could help
job-seekers find jobs in the changing market scenario in the backdrop of
COVID reality.

5.More collaboration with public authority:

The year 2021 will also see a much higher level of collaboration between the
corporate world and the government agencies towards implementation of
CSR projects.

As the government is tweaking major policies to address the emerging needs

in the social sector, corporates will closely work with government agencies to
sync their CSR projects with the national and state policy in the greater
interest of communities.

6.Cross-organisational planning:
The unprecedented need of investment required to re-energise communities
and their needs will make corporations join hands and create mega CSR
projects to address social issues at scale.

The multiple CSR projects being worked in the same sector and on the same
theme might get integrated to create a larger impact.

7.Bottom-up approach
The say of implementation agencies and NGOs in CSR planning and
execution will increase in the year 2021.

The agencies which actually execute the CSR projects at ground level will
have much more insight this time on implementation of the project on the
ground level. Their experience of handling projects and way of creating
impact will get voice in the CSR project planning and fund allocation.

8.More utilisation of CSR funds:

Utilisation of CSR funds is likely to see an upward trend as corporates will be
under moral obligation to support communities and people in out-of-the-box
ways. The business and market revival will boost corporate sentiments and
their CSR planning and execution will be among top priorities.
9.CSR gets innovative with street plays for truck drivers, stock
exchange bells for women
Sensitising truck drivers against drunken driving, telling farmers to reduce
use of pesticides, ringing the stock exchange bells to promote gender
equality -- companies are going from roads to farms to trading floors to meet
their CSR commitments.

Read more at:

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/csr-gets-innovative-with-street-plays-for-
truck-drivers-stock-exchange-bells-for-women/articleshow/63566092.cms?
utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
ISSUES OF CSR

Many companies think that corporate social responsibility is a peripheral issue for their business and
customer satisfaction more important for them. They imagine that customer satisfaction is now only
about price and service, but they fail to point out on important changes that are taking place
worldwide that could blow the business out of the water. The change is named as social
responsibility which is an opportunity for the business. Some of the drivers pushing business
towards CSR include:

1. The Shrinking Role of Government In the past, governments have relied on legislation and
regulation to deliver social and environmental objectives in the business sector. Shrinking
government resources, coupled with a distrust of regulations, has led to the exploration of voluntary
and non-regulatory initiatives instead.

2. Demands For Greater Disclosure There is a growing demand for corporate disclosure from
stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, employees, communities, investors, and activist
organizations.

3. Increased Customer Interest There is evidence that the ethical conduct of companies exerts a
growing influence on the purchasing decisions of customers. In a recent survey by Environics
International, more than one in five consumers reported having either rewarded or punished
companies based on their perceived social performance.

4. Growing Investor Pressure Investors are changing the way they assess companies' performance,
and are making decisions based on criteria that include ethical concerns. The Social Investment
Forum reports that in the US in 1999, there was more than $2 trillion worth of assets invested in
portfolios that used screens linked to the environment and social responsibility.

5. Competitive Labour Markets Employees are increasingly looking beyond paychecks and benefits,
and seeking out employers whose philosophies and operating practices match their own principles.
In order to hire and retain skilled employees, companies are being forced to improve working
conditions.

6. Supplier Relations As stakeholders are becoming increasingly interested in business affairs, many
companies are taking steps to ensure that their partners conduct themselves in a socially responsible
manner. Some are introducing codes of conduct for their suppliers, to ensure that other companies'
policies or practices do not tarnish their reputation. DrRatnam said the concept of CSR had different
meanings depending on the stakeholder and that depending on the specific situation of the
enterprises expectations can also vary.

CHALLENGES OF CSR

1. Lack of Community Participation in CSR Activities: There is a lack of interest of the local
community in participating and contributing to CSR activities of companies. This is largely
attributable to the fact that there exists little or no knowledge about. CSR within the local
communities as no serious efforts have been made to spread awareness about CSR and instill
confidence in the local communities about such initiatives. The situation is further aggravated by a
lack of communication between the company and the community at the grassroots.

2. Need to Build Local Capacities: There is a need for capacity building of the local nongovernmental
organizations as there is serious dearth of trained and efficient organizations that can effectively
contribute to the ongoing CSR activities initiated by companies. This seriously compromises scaling
up of CSR initiatives and subsequently limits the scope of such activities.

