Business Ethics & Philanthropy

Cleanliness has always been an issue in our country. The ignorance of Indians regarding waste management is so lethargic that today when someone visits a foreign country for the first time, they are surprised by the cleanliness maintained there. Even the privileged class who can travel abroad often and are educated,  follow the rules...

Street food vending is integral part of every culture in the world. In India, street food represents a whole different cuisine, energy and vigor. It is almost as good as a festival or a religion. The Annual turnover of the street food industry in Mumbai has been noted as INR 1590 crores according to...

पैरों में छाले थे, हाथों में लाल झंडा था, टोपी भी लाल, लाल सलाम करते हुए किसान पग पग आगे बढ़ रहे थे, हौसले बुलंद थे और मांगें तमाम थी, सरकार पर  विश्वास करना मुश्किल हो रहा था कि  सरकार क्या इनके  सामने झुकेगी और क्या इनकी तमाम मांगें मान ली जाएँगी, क्योंकि इसके...

Solar energy has taken the world by storm. From houses to offices, from schools to hospitals, more and more establishments are going solar. From an ecological perspective, the world is in a place where renewable energy resources are the better options. The return on investment of solar energy in India is ideal as it...

According to Census 2011, persons with a disability make up for 2.21% in India’s population. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has been helping this 2.21% to get socially accommodated through equal opportunities and rights in the society. The Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disability works with non-government and private organisations to...

While large organisations clearly understand the importance of creating and driving a focus on sustainability, many of them still fall asleep at the wheel. Addressing and driving sustainability is, today, an accepted focus area for most businesses, but while a few progressive corporations take sustainability seriously, many still don’t get it. It is not only...

Corporates have spent Rs.70.5 bn, an increase of 8% compared to the previous year on CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiatives. This puts the CSR spend at 98% of the prescribed spend - based on the Act, The S&P BSE 100 companies were required to spend Rs.72.0 bn on CSR, according to a recent report...

According to a Bain & Company study, companies employing sophisticated supply chain methods enjoy 12x greater profit than companies with unstructured methods. Some of the largest companies in the world understand that having an attitude of sustainability extend beyond the enterprise to the supply chain makes business sense. From a sustainability perspective, it is...

The corporate affairs ministry has given permission for penal action against 196 companies for violating CSR norms in 2014-15 fiscal, according to union minister P P Chaudhary. Under the Companies Act, 2013, certain class of profitable entities are required to shell out at least two per cent of their three-year annual average net profit towards...

A robust and thriving development sector is central to India’s quest for equitable, inclusive and sustainable growth. Over the years India’s development sector has evolved substantially and now the CSR regulation is posing new challenges for the sector. It is calling NGOs to scale up, become more transparent and professional, learn to run projects...

When it comes to comply with corporate governance and CSR spending norms, the government feels there is a need for "little more nudging and prodding", according to a senior official. Under the Companies Act, 2013 -- which is implemented by the corporate affairs ministry -- there are strict norms for ensuring good corporate governance practices...

The focus of sustainability has moved away from just meeting the statutory obligations of CSR spending. Organisations are no longer only interested in meeting the legal regulations regarding contribution to CSR activities. Increasingly, companies have realised the importance of making a socio-environmental impact with their activities. It is evident in the fact that in...