The Companies Act, 2013, mandates that companies spend a portion of their profits on CSR activities. Schedule VII of the act explicitly allows for CSR spending on “protection of flora and fauna, animal welfare,” and “conservation of natural resources”.
CSR plays a vital role in Indian animal conservation by providing crucial funding and resources for projects like anti-poaching, habitat restoration, and human-wildlife conflict mitigation. Mandatory CSR spending under the Companies Act, 2013, encourages companies to support biodiversity and animal welfare, helping to fund conservation organizations, support rescue centres, and promote sustainable livelihoods for local communities.
CSR can benefit animals in India through direct intervention like building animal shelters, providing veterinary care, and funding sterilization programs. It can also create long-term change by supporting wildlife conservation, promoting humane treatment in animal husbandry, and raising public awareness about animal rights and welfare.
ONGC – Eastern Swamp Deer project
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) collaborated with the Wildlife Trust of India in 2010, for the rescue of the endangered subspecies of the eastern swamp deer. Kaziranga National Park in Assam is the last remaining habitat of about 681 surviving animals of this species in the world.
Through this project, ONGC aimed for long-term conservation of this species and donated CSR funds to the Assam Forest Department for this cause. The conservation strategy involved the estimation of population dynamics, threats and factors restricting the growth and distribution of the eastern swamp deer. This also included the development of new viable populations outside the Park, if required.
Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital
The Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital is a project stemming from philanthropy, a core component of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for Tata. It is a long-held passion project of Ratan Tata, driven by his personal experience with the need for advanced animal care, and is operated as a not-for-profit entity by Tata Trusts.
The hospital was conceived and developed by Ratan Tata out of a personal need for advanced veterinary care for his own dog. The project reflects a deep personal commitment to animal welfare, aligning with the philanthropic goals of the Tata Group. The hospital operates on a not-for-profit basis. Any revenue generated is reinvested into the facility, ensuring its long-term sustainability and ability to serve both pets and stray animals.
The hospital’s mission to provide high-quality veterinary care, including for stray and abandoned animals, is a prime example of a CSR initiative focused on social and community welfare. Located in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai, the project is supported by Tata Trusts and was built at a cost of Rs 165 crore.
CSR of Sony India
Sony India is working for the conservation of red panda and snow leopard in Arunachal Pradesh. The snow leopard can be found above a certain height in the Himalayan states of India and is often called ‘the ghost of the mountains’. It is usually hunted for fur, bones, meat and other body parts for medicinal and other purposes.
Sony India has partnered with WWF India to protect these species in Arunachal Pradesh. The project involves providing technical support like cameras, lenses, and projectors for documentation and awareness campaigns, in addition to funding ecological studies and habitat conservation.
Sony India has collaborated with WWF India to conserve guitarfish populations along the coast of Goa. This project focuses on generating baseline data and raising awareness about these threatened species.
A key part of the company’s animal conservation CSR is providing its own technology, such as advanced cameras and audio-visual equipment, to its NGO partners for research, monitoring, and creating awareness campaigns. The projects aim to involve local communities in conservation efforts through the creation of Community Conserved Areas and other mutually beneficial engagements, as seen in their work in Arunachal Pradesh.
Vantara – CSR of Reliance Group
Vantara is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) project of Reliance Industries and the Reliance Foundation, focused on animal rescue and conservation. It is presented as a major initiative to protect wildlife, rehabilitate abused animals, and promote environmental sustainability.
Vantara was conceptualized under the passionate leadership of Anant Ambani. The Reliance Foundation unveiled the initiative on February 26, 2024. The grand animal conservation and rehabilitation centre consists of state-of-the-art healthcare facilities for animals with several in-house wildlife veterinarians and doctors, a research centre, and an academic institution. It also boasts an old-age facility and disability care facility for old and sick animals.
It is described as one of the world’s largest and most advanced animal welfare facilities, providing care, treatment, and a safe haven for over 150,000 animals from more than 2,000 species. The centre includes advanced veterinary hospitals, research facilities, and extensive habitats, but has also faced some criticism and international scrutiny regarding animal welfare and import practices.
The Animal Care Organization (TACO) by Vedanta
The Animal Care Organization (TACO) is a flagship animal welfare initiative launched by the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the social impact arm of Vedanta. It aims to create a sustainable ecosystem for animal well-being in India through four main pillars: Shelter, Hospital, Academy, and Wildlife. TACO provides infrastructure, veterinary services, and training to rescue, rehabilitate, and safeguard animals, with a focus on both domesticated and wild species.
The Animal Care Organization (TACO), runs a Veterinary Hospital with an Animal Birth Control Unit, in its shelter in Faizupur Khadar, Faridabad (Haryana). Animals in need of surgeries or diagnostic tests will be able to receive prompt and comprehensive care without the need to be transported elsewhere, at the newly upgraded TACO facility spread across 2 acres. The Veterinary Hospital, ABC Unit and MHV are equipped with an Operating Theatre (OT) each. Five experienced veterinarians and surgeons have already been employed to diagnose and treat various medical conditions in animals, including complex and critical ones.
