2015

[Type the company name]

niaz sahil zurmati

Kabul
University
2015-16

[TYPE THE DOCUMENT TITLE]

Project on Corporate social
responsibility
 Project on Corporate social
responsibility

1 Submitted by Niaz sahil

2 Submitted to Ms. Deepa Chauhan
3 System ID 2013015868
4 class BBA section C 4TH term
5 date 31/03/15

Contents

a) …………………………………………………………Introduction

b) …………………………………………………………………..CURRENT STATE OF CSR IN INDIA

c) ……………………………………………………..….Should CSR Be A Law?

d) …………………………………………………………ISSUES & CHALLENGES

e) ………………………………………………………….Merits of CSR

f) ………….………………………………………………..Conclusion

g) …………………………………………………….…….. References
ABSTRACT

India has a long tradition in the field of corporate social responsibility and
industrial welfare has been put to practice since late 1800s. Historically, the
philanthropy of business people in India has resembled western philanthropy in
being rooted in religious belief. Business practices in the 1900s that could be
termed socially responsible took different forms: philanthropic donations to
charity, service to the community, enhancing employee welfare and promoting
religious conduct. The concept of CSR has evolved from being regarded as
detrimental to a

company’s profitability, to being considered as somehow benefiting the company

as a whole, at least in the long run. This paper tries to analyze the CSR status in
India, and focuses on the finding & reviewing of the issues and challenges faced
by CSR activities in India
Introduction

INTRODUCTION: The idea of CSR first came up in 1953 when it became an academic topic in HR
Bowen‟s „Social Responsibilities of the Business‟. Since then, there has been continuous
debate on the concept and its implementation. Although the idea has been around for more
than half a century, there is still no clear consensus over its definition. r.A.Jayanthi. Special Issue
On Business Growth and Social Development Page 26 One of the most contemporary
definitions is from the World Bank Group, stating, “Corporate social responsibility is the
commitment of businesses to contribute to sustainable economic development by working with
employees, their families, the local community and society at large, to improve their lives in
ways that are good for business and for development.”

CSR Approaches in India.

Based on my research the chart that depicts the major approaches used by top Indian corporations to
pursue their CSR activities.
CURRENT STATE OF CSR IN INDIA

CSR is not a new concept in India. Ever since their inception, corporate like the

Tata Group, the Aditya Birla Group, and Indian Oil Corporation, to name a few,

have been involved in serving the community. Through donations and charity

events, many other organizations have been doing their part for the society. The

basic objective of CSR in these days is to maximize the company's overall impact

on the society and stakeholders. CSR policies, practices and programs are being

comprehensively integrated by an increasing number of companies throughout

their business operations and processes. A growing number of corporate feel that

CSR is not just another form of indirect expense but is important for protecting

the goodwill and reputation, defending attacks and increasing business

competitiveness .Companies have specialized CSR teams that formulate policies,

strategies and goals for their CSR programs and set aside budgets to fund them.

These programs are often determined by social philosophy which have clear
objectives and are well defined and are aligned with the mainstream business.
The programs are put into practice by the employees who are crucial to this
process. CSR programs ranges from community development to development in
education, environment and healthcare etc.
For example, a more comprehensive method of development is adopted by some

corporations such as Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Maruti Suzuki India

Limited, and Hindustan Unilever Limited.

Provision of improved medical and sanitation facilities, building schools and

houses, and empowering the villagers and in process making them more self-

reliant by providing vocational training and a knowledge of business operations

are the facilities that these corporations focus on. On the other hand, the CSR

programs of corporations like GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals’ focus on the

health aspect of the community. They set up health camps in tribal villages which

offer medical check-ups and treatment and undertake health awareness

programs. Some of the non-profit organizations which carry out health and

education programs in backward areas are to a certain extent funded by such

corporations.
ISSUES & CHALLENGES

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: 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.

challenges are listed below

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
localcommunities as no serious efforts have been made to spread
awareness about CSR and instill confidence in the local communities
about such initiatives.
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 comp romises 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 International Conference on
Technology and Business Management 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.

