The verdict is out. Infosys has beaten Tata Chemicals for the Number 1 position in our 2020 India sustainability and CSR chart. Tata Chemicals held the top spot for three consecutive years, until now. Infosys was the second ranker in 2019, and has risen to numero uno for CSR in 2020.
Infosys Foundation Chair Sudha Murthy’s loving perseverance in supporting the most deserving has left a deep impact on other businesses to do social good. All the companies mentioned in this list are responsible businesses that place corporate social responsibility (CSR) high on the agenda.
This ranking is based on the companies’ spending patterns on CSR, performance and spending with respect to the responsibility matrix, ESG performance and how companies are incorporating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their responsible business actions.
CSR in 2020
Implementation in 2020 is a mixed bag, what with COVID-19 activities taking up the biggest chunk of funding. A number of cyclones and floods wreaked havoc in large parts of the subcontinent. As a result, funds were also directed to disaster relief operations in Assam, Kerala, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal. Sustainability and CSR in 2020 is a work in progress, since we haven’t reached the year-end yet. However, these rankings take into account the FY 2019-20 CSR projects which have been running since last year. Factors we took into account were impact assessment, compliance, funding and implementation on ground.
Which Indian companies topped CSR in 2020?
Tata Chemicals has dropped to the third position after being No. 1 for the past three years. Infosys has climbed one spot. Mahindra & Mahindra has climbed two spots to claim the second rank in the top 10 Indian companies for CSR in 2020. ITC has also climbed up from No. 5 to the fourth position this year. The Vedanta Group has outdone itself in the corporate citizenship realm, making it to the top 5, from its previous 8th rank. A new entry on the chart is Grasim Industries. The part of the Aditya Birla Group, Grasim won numerous awards for its flagship programmes. Without further adieu, here are our top 100 rankers from India for CSR in 2020. Click here to find the top 100 companies for CSR and sustainability in 2021.
1. Infosys Limited

“CSR can’t be merely a job, it’s a passion,” says Sudha Murthy, Chairperson, Infosys Foundation, the CSR arm of IT services conglomerate Infosys. The company spent nearly Rs. 360 crore towards various CSR schemes this year. COVID-19 relief work dominated the activities, with education and health-related programmes following after.
Among the main CSR initiatives in the financial year 2019-20 were a 100-bed quarantine setup in Bengaluru in partnership with Narayana Health City, and another one which had 182 beds for COVID-19 patients for Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College & Research Institute.
Infosys Foundation primarily works with non-governmental organizations as the nodal agency for implementing projects. Highlights of the Foundation’s interventions in the past include the introduction of Aarohan Social Innovation Awards, restoration of water bodies in Karnataka, enabling the pursuit of access and excellence in sports through the GoSports Foundation, and disaster relief efforts in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
2. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
No other Indian corporate comes close to Mahindra & Mahindra when it come to leading the charge for climate change action and sustainable business practices. The company spent INR 93.50 crores on CSR initiatives during the financial year 2018-19. Sustainability runs through the ethos here. This commitment stems from the leadership at the top – head honcho Anand Mahindra is passionate about leading by example. Under his guidance, the conglomerate has set international benchmarks for corporate success and sustainability. He is a member of the Harvard Business School Association of India, National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) and India Council for Sustainable Development.

Mr. Mahindra initiated Project Nanhi Kali in 1996 which went on to become the biggest CSR programme in India for educating the girl child. Not only does the project provide free education to girls from low-income backgrounds in rural and urban pockets, it also empowers their families. The success stories get more interesting when you witness how the very same girls who benefited from Nanhi Kali are growing up and giving back to the programme by mentoring young girls.
The group works closely with nonprofits like Naandi Foundation, which feeds over 1.3 million government school children every day. Naandi also works with small holder farmers on farming practices that are more environment friendly.
3. Tata Chemicals Ltd.
Author and The CSR Journal columnist Dr. Shashank Shah explains what makes Tata Group’s CSR unique:
Although the prescribed CSR for 2019-2020 was 21.39 Crores, the company went on to spend 37.81 crores on community development projects. Improving the quality of life and fostering sustainable and integrated development in the communities where it operates is central to Tata Chemicals’ corporate philosophy. Tata Chemicals spends INR 12 crores on CSR annually, and wildlife conservation accounts for 30% of the budget of the TCSRD. The spend is distributed over the three places the company has operations — Mithapur in Gujarat, Haldia in West Bengal and Babrala, Uttar Pradesh.