Also, the organisation’s Mobile Health Van (MHV) provides door-to-door veterinary care including vaccinations and treatments to the needy strays as well as livestock and pet owners, within a radius of 20km of the shelter. It is equipped with two treatment tables for animal and best-in-class infrastructure, including hydraulic facility that would facilitate the provision of a raised platform for treatment of large animals.
Tata Chemicals – Save the Asian Lion Project
The Tata Chemicals – Save the Asian Lion Project is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative in partnership with the Gujarat State Forest Department to protect Asiatic lions in their only stronghold, the Gir Forest. The primary goal was to make open wells safe for the lions by building protective parapet walls around them, and 1,204 wells have been transformed to date. The project mitigates the significant threat of lions falling into these wells and also raises conservation awareness in the region.
Hindustan Zinc’s Animal Welfare and Biodiversity Conservation
With interventions spanning more than 8.7 lakh animals through animal welfare health camps, Hindustan Zinc bringing together a vision where wildlife and ecosystems thrive in harmony with communities. The company has signed a ₹5 crore MoU with the Udaipur Forest Department to develop the Baghdarra Crocodile Conservation Reserve. The project focuses on restoring crocodile habitats—one of India’s most iconic reptiles—through afforestation beginning with 5,000 saplings, building water conservation structures, and creating eco-trails for responsible nature experiences.
Alongside this, Hindustan Zinc has developed a Peacock Conservation Park at its Kayad Mine in Rajasthan, dedicated to India’s national bird. To further enhance biodiversity, the company has installed bird nesting and feeding stations, butterfly gardens, and water ponds across multiple operational sites. These efforts are designed to create microhabitats that attract and sustain local species, increase pollination, and improve water retention in ecosystems.
Speaking on the company’s approach, Arun Misra, CEO – Hindustan Zinc, said, “Animal welfare and biodiversity conservation are at the heart of our sustainability agenda. Our interventions not only protect endangered and native species but also improve the health and resilience of livestock that rural communities depend on. These initiatives reaffirm our belief that ecological conservation and community prosperity go hand in hand.”
Punjab Floods: Food, veterinary care and other needs of stranded animals
Humane World for Animals India (formerly Humane Society International India), in collaboration with the Indian Red Cross Society (Punjab), Compassion for Animals Welfare Association and the Animal Husbandry Department has launched urgent disaster response operations to assist animals affected by the devastating floods in Punjab.
The organization’s disaster response team deployed earlier this week in the worst-hit areas of Amritsar and Jalandhar (like Ferozepur, Fazilka and Muktsar), to help animals left with limited food or care in flooded areas. The team’s immediate priorities include distributing emergency feed to prevent starvation of farmed animals, supplying veterinary medicines required for the treatment of sick and injured animals and providing food and basic care for companion animals.
The August 2025 flood, reported to be the worst since 1988, has displaced over three lakh people and impacted more than 50 lakh animals. Field reports confirm the deaths of significant numbers of cattle and buffalo in submerged areas, and there have also been extensive losses of animals such as chickens and goats. Companion animals are in critical jeopardy, too, with free-roaming dogs and cats left without food, shelter or medical attention in nearly all affected districts.
CSR of Bajaj Auto
Bajaj Auto’s CSR for animal welfare primarily focuses on canine care and control, implementing programs for spaying/neutering and rabies vaccination in the Pune and PCMC areas through its arm, Janki Bajaj Gram Vikas Sanstha (JBGVS). The company’s initiatives also extend to broader environmental sustainability projects and some livestock management support in other regions.
Bajaj Auto is supporting ‘Canine Control & Care’, an organisation working for stray dogs in India. In FY2024, Bajaj Auto provided support for the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme targeting the canine population in the Pune Municipal Corporation area. Alongside the ABC initiative, these canines also receive essential vaccinations against rabies.
In some areas, Bajaj Auto supports livestock management, as seen with its work through the BAIF Institute for Sustainable Livelihood Development in hilly regions like Uttarakhand. This includes helping local communities with fodder management and other livestock-related research.
Prestige Group adopts tiger cubs at Bannerghatta Biological Park
Real estate developer Prestige Group announced the adoption of two male tiger cubs at Bannerghatta Biological Park in Bengaluru in October 2025. The cubs have been named Simba and Sheru, and Prestige will support their care for the next five years. This initiative underscores the Group’s commitment to wildlife conservation, ecological balance, and raising public awareness for biodiversity protection. This adoption extends Prestige’s environmental stewardship into species conservation. The support will cover nutrition, veterinary care, habitat enrichment, and educational outreach programs, ensuring the cubs thrive under a structured, humane framework.