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.

5: 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.

6: 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.

7: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.

Corporate Social Responsibility: Should It Be A Law?

In August 2013, the Indian parliament passed the Indian Companies

Act, 2013 (the "New Act"), which has replaced the Companies Act of
1956. The New Act has made far-reaching changes affecting company
formation, administration and governance, and it has increased
shareholder control over board decisions. The New Act is being
implemented in stages, and we have been monitoring its progression.

One of the New Act’s most startling changes—which came into effect
on April 1, 2014—has been to impose compulsory corporate social
responsibility obligations ("CSR") upon Indian companies and foreign
companies operating in India. These obligations mainly come in the
form of mandatory amounts companies must contribute to remediating
social problems. This is a wholly new requirement; although companies
were permitted, within certain limits, to make charitable contributions
in the past, the New Act is essentially a self-administered tax. The
Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs recently has published, or
“notified,” detailed rules implementing the CSR requirements.

Entities Covered by the CSR Obligations

The threshold coverage levels for CSR are low. Companies are subject
to the CSR requirements if they have, for any financial year:

a net worth of at least Rs. 5 billion (approximately U.S.$80 million);

a turnover of at least Rs. 10 billion (approximately U.S.$160 million); or

net profits of at least Rs. 50 million (approximately U.S. [$800,000).

Companies meeting these thresholds are required to develop a CSR

policy, spend a minimum amount on CSR activities and report on these
activities, or prepare to explain why they didn't.
 Benefits of CSR

Company Benefits

 Improved financial performance;

 Lower operating costs;
 Enhanced brand image and reputation;
 Increased sales and customer loyalty;
 Greater productivity and quality;
 More ability to attract and retain employees;
 Reduced regulatory oversight;
 Access to capital; .Workforce diversity;
 Product safety and decreased liability.

Benefits to the Community and the General Public

 Charitable contributions;
 Employee volunteer programs;
 Corporate involvement in community education, employment and
homelessness programs;
 Product safety and quality.
Environmental Benefits

 Greater material recyclability;

 Better product durability and functionality;
 Greater use of renewable resources;
 Integration of environmental management tools into
business plans, including life-cycle assessment and costing,
environmental management standards, and eco-labeling.

CONCLUSION

The concept of corporate social responsibility is now firmly rooted on

the global business agenda. But in order to move from theory to
concrete action, many obstacles need to be overcome. A key challenge
facing business is the need for more reliable indicators of progress in
the field of CSR, along with the dissemination of CSR strategies.
Transparency and dialogue can help to make a business appear more
trustworthy, and push up the standards of other organizations at the
same time. Some of the positive outcomes that can arise when
businesses Adopt a policy of social responsibility.
REFERENCES:

1. Dr. SuriSehgal, Chairman & Founder Institute of Rural Research &

Development (IRRAD) Gurgaon.

2. Indian Brand Equity Foundation, www.ibef.org. 3. ACCSR’s State of

CSR in Australia Annual Review 2010/11.

4. http://www.chillibreeze.com/articles_various/CSR-in-India.asp.

5. Trust and Corporate Social responsibility: Lessons from India by

AshwaniSingla, Chief Executive Officer, &PremaSagar, Founder &
Principal, Genesis Public Relations Pvt. Ltd.

6. http://www.idosi.org/ajbas/ajbas4(3)12/6.pdf.

7.http://www.wbiworldconpro.com/uploads/canada-conference-
2013/management/1370168444_430-Sonam.pdf

8. Corporate Social Responsibility Practices in India, Times Foundation,

the corporate social responsibility wing of the Bennett, Coleman & CO.
Ltd.

9. http://www.iisd.org/business/issues
• Prepared by

• Niaz Sahil zurmati

student of: BBA AT kabul university

• E-MAIL: [email protected]

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