Tata Chemicals established Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD) in 1980 as a society and trust. It lays emphasis on the spirit of participatory development by involving the beneficiaries at each stage of the development process which ensures viability and sustainability of the programmes.
4. ITC Ltd.
This is a conglomerate contributing to rural development in a big way. ITC Choupal is a long-running flagship CSR programme by the company that has become the gold standard on community development in international circles. Not only has ITC Choupal impacted lakhs of farmers over the years through digital literacy and economic empowerment, it has also been replicated by scores of other corporates for social welfare in their own communities.
ITC spent Rs. 326.49 crores on CSR initiatives in 2019-20, surpassing its spend for previous years. The conglomerate has active social projects in education, environmental conservation, sustainable agriculture, healthcare, digital literacy, sports and culture. Chairman Sanjiv Puri leads the social initiatives with a mix of humility and ambition.

In his recent AGM address, Mr. Puri said: “ITC’s vision to serve a larger national purpose has inspired unique business models that build substantial economic, environmental and social capital for the Nation. Over the years, competitive and inclusive value chains have been built which are anchored by our world-class brands. Our Social Investment initiatives build capacities for tomorrow through extensive vocational training, women empowerment programmes and supplementary education. In addition, the Company’s extensive interventions in agriculture help in empowering millions of farmers. Our superior environmental benchmarks in all its operations, creation of large forestry and water resources as also a renewable energy portfolio accounting for over 41% of total energy consumption makes ITC an icon of environmental stewardship.”
5. Vedanta Ltd.
Vedanta Limited not only supports agriculture and rural development but also has a host of CSR initiatives focusing on themes such as water, energy and carbon management. The group has adopted advanced technologies to optimise water consumption, enhance energy productivity, mitigate climate change and safeguard diversity through their group companies including Hindustan Zinc (HZL), Cairn Oil & Gas, Electrosteels Steel, Sesa Iron Ore Business and Vedanta Aluminium.
Focusing on its sustainability pillars of zero harm, zero waste, zero discharge, Vedanta has generated 1,653 units of renewable energy, while solar power projects are being commissioned to produce 22 MW of power. Around 92% of the high-volume low effect wastes such as fly ash, slag and jarosite are being recycled. The company is more and more committed to green mining. footprint
6. Wipro Ltd.
Wipro has spent more than the prescribed CSR budget in the last three financial years. The implementation of the CSR programmes happens through multiple channels – Wipro Foundation, a separate trust set up in April 2017, Wipro Cares, the trust for employee contribution and in some cases, directly through functions and groups within Wipro Ltd. The implementation approach of Wipro is to primarily work through partners with established track records in the respective domains. The majority of projects are long-term multi-year programmes.
Wipro’s work in primary health care from 6 projects across four states touches the lives of more than 70,000 people. Apart from providing regular health services, the emphasis is also to build the capacity of the communities in terms of higher awareness and developing a higher degree of self-reliance to handle their own primary health care needs. In terms of disaster management, Wipro has helped rebuild the lives of people affected by Karnataka Floods, Bihar Floods, Odisha Floods, the Japan Tsunami, Hurricane Sandy and Philippines Cyclone.
7. Hindustan Unilever Ltd.
Hindustan Unilever Limited, popularly known as Unilever or HUL, works on the basis of USLP (Unilever Sustainable Living Plan). The plan was launched in 2010 and is creating sustainable growth through the company’s world-famous brands and in the process cutting costs, reducing risks and building goodwill for the company. USLP has three global goals: to help more than a billion people take action to improve their health and wellbeing, to reduce the environmental footprint of its products and to enhance the livelihoods of people as they grow their business.
HUL has been spending more than the mandated 2% of profits over the years. In FY 2020, its CSR spend was a whopping Rs. 142 crores. The company uses its CSR funds to work on issues which plague India’s development. It has achieved huge successes in the areas of water conservation as well as tackling health and hygiene issues at the grassroots level. HUL has pledged INR 100 crores to help the Indian government fight COVID-19.
8. Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.
Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. (GCPL) spent Rs. 19.49 crore on CSR initiatives in FY 2019-20. Although the spending is 23% lower than the prescribed Rs. 25.34 crore, the impact of long term projects give it the 8th ranking on our list. Disease prevention, waste management, livelihood with a focus on women are some of the areas of focus for its flagship corporate citizenship initiatives.