3. Issues of Transparency: Lack of transparency is one of the key issues brought forth by the survey.
There is an expression by the companies that there exists lack of transparency on the part of the
local implementing agencies as they do not make adequate efforts to disclose information on their
programs, audit issues, impact assessment and utilization of funds. This reported lack of
transparency negatively impacts the process of trust building between companies and local
communities, which is a key to the success of any CSR initiative at the local level.

4. Non-availability of Well Organized Non-governmental Organizations: It is also reported that there

is non availability of well organized nongovernmental organizations in remote and rural areas that
can assess and identify real needs of the community and work along with companies to ensure
successful implementation of CSR activities. This also builds the case for investing in local
communities by way of building their capacities to undertake development projects at local levels.

5. Visibility Factor: The role of media in highlighting good cases of successful CSR initiatives is
welcomed as it spreads good stories and sensitizes the local population about various ongoing CSR
initiatives of companies. This apparent influence of gaining visibility and branding exercise often
leads many nongovernmental organizations to involve themselves in event-based programs; in the
process, they often miss out on meaningful grassroots interventions.

6. Narrow Perception towards CSR Initiatives: Non-governmental organizations and Government

agencies usually possess a narrow outlook towards the CSR initiatives of companies, often defining
CSR initiatives more donor-driven than local in approach. As a result, they find it hard to decide
whether they should participate in such activities at all in medium and long run.

7. Non-availability of Clear CSR Guidelines: There are no clear cut statutory guidelines or policy
directives to give a definitive direction to CSR initiatives of companies. It is found that the scale of
CSR initiatives of companies should depend upon their business size and profile. In other words, the
bigger the company, the bigger is its CSR program.

8. Lack of Consensus on Implementing CSR Issues: There is a lack of consensus amongst local
agencies regarding CSR projects. This lack of consensus often results in duplication of activities by
corporate houses in areas of their intervention. This results in a competitive spirit between local
implementing agencies rather than building collaborative approaches on issues. This factor limits
company‘s abilities to undertake impact assessment of their initiatives from time to time.

NOTABLE WORK BY SOME COMPANIES

 Ashok Leyland Operates a FunBus in Chennai and New Delhi. This bus, equipped with a
hydraulic lift, takes differently abled children and those from orphanages and corporation
primary schools on a day‘s picnic. The company also runs AIDS awareness and prevention
programmes in its Hosur factories for about 3.5 lakh drivers.
 Axis Bank The Axis Bank Foundation runs Balwadis which are learning places for children
living in large urban slum clusters. It also conducts skill development programmes (PREMA
and Yuva Parivartan) in motor driving, welding, mobile repairing, tailoring etc, for the youth
in backward districts.
 Bharat Petroleum Corporation Its rain water harvesting project Boond, in association with
the Oil Industries Development Board, selects draught-stricken villages to turn them from
„water-scarce to water-positive‟ . Some of BPCL‟ s other social programmes include
adoption of villages, prevention and care for HIV/AIDS and rural health care.
 Hindalco Industries Its CSR activities are concentrated in 692 villages and 12 urban slums,
where it reaches out to about 26 lakh people. It has constructed check dams, ponds and
bore wells to provide safe drinking water. In education, it awards scholarships to students
from the rural schools it supports. Its other interests include women‘s empowerment and
health care, in which it treats patients in hospitals, runs medical camps and operates rural
mobile medical van services.
 Indian Oil Corporation It runs the Indian Oil Foundation (IOF), a non-profit trust, which works
for the preservation and promotion of the country ‘s heritage. IOCL also offers 150 sports
scholarships every year to promising youngsters. Some of its other initiatives lie in the
domains of clean drinking water, education, hospitals and health care.
 InfosysThe Infosys Science Foundation, set up in 2009, gives away the annual Infosys Prize to
honour outstanding achievements in the fields of science and engineering. The company
supports causes in health care, culture and rural development. In an interesting initiative
undertaken by it, 100 school teachers in Karnataka, who were suffering from arthritis,
underwent free surgery as a part of a week-long programme.
 Mahindra & Mahindra Nanhi Kali, a programme runs by the KC Mahindra Education Trust,
supports education of over 75,000 underprivileged girls. The trust has awarded grants and
scholarships to 83,245 students so far. In vocational training, the Mahindra Pride School
provides livelihood training to youth from socially and economically disadvantaged
communities. M&M also works for causes related to environment, health care, sports and
culture.
 Oil & Natural Gas Corporation It offers community-based health care services in rural areas
through 30 Mobile Medicare Units (MMUs). The ONGC-Eastern Swamp Deer Conservation
Project works to protect the rare species of Easter Swamp Deer at the Kaziranga National
Park in Assam. ONGC also supports education and women empowerment.
 Tata Consultancy Services Its Computer Based Functional Literacy (CBFL) initiative for
providing adult literacy has already benefitted 1.2 lakh people. The programme is available
in nine Indian languages. Besides adult education, TCS also works in the areas of skill
development, health care and agriculture.
 Tata Steel It comes out with the Human Development Index (HDI), a composite index of
health, education and income levels, to assess the impact of its work in rural areas. Health
care is one of its main concerns. The Tata Steel Rural Development Society aims to improve
agricultural productivity and raise farmers standard of living.
What is Corporate Social Responsibility? “Corporate social responsibility on part of the business
organizations is a commitment to function in an ethical manner and bring significant changes in
the local community and society to ensure sustained economic development “- World Business
Council for sustainable development

