CSR or Philanthrophy?

According to a recent pilot survey by CII in Tamil Nadu, ( see Express Buzz 13^th Jan) only 40 per cent of the companies practice CSR initiatives. The pilot survey, highlighted that a majority of the companies did not take CSR seriously and those who did, did it only with a philanthropic frame of mind. The pilot survey also revealed that more than 50 per cent of the companies made their employee welfare activities as part of their CSR initiative, not really contributing to an outside community or its development.

While companies in India have started taking tentative steps in the CSR direction, apparently there is a long way to go. Historically, Indian companies had always strong philanthropic activities mostly targeting their employees and their families. However, if CSR has to truly become the soul and DNA of a company, then it has to break away from employee welfare mindset and encompass sustainable development.

Indian enterprises should realize that a sound corporate strategy is actually profitable to the company.

CSR A Winning Proposition

It is nothing but sheer coincidence that my blog started off on my birthday! I always wanted to put my thoughts on paper but was too lazy to begin. Finally, when I discovered it just takes few clicks to get my thoughts out there on the world wide web, I started right away.

What I intend to do in these pages is to share my experiences and thoughts on a subject that has become more than just a buzz word in the Corporate World. Corporate Social Responsibility is finally a ‘reality’. Enterprises have to look not only at the economic dimension of a company, but also at its ecological and social impact – the three pillars of CSR.

Companies in India have started to realize that CSR is a ‘win-win’ situation and are willing to take that extra step.