GCPL CSR is partnering with the Government of India to eliminate malaria by 2030. The company’s flagship project EMBED (Elimination of Mosquito Borne Endemic Diseases) works with the government and NGOs for intensive behaviour change in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
As part of its CSR efforts, GCPL runs community waste management projects using circular economy principles. Some of the projects include collaborations with the Hyderabad and Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporations, a partnership with the Pondicherry Municipal Corporation, another one with a social enterprise in Guwahati for turning plastic waste into fuel. GCPL is working with a nonprofit in Assam that recycles forest and agricultural waste to produce briquettes (used as biofuel). The goal of these waste management projects is to prevent 50 metric tonne of waste from going to landfills daily.
9. Grasim Industries Ltd.
The new entrant in 2020 is Grasim Industries, part of the Aditya Birla Group. The total CSR expenditure by Grasim was Rs. 47.14 crore. This sum funded CSR initiatives that had 7,12,140 direct and indirect beneficiaries. World CSR Congress bestowed the Halol unit with the 2019 Global CSR Excellence and Leadership Award. CMO Asia recognised Grasim’s Jagdishpur unit with Asia’s Best CSR Practices Award 2018-19.
The company’s CSR work is carried out under the aegis of the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, with Rajashree Birla as the Chairperson. The Centre gives the CSR team a strategic direction and ensures performance management.

Says Rajashree Birla: “The societal challenges we are facing require a pace of change and innovation that can only be achieved by working together across sectors and industries. Our motivation to engage and collaborate goes beyond economic, social and environmental responsibility. We want to create lasting value for all our stakeholders by building partnerships across the value chain.”
CSR of Grasim includes managing and operating hospitals and schools in the surrounding communities. The company provides an immunisation programme for children as well as a programme on antenatal and postnatal care.
10. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is a Government of India controlled Maharatna oil and gas company. BPCL employees stood strong in the fight against the virus. They made a collective contribution of INR 4.27 Crores from their salaries. As part of its corporate social responsibility for COVID-19 relief, the PSU organised ‘Swachhta Pakhwada 2020’ from July 1 to 15, 2020. This special initiative was in support of the Indian government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Under the umbrella of “enabling quality education”, the focus of BPCL CSR is on imparting holistic education, preferably through technology apart from catering to adequate infrastructural facilities, access to education and improvement of education systems. BPCL’s CSR philosophy also includes involving the creation and maintenance of toilets, associated sanitation facilities, Waste Management initiatives leading to overall health and hygiene for the communities.
11. Tech Mahindra Ltd.
Part of the Mahindra Group, Tech Mahindra is an IT company that is leveraging technology for the greater good. Tech Mahindra stands by the concept of social and relationship capital, which is created by CSR efforts undertaken in partnership with communities, government primary schools and NGOs. Students and the youth get as much importance as the other external stakeholders. The basis of this association stems from a common vision of greater good. Through its CSR interventions and activities, people at Tech Mahindra Foundation (the CSR division of the company) ensure social value.
Flagship CSR programme SMART (Skills for Market Training) is making the youth self-reliant by training them with in-demand skills. The Foundation believes that there is Ability in Disability. With the focus on creating an inclusive world and providing a life of dignity and confidence, we are continuously working in the area of education and skill development for children and youth with disabilities, respectively.
12. Apollo Tyres Ltd.
Apollo Tyres Ltd spent Rs. 18.37 crores on its CSR activities in FY 2019-20. The company’s CSR initiatives are primarily divided into two major areas: Environment and Social (Health and Community Development). These initiatives follow a well-defined approach to ensure that the key requirements of the identified stakeholders are met. The nature of the programme varies from location to location, depending upon the need identification.
A unique initiative by the tyre maker is preventive healthcare for truck drivers. Under this CSR programme, Apollo Tyres operates 32 healthcare centres in the transhipment hubs spanning 19 different states across India. Prevention and awareness of HIV/AIDS, vision care, integration of tuberculosis and other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension are the main health interventions for the truck driver community.
The company contributes to the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ with various projects on solid waste management and safe sanitation like Clean My Transport Nagar, Clean My Village, Sanitation Management and End of Life Tyre Playgrounds. As for environmental initiatives, the Apollo Tyres is running various conservation efforts abroad and down here. Conserving mangroves of Kannur in the state of Kerala, afforestation in Tamil Nadu are two examples.
13. Cisco Systems India Pvt. Ltd.
For over three decades, Cisco has leveraged the power of technology and partnerships to aid in solving some of the biggest problems of society. Now, Cisco is committed to using technology to help the communities it works in adapt to this transformation.
