CSR must move from compliance to creating impact, say industry leaders

L to R: Scientist Dr. Anand Ranganathan, Founding father of Ravi Rajan & Co S Ravi, Tata Hitachi MD Sandeep Singh, IOC Government Director Shailesh Tiwari and SVP Sustainability HSBC India Romit Sen, throughout a panel dialogue on the CSR Conclave 2026 in Bengaluru on Friday

Company social accountability (CSR) in India should evolve from being a statutory compliance train to turning into a clear, outcome-driven instrument for nation-building, with the Social Inventory Alternate (SSE) rising as a key platform to channel company and philanthropic capital in direction of measurable social affect, audio system on the CSR Conclave 2026 organised by the One World One Household Mission, headed by Sadhguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, mentioned on Friday.

businessline was the media accomplice for the conclave, which introduced collectively company leaders, policymakers, regulators, philanthropists and social sector practitioners to deliberate on strengthening India’s CSR ecosystem.

Opening the second day of the conclave, S Ramadorai, former Vice-Chairman of Tata Consultancy Providers and former Chairman of the Nationwide Ability Improvement Company and the Nationwide Ability Improvement Company, mentioned India’s improvement journey could be outlined much less by the velocity of deploying sources than by guaranteeing they’re directed in direction of the suitable outcomes.

Societal Impression

“The compass is all the time extra vital than the clock,” he noticed, urging companies to construct purpose-led establishments the place industrial success and societal affect reinforce one another.

He described the SSE as an vital institutional innovation able to bringing collectively company capital, philanthropic intent and credible social organisations by a clear and accountable framework.

Over time, he mentioned, the SSE had the potential to turn into for the social sector what India’s digital public infrastructure has turn into for funds and governance.

Delivering the keynote tackle, Vinit Nayar, Founder-Chairman of the Sampark Basis and former CEO of HCL Applied sciences, argued that the social sector wants the identical spirit of innovation and design pondering that remodeled India’s IT trade.

Lasting social change, he mentioned, would require combining expertise, purpose-driven management and volunteerism to create establishments able to delivering systemic affect somewhat than incremental enhancements.

Sadhguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, founding father of the One World One Household Mission, known as upon companies to see themselves primarily as problem-solvers, with income rising as a consequence somewhat than the only real goal. Drawing from the Bhagavad Gita, he interpreted yajna, dana and tapas for the company world, saying enterprise itself ought to turn into an providing for social good, CSR ought to signify voluntary giving past statutory compliance and governance ought to embody self-discipline and moral conduct. CSR, he added, should more and more be seen as social funding somewhat than expenditure.

Principal Freeway

The inaugural panel dialogue, moderated by Raghuvir Srinivasan, Editor of businessline, examined whether or not the SSE might turn into India’s principal freeway for CSR funding following the Centre’s choice allowing firms to deploy as much as 10 per cent of their CSR spending by the platform.

The panel featured Vimal Bhatter, Deputy Normal Supervisor, SEBI; A Balasubramanian, Managing Director and CEO of Aditya Birla Solar Life AMC; Vineet Shastry of the NSE Social Inventory Alternate; and Pratyush Kumar Panda, CEO of Allcargo Basis.

Panellists mentioned the regulatory framework was starting to take form however wider consciousness, easier processes, stronger participation by corporates and non-profits, and better emphasis on measurable outcomes would decide the platform’s success.

Subsequent discussions expanded the dialog past home CSR. A panel moderated by Vineet Nayar explored how India’s 35-million-strong diaspora and world philanthropic capital may very well be higher channelled by trusted institutional mechanisms, whereas highlighting the necessity to simplify compliance and create credible pathways for worldwide giving.

One other panel, chaired by former SEBI Chairman M Damodaran, argued that belief itself ought to turn into a measurable asset.

Best Impression

Audio system maintained that funding selections ought to more and more be pushed by independently verified outcomes, strong integrity frameworks and beneficiary suggestions as an alternative of institutional familiarity or visibility, serving to capital circulation in direction of organisations delivering the best affect.

The concluding dialogue, moderated by creator and scientist Anand Ranganathan, centered on the function of CSR and the SSE in constructing India’s future human capital.

Panellists argued that CSR funds, although comparatively modest in relation to the economic system, might function catalytic capital by supporting modern fashions in schooling, healthcare, diet and skilling that governments and personal traders might subsequently scale.

Consequence-based financing, blended finance and measuring success by long-term social affect somewhat than expenditure emerged as recurring themes. A typical thread working by the conclave was that India’s subsequent section of CSR must be anchored in belief, transparency, measurable outcomes and collaboration amongst authorities, enterprise, philanthropy and civil society.

Individuals endorsed the discharge of a white paper outlining suggestions to strengthen the nation’s CSR ecosystem by the SSE and speed up progress in direction of a Viksit Bharat.

Printed on July 17, 2026