- India's CSR programme has surpassed Rs 40,000 crore in funding
- Focus is shifting towards faster execution and measurable impact
- Balanced distribution of CSR funds needed across sectors and regions
India's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme has crossed the Rs 40,000 crore mark, but the next challenge is ensuring that the growing pool of funds translates into faster execution and measurable impact, according to B Thiagarajan, Chairman of the CII National CSR Committee and Managing Director of Blue Star Ltd.
ANI reported that speaking on the sidelines of the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) National CSR Summit, Thiagarajan said India's CSR regulatory framework had matured, shifting the focus towards effective deployment of funds.
He said the scale of India's CSR programme was something the country could be proud of, given the active participation of the private sector. “The industry now has to think about how to scale... in order to execute these programs with speed on such a large scale,” Thiagarajan said.
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According to him, as CSR funds continue to grow, companies will need stronger execution capabilities while ensuring that projects deliver measurable outcomes.
“The issue is, as the funds grow, how you will get it executed. Projects have to be executed, impact should be measured, impact should happen,” he said.
According to ANI, Thiagarajan also highlighted the need for a more balanced distribution of CSR funds across sectors and regions. While healthcare and education receive substantial allocations, some other areas continue to attract relatively less funding.
“Therefore, it is in the hands of the stakeholders to step up and ensure balanced implementation,” he said.
Education, skilling and employability are among the biggest beneficiaries of CSR spending, with more than Rs 6,000 crore allocated to these areas, Thiagarajan said.
He said CSR spending in these areas can help create productive individuals by improving employability and encouraging entrepreneurship, thereby supporting broader economic activity.
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Thiagarajan said companies are already reporting their CSR and sustainability initiatives, but there is scope to strengthen accountability through better NGO capacity building, accreditation and standardised impact assessment.
“Our commitment is transparency in whatever we do,” he said.
The CII is also looking to develop an impact assessment framework that can help consistently evaluate, rate and verify the outcomes of CSR initiatives.
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