During the pandemic, the company joined hands with NGO Akshaya Patra to help deliver half a million cooked meals to stranded migrant workers through their mobile kitchens. In the last few years, Cisco has helped digitize Akshaya Patra’s kitchens, enabling more efficient operations. They are also working with the CII Foundation to donate PPEs to three states in India – Haryana, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Additionally, to avoid gaps in students’ education in India, Cisco has partnered with the government to enable access to its Network Academy programmes online through a government-run portal. More than 20,000 students and faculty have benefitted from their key programs like cybersecurity awareness, Python, and IoT.
14. Hindustan Zinc Ltd.
As a socially responsible corporate, Hindustan Zinc has been relentlessly working to improve the lives of rural and tribal people residing near its business locations. The company is consistently among the Top 15 CSR spenders in India. HZL currently reaches out to 184 villages in Rajasthan and 5 in Uttarakhand.
HZL recently bagged the CSR Health Impact Award for its work towards fighting COVID-19 and minimizing the risk of this pandemic within communities in operational areas. The award was conferred by IHW Council in association with Jagran Pehel. The company has engaged an extensive network of stakeholders, including District Officials, Local Community Representatives, SHG Members and Union Members to prevent the spread of this virus. So far, it has reached out to 4,20,000 people through its ongoing COVID-19 relief initiatives.
15. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
Being climate-positive is one of the major threads running through the sustainability initiatives driven by Indian Oil. This PSU makes a conscious effort to utilise renewable energy within the plants and in the supply chain spanning retailers and distributors.
One breakthrough initiative that is successful in greening the supply chain is “retail outlet solarization”. Indian Oil has begun encouraging fuel stations in its network to use localised solar power rather than conventional energy sources. The positively aggressive push to solar meant that the number of solar-powered retail outlets went from 9,140 to 14,173 in a year.
Indian Oil’s CSR spend has been increasing year-on-year, from Rs. 113.79 Crores five years ago to a generous Rs. 490.60 Crores in FY 2018-19. Actual amount spent on CSR funding was higher than the prescribed spend for the last four years in a row. Last year, there was 100% budget utilisation.
16. Toyota Kirloskar Motor India
As a safety crusader, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has been engaged in Road Safety since 2005 through various pan India campaigns. They are addressing traffic safety through integration of people, cars, and the traffic environment with the aim of completely eliminating traffic casualties.
The Toyota ABCD programme has been significantly contributing to the Government’s Sustainable Development Goal of ending open defecation in India. In the local villages of Karnataka, TKM partnered with NGO SNEHA to improve the health and hygiene behaviour of students. Students, teachers and villagers were educated about the unhygienic impact of open defecation, the necessity of washing hands, maintaining cleanliness of toilets and precautionary measures against infections.
As a result of the ABCD programme, families also started championing community sanitation. With government scheme linkages for toilet construction, residents have built their own sanitation units, with no monetary support from TKM. Owing to TKM’s girl child sanitation initiatives and ABCD project implementation, school missing hours drastically reduced to zero (earlier, girls used to go to their home to use the toilet and miss the school for hours).
Toyota ABCD was so successful, two IIM professors did a case study on it! The case study was published by Ivey Publishing, a leader in providing business case studies with a global perspective.
17. Larsen & Toubro Ltd.
Building on over eight decades of social responsibility activities, L&T contributes to inclusive growth by empowering communities and accelerating development through interventions in four core areas of water and sanitation, health, education and skill development.
Larsen & Toubro spent Rs. 121.68 crores on CSR activities last year, which is higher than the prescribed budget. In recent years, L&T consolidated its CSR programmes with a focus on certain development areas that align with the global and national development agenda which has led to improved focus.
In 2018-19, L&T supported more than 400 schools and reached out to over 2.4 lakh children with its education initiatives pan-India. Their Skill Development projects have trained close to 20,000 people in employable vocational skills last year. Almost 9,000 youth completed various courses at their Construction Training Institutes in the previous financial year.
18. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
Coming from the Tata Group legacy, which gives utmost respect to the community, environment and employees, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility.

Say Rajesh Gopinathan, CEO and Managing Director, TCS: “We are partnering non-profits and governmental agencies to impart functional literacy to adult learners, running employability programmes for disadvantaged students from rural areas, and empowering individuals from underprivileged backgrounds to become digital entrepreneurs. We have built the enabling platforms to realize policy initiatives to extend banking to millions of unbanked Indians.”
TCS makes good use of its pioneering stand in information technology to run literacy programmes that have proven to be Best in Class. One example is the Adult Literacy Programme (ALP), which has extracted many rural villagers from the scourge of illiteracy. Last year, ALP was implemented in 18 states. It won the PMI India Award for Contribution to Community, SABERA Award, and India Digital Award (from the Internet & Mobile Association of India) for Best use of technology to drive CSR in India.
19. Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd.
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd aka APSEZ spent Rs. 68.37 crore in FY 2018-19. Adani Foundation (CSR arm of the Adani Group), works on behalf of APSEZ for its corporate citizenship interventions.
APSEZ got a special mention at the National CSR Awards 2019 for ‘CSR in Challenging Circumstances’ for transforming the fishermen community in Gujarat. The project spans six core areas including livelihood, women’s empowerment, quality education, skill training, health and infrastructure development for communities in the vicinity of Mundra and Anjar towns of Kutch districts in Gujarat.
For impact, the project is being simultaneously implemented in tandem with other CSR programmes, such as Vidya Deep Yojana for empowering Balwadis in fisherfolk settlements, free education at Adani Vidya Mandir school, Machhimar Arogya Yojana for Mobile healthcare unit, financial support and senior citizen health card, Machhimar Kaushalya Vardhan Yojana for alternate skill training and Machhimar Shudhh Jal Yojana for potable water.
20. UltraTech Cement Ltd.
The company has always been dominating the CSR landscape, much before the famous mandate came into place. Ultratech Cement spent Rs. 125 crores on CSR projects in FY 2019-20. The firm’s employees put in a total of 53,364 hours in corporate volunteering.
They are running community projects in 502 villages in proximity to their plants, touching more than 1.6 million lives. More than 80 of these villages have already transformed into model villages. With the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacting livelihoods, their teams in 50 manufacturing plants across India stepped up to provide relief to impacted people by providing meals, grocery packets, masks, sanitisers and PPE kits.
Ultratech Cement’s investment in social and relationship capital is being recognised by the industry. The company’s Birla White unit in Kharia received the ‘Best CSR Practice Award’ 2019, in cement sector, at the CSR Summit and Awards, and the Golden Peacock Award in the cement sector. Kotputli Cement Works won the ‘Platinum’ award for ‘Excellence in Livelihood Creation’ at the FAME Best CSR Awards 2019. Vikram Cement Works was conferred with the Award for ‘Excellence in CSR activities’ in the ‘Large Enterprise’ category, by Madhya Pradesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FMPCCI).
21. ACC Ltd.
Since its inception in 1936, ACC Limited has been conscious of its obligations to the community and has always kept in view its social responsibilities. Over the years, the company has carefully inculcated an organizational culture driven by ethics and the fundamental values of integrity and people engagement. In FY 2019-2020, the company exceeded its prescribed CSR obligation by spending more than Rs 25 Crore on various CSR initiatives.
The company has established schools at most of its locations that provide high-quality education to children of employees and those from the host communities. It has constituted ACC AHEAD, a voluntary group of ACC employees’ spouses which takes an active part in providing vocational training to women SHGs in communities around its plant locations. It also organizes health camps and mobile van health services for the community around its plants. In addition to this, the company partnered for as many as 32 government projects under its CSR initiatives during the financial year. These projects mainly focused on three areas – a) Sustainable Livelihood, b) Quality of Elementary Education and c) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
Through its CSR initiatives, the company touched about half a million lives in the year 2019-20 across 215 villages in the vicinity of its plants.
22. GAIL (India) Ltd.
GAIL (India) Limited believes in the philosophy that “our actions today shape our tomorrow”. Since its inception as a PSU in 1984, the company has been working with the mission of ensuring sustainable energy and growth. In FY 2018-19, the Company incurred an expenditure of 2.74% of its average net profit of the preceding three years on CSR accounting to`119.29 Crores.

Says B C Tripathi, Chairman and Managing Director, GAIL (India) Limited: “In a changing landscape of consumer aspirations amidst a milieu of alternatives, GAIL is reinventing strategy and services to ensure growth of natural gas consumption in India’s energy basket for supporting Government of India’s twin mission of ensuring sustainable energy and growth.”
GAIL touches the lives of over three million poor people through its various development initiatives. The company’s core CSR activities revolve around socio-economic concerns like health and education; economic-social issues such as women empowerment, skill development, and environment; and largely social concerns like care for the elderly and differently-abled.
23. Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd.
Jubilant Life Sciences as responsible corporate works in the line of Sustainable Development Goals with a thrust on social performance The Company’s approach towards sustainable development focuses on the triple bottom line of Economic, Environmental and Social performance. It spent about 44.40 million rupees in 2019-20 on its CSR initiatives.
