OPINIONS

It is over six months since the entire world came together, discussed and agreed to reduce carbon footprints. On December 12, 2015 at the Conference of Parties 21 (COP21), all parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change have agreed to combat climate change and push for a sustainable low carbon future. It...

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is probably the most talked about Government Initiative in recent years. The plan, as stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is to build 12 crore toilets and eradicate open defecation by 2019, a year marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The reason this plan is so significant is the...

The last few months have made the internet a slightly more visually appealing place than it has been for quite some time now, especially when it comes to inspirational’, ‘motivational’ or just human interest story telling. The digital audio-visuals are compelling with real stories of grit, determination and focus, which all lead to one road...

It was an interesting week in India with millions of them sacrificing sleeps to cheer for their teams at 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. It was also fascinating note that Indians also watched and supported categories of sports such as golf and gymnastics. It was the same case in 2010 with India...

Margaret Atwood, well-known as an author of feminist dystopia, said recently, so much about the state of women has changed and yet so little!  Most of us raised in cities with reasonably enlightened parents are oblivious of the discourse around the feminisation of poverty, though the discourse around inequality is loud and clear. When...

As individual philanthropy, policy backed-business responsibility and corporate commitment to society takes prominence in India, change agents find themselves constantly grappling with the issue of effectively navigating through a complex ecosystem to create lasting impact. Stakeholder engagement lies at the heart of enabling change and achieving outcomes that are lasting and impactful. Change agents –...

Climate change is emerging as one of this century's greatest destabilizing forces, undermining the global economy, impacting food and water security, and affecting health and wellness. It is now firmly on the global agenda and governments, corporations, and communities are joining hands towards securing the planet’s future. The historic Conference of Parties (COP21) at...

It’s four and a half years since we started working with great Indian companies on their social responsibility. In that time we’ve been watching and learning as India Inc. has started to find its socially responsible feet and grappled with the world-first CSR legislation that came into effect in 2014. At the close of...

When I started playing squash in 1986, I hardly had an idea about what an attractive, mobilizing and inspiring force “Sport” could be. Sport has the power to rescue us from the daily grind of life. A heroic act, a sporting gesture, an impromptu quote, talking tough, looking mean, a brave decision and an...

The recent Hurun India Philanthropy List 2015 reported Azim Premji as the most generous Indian, donating INR 27,514 crore (USD 4200 million) on education initiatives, through the Azim Premji Foundation. The same report also listed individuals like Nandan and Rohini Nilekani, NR Narayana Murthy, K Dinesh and family, Shiv Nadar, Sunny Varkey and family, Ronnie...

CSR is, after all, yet another mandatory cost to the company which cannot be deducted as expense to avail a tax benefit. However, in a developing economy, your company may benefit tangibly from increased total CSR spend. Lack of adequate infrastructure, power, healthcare & education are the very factors that adversely affect profitability. Here the...