Tamil Nadu is the fourth largest state in India. Known for its distinctive culture, cuisine and art forms, it has contributed significantly to increasing India’s glory. With its unique developmental challenges, the state has been a destination for various CSR projects.
In FY 2022-23, Tamil Nadu received Rs 1637.12 Crores of CSR funds from 2517 companies. The top three spenders in the state include Tanjore Power Limited, Shriram Finance Limited, and Hyundai Motor India Limited who spent Rs. 58.78 crores, Rs. 56.63 crores, and Rs. 38.81 crores respectively. The top three areas of focus for the CSR programs comprised Education, Healthcare and Environment where the companies spent a total of Rs. 856.98 crores, Rs. 437.32 crores, and Rs. 138.24 crores respectively.
Let us look at some of the top CSR initiatives in Tamil Nadu.
India Yamaha Motor Partners with Tamil Nadu Government to Strengthen School Education
India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd. has constructed a fully equipped 12 Classroom building for Government High School Thirukallimedu, Kancheepuram. The newly constructed school is by far the largest school that Yamaha has constructed under its CSR Initiative. It comprises of 12 fully furnished classrooms located in a 2-story building with 6 classrooms on each floor.
The facility also has a Kitchen Building, dedicated Restrooms and a modern computer lab. Further, the school has a 10KW Solar Power facility, which is more than enough to meet the normal requirements for the school. Rainwater harvesting structures and RCC Water Storage Sump have also been provided, and the entire school facility is secured by 550-m boundary walls.
This is the 4th school building, which Yamaha has constructed through its CSR programme in the past 4 years in Kanchipuram & Tiruvannamalai districts in Tamil Nadu. Yamaha also had set up computer labs in 5 Government Schools in Kancheepuram district earlier during the year 2024.
India Yamaha Motor has partnered with Namma School Namma Ooru Palli (NSNOP) – an initiative established by the Government of Tamil Nadu to foster community engagement and support in strengthening basic education for Government Schools in the State.
HDFC Bank’s CSR offering renewable energy solutions
HDFC Bank through its CSR has been empowering rural and semi-urban communities through innovative solar-powered infrastructure, awareness, and local partnerships. In Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, solar fencing around 340 acres of farmland has dramatically reduced crop losses caused by wild animals, making vegetable farming viable again for 241 farmers. Further south, in the Nilgiris and Coimbatore, solar pumps are helping rehabilitate degraded land and enable year-round farming in rainfed regions—raising yields by up to 30%. In places like Pillur and Masinagudi, terrain-specific solar irrigation systems are enabling over 20 families to cultivate high-value crops like bananas while cutting diesel use and improving climate resilience.
Kaizad Bharucha, Deputy Managing Director, HDFC Bank said, “We believe that the path to a sustainable future lies in inclusive development. Our solar energy initiatives under Parivartan are designed to bring real, measurable change—lighting up streets and homes, while also creating opportunities. By focusing on awareness, innovation, and community ownership, we are investing in a future that is equitable, resilient and green.”
Tata Capital’s JalAadhar CSR Programme for water sustainability in Tamil Nadu
Tata Capital Limited, the financial services company of the Tata Group, has undertaken a series of development projects across rural areas of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan under its CSR initiative – the JalAadhar programme. The initiative aims to maximize water security for communities within a micro-watershed area.
The programme operates through two models. The first targets groundwater replenishment, implementing strong water management in farming, and introducing income-generating activities for women. The second model emphasizes rainwater collection for domestic and cattle use, particularly vital in arid regions with scarce water resources.
As of FY 2023 – 24, Tata Capital’s JalAadhar programme has positively touched the lives of over 2.3 lakh individuals, creating a water harvesting capacity of over 14,000 lakh litres.
Sridhar Sarathy, Chief Ethics Officer & Head Sustainability and CSR at Tata Capital said, “Through the support of local NGOs and communities, the JalAadhar programme has been able to highlight water resource management. Our commitment to empower local communities with an objective of water conservation remains steadfast. Witnessing the tangible difference it has made in the lives of many communities and ecosystems, reinforces our resolve to drive meaningful change.”
UltraTech Cement empowering marginalised women in Tamil Nadu
UltraTech Cement’s grinding unit, Arakkonam Cement Works, located in Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu, has through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative helped over 2,000 rural women from low income families secure sustainable livelihoods and enhance their standard of living.
Arakkonam Cement Works unit adopted five villages namely, Kumpinipet, Melpakkam, Thandalam, Parithiputhur and Chitteri, located in the vicinity of the unit as part of its CSR initiative to help secure sustainable livelihoods for women from marginalised sections of the community. The women in these villages were dependent on unskilled labour, animal husbandry and agriculture to earn their livelihoods. As the work was seasonal and erratic, the women remained financially dependent. Given the potential of tailoring and embroidery for self-employment as well as employment in the local textile units, the unit CSR team setup a training facility and commenced free tailoring and embroidery training for the women.