During the year, Jubilant continued its CSR initiatives in the realm of Education, Health, Livelihood, Rural Development and Social Entrepreneurship. CSR initiatives of the Company are conceptualised and implemented through Jubilant Bhartia Foundation (‘JBF’), the social wing of Jubilant Bhartia Group. Major community projects that the company has been undertaking include Project Arogya and Swasthya Prahari for improving health indices through innovative services and promoting health-seeking behaviour, Project Muskaan for universalising elementary education and improving quality parameters for primary education through community involvement, Nayee Disha for enhancing employability through vocational training, and Rural Development for local area development. In addition to this, the Company confers ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award’ in association with the Schwab Foundation to recognise exceptional social entrepreneur of the nation.
Through its CSR initiatives, the company has made a positive impact on the lives of lakhs of people in the country.
24. Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd.
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Limited’s CSR initiatives are guided by the company’s belief of ‘Good Health Can’t Wait’. The company contributed about 27.53 Crores in FY 2019-2020 for community development under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandate. This is 2.25% of the average net profits of the company made during the immediately three preceding financial years.
In FY2020, the company has implemented 182 energy conservation projects across various business units. It has also generated 127.15 TJ of energy using biomass/rice husk briquettes, thus eliminating GHG emission by 12,997 tons of CO2e. In addition to this, the company initiated various community development programs targeting 3 broad areas: education, livelihoods, and health.
Through its various CSR initiatives, the company has been able to reach out to more than 300,000 beneficiaries in the last financial year.
25. UPL Ltd.
UPL Ltd believes that business enterprises are economic organs of society that draw on various societal resources for its functioning and growth. Therefore, the company’s CSR vision is to be a catalyst for a more equitable and inclusive society by supporting long term sustainable transformation and social integration. The company spent 16 Crores under its CSR initiatives during FY 2019-2020, which is 3.54% of its average net profits.
The Company has launched an umbrella CSR initiative called ‘UPL Pragati’ which has six focus areas dedicated for the progress and development of the community. These focus areas are Education and Empowerment, Employability and Entrepreneurship, Agriculture Development, Environment and Nature Conservation, Health and Sanitation, and National/Local Area Need.
The company, through its CSR initiatives has managed to touch the lives of 6.7 lakh people in a year. The company has been recognised in the top 3 list of the most generous company of India in terms of CSR spend as a percentage of average net profit, in a Bloomberg report titled “India’s Most And Least Philanthropic Large Companies”.
26. Ambuja Cements Ltd.
Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF), the CSR arm of Ambuja Cement Limited, aims to ‘Energise, Involve and Enable Communities to Realise their Potential’ through its initiatives. The foundation undertakes projects and schemes to promote the social and economic development of communities in and around the manufacturing locations of Ambuja Cement. The company spent about Rs 62.57 Crores in FY 2019-2020 under its CSR spending, which is about twice its prescribed amount for the year.
The company, through its CSR, addresses some of India’s most important development challenges in the areas of water resource management, livelihood promotion, social development, women empowerment and infrastructure development. These development initiatives address the needs of the people by working with the beneficiaries, NGOs and the government.
ACF is functional across 12 states covering 22 locations in India and has succeeded in bringing about change in the lives of 1.5 million people.
27. Shree Cements Ltd.
Shree Cements Limited works with a belief that for its operations and growth to be sustainable, it has to be responsible. It believes in making social development as an integral part of its business activities so as to bring about a meaningful change in the lives of people associated with it. The company spent 31.32 Crores in FY 2018-2019 under its CSR spending.
The company works with around 255 villages in the country aiming to create sustainability and self-reliance. Its CSR activities focus on healthcare and family welfare Programmes, education, infrastructure, environment, social welfare, and sustainable livelihood.
For its CSR initiatives, the company has won various prestigious awards such as Mother Teresa Award for Corporate Citizenship, Corporate Governance Award for Best CSR Practices, Bhamashah Award by State Government Rajasthan for Educational Programmes, Golden Peacock Award, The International CSR Excellence Award for CSR engagement by The Crystal, London.
28. Dalmia Bharat Group
Dalmia Bharat Foundation, the CSR arm of Dalmia Bharat Group believes in the limitless potential of the human being and focus on community-driven, beneficiary centric development programmes.
With a vision to create an opportunity for every stakeholder to reach their potential, the group launched the India Livelihood Collective (ILC), India’s first non-financial and non-funding commitment based collaborative platform to leverage cross-sectoral expertise of organizations, enable collective action towards the creation of sustainable and local livelihoods avenues in India. The foundation is also a member of India Climate Collaborative, a first-of-its-kind India-focused collaborative that seeks to direct funding and visibility towards climate action in India.