3  What is sustainable development? “Development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

4  Role of CSR in controlled sustainable development The present need for business
organizations is to integrate environmental, ethical and social concerns in their business activities

5  The key drivers for CSR are Enlightened self-interest - creating a synergy of ethics, a cohesive
society and a sustainable global economy where markets, labour and communities are able to
function well together. Social investment - contributing to physical infrastructure and social capital
is increasingly seen as a necessary part of doing business. Transparency and trust - business
has low ratings of trust in public perception. There is increasing expectation that companies will
be more open, more accountable and be prepared to report publicly on their performance in
social and environmental arenas. Increased public expectations of business - globally companies
are expected to do more than merely provide jobs and contribute to the economy through taxes
and employment.”

6  CSR & sustainable development- two sides of the same coin-……..Solutions Collective
conformation to ethics Transparency in business & honest disclosure Introducing workplace
diversity initiatives Ethics in governance in HRM Encourage background check of employees,
suppliers/investors, etc. Developing a code of ethics towards the employees,

7  CSR & sustainable development- two sides of the same coin-…….Solutions Compliance to
organizational mission & vision statements, A zero-tolerance attitude towards unethical behavior,
Decentralization of business. Inclusive growth & smooth competition. Broad public participation in
decision making Supply chain monitoring Financial Ethics

8  CSR & sustainable development- two sides of the same coin-…….Solutions The ethical
marketing practice- integrity in advertising, distribution & marketing channels Ethical compliance
in the production process, Handling of issues w.r.t to pollution, environmental & ecological
conformations of emissions etc. Appointment of Compliance/ Ethical Officers, Rewards &
recognitions for business houses/ government offices displaying corruption free & transparent
business activities, Ethics, as a subject, made compulsorily be a part of school & higher
education Recognition and preservation of needs of shareholders

9  The emerging model of CSR in India Community development: Environmental management:

More emphasis on knowledge and employee well- being at work place  Partnership with NGOs
and Government:

10  Some cases of CSR initiatives in India Infosys Technologies Limited- community

development programs, corporate citizenship, Research and Education, Community Service,
Rural Reach Programme, Employment, Welfare activities undertaken by the Infosys Foundation,
Healthcare, Education and Arts & Culture. ITC Limited- farmer partnerships, creating livelihoods
for poor tribal make their wastelands productive; investing in rainwater harvesting empowering
rural women, providing infrastructural support to make schools exciting for village children.

11  Some cases of CSR initiatives in India Mahindra & Mahindra-promote education, financial
assistance and recognition to them. The Nanhi Kali project Tata Consultancy Services-The Adult
Literacy Program ‘LABS’ of Dr Reddy’s Labs-. training the under privileged youngsters, Care
Today Foundation- Rehabilitation of the Kargil soldiers, Rehabilitation of the cyclone and drought
victims in Orissa

12  Conclusion CSR has a significant role to play in controlling the perils of uncontrolled
development, satisfying the needs of the present generation and at the same time ensuring that
the resources of future generations are not jeopardized. Corporate houses need to act as
Responsible Business Enterprises (RBE's), displaying quality policies & management practices
and a culture of responsible business conduct, to sustain in this competitive edge