So far, 2,202 women from three villages of Chitteri, Thandalam and Parithiputhur have been trained. After successful completion of the training, the women were awarded certificates. Training for women from the other two villages is currently underway. About 800 of the trained women have been gainfully employed in local textile companies such as Ammayapper Textiles. The other trained women have also been able to augment their income by providing tailoring services locally.
CSR of Stellantis for Education and water conservation in Tamil Nadu
Stellantis, a global mobility technology company, handed over 5 fully-built classroom blocks to the local panchayat school officials in Melnallathur and Adhigathur villages in Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu in May, 2024. This is part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative to uplift communities by improving the education infrastructure in these areas.
In the ceremony attended by senior Stellantis leaders, 3 classroom blocks for the Melnallathur Panchayath School and 2 classroom blocks for the Adhigathur Panchayath school were handed over to the local panchayat school officials. These 2 projects will directly benefit nearly 400 students with the addition of these classroom blocks.
Stellantis India has been working closely on CSR initiatives in this region since 2022. Earlier 6 classroom blocks were built and handed over to the Melnallathur Government high school. With this addition, the school was able to have separate classrooms for all sections greatly benefiting the students. Also, INR 25 lakh worth of medical equipment were given to a Public Health Center in Kadambathur, a nearby village in 2022.
In the area of water conservation, Stellantis India in partnership with Environmentalist Foundation of India has fully restored 2 waterbodies in Adhigathur village. As a result of this initiative, the waterbodies are now holding the water from the North-east monsoon rains in the deepened cavity areas and lotus vegetation is also picking up. To cater to the water needs of this community, a 30,000 litre overhead water tank has been built in Adhigathur village. In addition to this, another 30,000 litre overhead water tank has been built in Melnallathur village, which will benefit more than 900 residents.
A fully equipped park for the use of the public was built and handed over in Melnallathur village. A road stretch with LED street lights and safety display has been installed in Melnallathur to enhance the road safety.
CSR imparting Financial Literacy among Tamil Nadu students
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), a globally recognised professional accountancy body, in collaboration with Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini, conducted FinLit Festivals, interactive events focused on promoting financial literacy among students. These events marked the launch of ACCA’s Financial Literacy programme at two schools in Chithode, Tamil Nadu, and Macherla, Andhra Pradesh, aimed at empowering students in grades 6-9 with essential financial skills at no cost.
Financial literacy plays a pivotal role in shaping young minds, providing them with practical knowledge on smart money management, understanding banking services, evaluating investment options and preparing them for future financial needs. By introducing these concepts early on, ACCA aims to empower students with practical finance knowledge and create a generation that is not only financially savvy but also capable of making prudent financial decisions.
The launch of the Financial Literacy Programme also included parents of the students and the broader community from Chithode and Macherla. ACCA members engaged with the community on the subjects of banking and finance, providing them with insights and practical knowledge. The programme also included skit performances by students, which focussed on key financial concepts such as the benefits of banking, the perils of using money lenders, and the risks associated with chit funds.
Titan Kanya CSR Project
Titan’s CSR Project ‘Titan Kanya’ was launched in 2012 with an aim to support the underprivileged girl child through quality education. Project Nanhi Kali, which translates to ‘a little bud’ in Hindi, is an initiative that supports the education of underprivileged girls in India. Designed to empower girls from low-income families to complete ten years of formal schooling, the project has impacted the lives of over 450,000 girls (called Nanhi Kalis) from underserved communities across the country.
The Titan-Nanhi Kali partnership which commenced in the state of Tamil Nadu in 2012, has provided 360-degree support to 7,000+ disadvantaged girls in Krishnagiri. Recently we have expanded the intervention to the two blocks of Chengam and Jawadhu Hills in Tiruvannamalai and have launched tab based education for 5000 Kanya girls.
Titan launched an adaptive learning platform ‘Mindspark’ under the project. In partnership with leading EduTech organization Educational Initiatives, every Kanyas/Nanhi Kali will receive access to the personalized learning platform. With its Artificial Intelligence-powered engine and 20 years of research on children’s learning, Mindspark offers truly personalized learning to every student. It helps children improve their reading and listening comprehension, logical thinking, analytical and quantitative skills. Mindspark is available for grades 1– 10 and is aligned to all State Board Curriculum.
Titan Kanyas/Nanhi Kalis will learn Mathematics, their local language and English from Class 1-10 and Science from Class 6-10. The software will be pre-loaded onto digital tablets, allowing access to quality education even in remote locations.