In 2020, Dalmia Bharat Group won an award for Environment Sustainability at 18th FICCI CSR award ceremony, organized by FICCI. The award recognizes efforts of companies in integrating and internalizing Corporate Social Responsibility.
29. Tata Motors Ltd.
Tata Motors is committed to sustainable development, where business goes hand in hand with societal wellbeing and environmental consciousness. The company spent 22.9 crores of rupees for CSR in FY2019-20.
In line with the Tata Group’s vision of promoting community well-being, Tata Motors has actively implemented initiatives under its key thrust areas of Health (Aarogya), Education (Vidyadhanam), Employability (Kaushalya) and Environment (Vasundhara) and the Rural Development.

Says Mr Guenter Butschek, CEO & MD, Tata Motors, “As we enter the 75th year of Tata Motors, I share with immense pride that our collective CSR efforts over the last decade have made a positive difference to the lives of 5 million people across India. Our role has progressively grown from being just a resource provider to a facilitator and now an enabler for driving positive change. This is a true testament to ‘innovating mobility solutions with passion to enhance quality of life’ philosophy rooted in our mission statement. We will continue our endeavour towards uplifting the unprivileged communities and improve their quality of life by making them aware and self-reliant.”
Through its CSR programmes, the company has positively touched 8.3 lakh lives in FY19-20, out of which nearly 41% belong to the SC and ST communities.
30. Hindalco Industries Ltd.
Hindalco Industries, a subsidiary company of Aditya Birla Group has been involved in community development work way before the CSR law was introduced in the country. Inspired by the concept of Trusteeship of Mahatma Gandhi, the company has been working for over 50 years in the hinterlands of India to better the quality of life of the underprivileged sections of society.
The company spent about INR 38.53 crore under its CSR in FY 2019-20. The beneficiaries of the company’s CSR programmes are mostly the people from villages in India, 60% of which live below the poverty line. The company works for its upliftment by focusing on four areas that include healthcare, skill training/capacity building, Women Empowerment, and Agriculture Support. The company also works to bring about social reform through widow re-marriage and dowry-less marriages.
These social investments made by Hindalco Industries has allowed it to touch the lives of 1.13 million people belonging to 714 villages in 11 Indian states. The company has also been awarded the Government of India’s National CSR Award in recognition of its initiatives in skilling and livelihood.
31. Reliance Industries Ltd.
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) had a CSR spend of Rs. 1,022 crore during FY 2019-20, according to the Company’s Annual Report. Its head honcho Mukesh Ambani is among the top philanthropists in India while RIL is among the top CSR donors, so this massive contribution to corporate social responsibility should come as no surprise. Of the Rs. 1,022 crore, Rs. 228.80 crore went to Reliance Foundation Institution of Education Research (RFIER).
RIL was swift in acting on relief measures for the COVID-19 pandemic, floods and cyclones that rocked various states over the past few months. Reliance CSR also supporting the Indian government’s Jal Shakti Abhiyan and Swachh Bharat.

Although Mukesh Ambani heads the company, it is Nita Ambani who helms the CSR activities of Reliance Industries Limited, as chairperson of Reliance Foundation. She is passionate about gender equality and bridging the digital divide as seen in her latest collaboration with USAID. Apart from actively supporting SDG 4 of Quality Education and fostering STEM learning in India, Reliance Foundation runs various programmes for Rural Development, Health, and Sports for Childhood Development.
32. Tata Steel Ltd.
Alongside Tata Chemicals, Tata Power and Tata Motors, Tata Steel is one of the Tata Group companies that has executed landmark corporate social responsibility programmes in the past. For example, flagship CSR programme MANSI (Maternal and Newborn Survival Initiative) was recognised by President Ramnath Kovind at the National CSR Awards for empowering community ladies in over a decade of operation.
The steel giant spent Rs. 193 crore on CSR activities this year, as always exceeding the prescribed amount of Rs. 173.53 crore. Tata Steel Foundation broadens the deployment of CSR projects while Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS) executes transformation at the rural level. Tata Steel CSR touched over 1.4 million people this year. It has set itself the ambitious target of reaching than 2 million people by 2025!
The primary CSR programmes are created in such a way that they can be scaled to the pan India level. These span focus areas of PwD (Persons with Disabilities), agricultural development and slum rehab to work towards reducing societal inequities.
