The disunited state of CSR in India

The disunited state of CSR in India

Feb 9, 2016

Ratified by that organisation which lends credibility to any pronouncement, the United Nations, corporate social responsibility (CSR) done the right way should lead to a triple windfall: increased profits, environment protection, and an equitable society. Leaving aside the compatibility issues of  an inherently

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Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the idea of sanitation

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the idea of sanitation

Jan 19, 2016

Okay, the government has promised a Clean India by  2019. And it has asked corporate groups to pitch in. It’s not a random mandate,  by the way. Contributing to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan qualifies as legitimate  corporate social responsibility (CSR) spend as per the

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A tale of two tea gardens

A tale of two tea gardens

Oct 22, 2015

With so many thrilling incidents, premeditated or otherwise”depending on whom you ask”happening every other day, it is little wonder the recent news on the BBC exposé on Assam’s famed tea gardens and the Munnar agitation has passed by most Indians. Social media was

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Volkswagen – how to not get away with cheating

Sep 30, 2015

Volkswagen (VW) is the second largest carmaker in the world”first, if one measures by the number of cars sold”and is the shining beacon of German excellence. Or rather was, as it recently suffered the kind of ignominy that is the nightmare of every

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Nokia partners Save the Children for its CSR. Here are a few answered, and some unanswered, questions

Nokia partners Save the Children for its CSR. Here are a few answered, and some unanswered, questions

Sep 4, 2015

Much like in the last year, the term ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR) continues to be underlined in media communications from corporate groups. An interesting development this year is that corporate leaders who generally talk about growth numbers and product features are now attempting

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CSR leaders and non-profits form Silver Circle

CSR leaders and non-profits form Silver Circle

May 22, 2015

First meet focuses on collaborations for inclusive growth Going beyond seminars and forums, in a not-quite-formal environment, sitting across a common table, Silver Circle patrons discussed at length a couple of subjects that otherwise do not get much attention and generally do not

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Green Signals from Jairam Ramesh – ‘go’, ‘no go’, and making sense of the in-betweens

Green Signals from Jairam Ramesh – ‘go’, ‘no go’, and making sense of the in-betweens

Apr 13, 2015

On a pleasant March day (the last of the year’s pleasant March days in Delhi) at his Lutyens’ bungalow, former environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh discussed with Padma and Ranjan the thought processes that shaped Green Signals: Ecology, Growth, and Democracy in

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Conversations around CSR: Vijay Chadda, CEO, Bharti Foundation

Conversations around CSR: Vijay Chadda, CEO, Bharti Foundation

Jan 14, 2015

‘We not only run these schools, we also engage with local communities. We ensure that parents are motivated to send their children, especially girls, to schools.’ Some of the programmes that are helping build the lives of thousands of underprivileged children across the

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Volunteerism drives CSR at SAP

Sep 5, 2014

With over 70 per cent of the workforce at SAP voluntarily engaging in social responsibility activities, SAP India seems to have a work environment that many business houses can learn from. ‘Spending on CSR became compulsory just a few months ago; at SAP

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CSR in India: 2 years in 2 pages

CSR in India: 2 years in 2 pages

Aug 7, 2014

No, it’s not that nothing has happened. Just that it has not been significant enough to create an interesting story that can go beyond two pages. Here’s all that you already know, but will cherish reading about social responsibility domain (we call it

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