33. Adani Power Ltd.
The company’s annual report explicitly states that Adani Power Ltd. (APL) is not required to spend on corporate social responsibility as per Section 135 of Companies Act, 2013. However for noble causes, has spent Rs. 2.7 crore on CSR activities this year. These initiatives have reached out to 6.5 lakh beneficiaries.
Adani Power runs replicable and sustainable initiatives across five states, in 200 villages. Flagship programmes include Swachhagraha, SuPoshan and Udaan. Community development at Adani Power is all about identifying the social needs, and then planning projects in their entirety in meticulous detail. While the CSR team interacts with the target beneficiaries before the project kicks off, third party agencies come in to make a formal assessment. Rural infrastructure, livelihood, education and healthcare are the primary focus areas for the interventions that Adani Power CSR takes on.
34. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporate Ltd. (HPCL) is among the top PSUs for CSR in 2020. This year, HPCL spent Rs. 182.24 crore on CSR activities. The focus of this responsible corporate citizen is to create social capital in the communities where it does business. HPCL CSR follows the model of “Creating shared values” for everyone, from the internal and external stakeholders, shareholders, and communities where it operates.
HPCL corporate social responsibility collaborated with NGO Akshaya Patra to provide meals to 20,000 school kids in government schools. The company is also a partner in Project Nanhi Kali. Under this project, the Maharatna company supported 13,000 young girls in their education. Project ADAPT is catered towards the education and therapy of children with special needs. Project Unnati gave free computer education to 12,000 students this year.
35. Hero MotoCorp Ltd.
Hero Motocorp implements corporate social responsibility projects under the CSR Umbrella ‘We Care’. Chairman and MD Pawan Munjal is passionate about social change and closely observes the work of the CSR team. The company’s CSR spend totaled Rs. 101.95 crores this year.
Hero MotoCorp CSR strategy is to address the most pressing social, environmental and economic issues through specialized interventions. Project Jeevika is about skilling young people, especially young women so they can leave the cycle of poverty behind. The programmes works in tandem with Self-help groups (SHGs) in villages. Large scale fruit tree plantation ensures that the poor have free access to fruits. Project Arogya gives free healthcare access to the economically backward. Project Shiksha wants to ensure that no child living in Hero Motocorp’s areas of operations misses out on schooling. Project Ek Pahal imparts freedom to girls with training in how to ride two-wheelers.
Hero ‘We Care’ has set up RO water filters and toilets in government schools. Project Aarush is replacing old light bulbs with LED lights in poor rural homes and promoting solar power in schools. Project Enable propagates inclusiveness and supports persons with disabilities. Project Khelo Hero helps para-athletes train for their full potential in tournaments. The company gives out motorbikes to forest guards and rangers so that poaching and deforestation is kept in check. Hero MotoCorp CSR works in solidarity with UNDP, various ministries, and civil society organizations on its CSR projects.
36. HDFC Bank Ltd.
HDFC Bank is up there as far as financial literacy and holistic rural development is concerned. It considers financial literacy the first step towards financial inclusion. This is achieved through training camps and working with SHGs in the villages.
This progressive bank spent a whopping Rs. 535 crore on community development programmes under the CSR umbrella Parivartan. HDFC Group committed Rs. 150 crores to the PM CARES fund to support the central government in COVID-19 relief work.
Flagship project Digidhan conducts a mobile financial literacy programme so that it can reach the vast unbanked population, which still forms the majority of India. Apart from digital banking, it also shows them the ropes of brick and mortar banking and talks credit. To date, HDFC Bank CSR has organised 16.93 Lakh financial literacy camps.
Says Ashima Bhat, Group Head of CSR at HDFC Bank:
The philosophy of the Bank has always been to ‘give back’ to the ecosystem in which we operate; not by way of donations but by being partners in change, with all stakeholders. And our CSR Umbrella is suitably called ‘Parivartan’ or change. So far, the fruit of our efforts are the smiles of the beneficiaries; from the children to womenfolk to farmers. Not to forget, the immense satisfaction my colleagues and NGO partners derive from making a meaningful difference in society.
The successful Holistic Rural Development Programme (HRDP) has trained farmers in sustainable agriculture, brought digital schooling to rural kids, incorporated solar power into farming and lighting, and turned thousands of rural women into entrepreneurs.
37. NTPC Ltd.
NTPC CSR impacted 10 lakh lives in 500 villages across India last year. Water, sanitation, health and education are the thrust areas for the social interventions. Since the areas of operations span as many as 19 states, the company is in a rare position to effect social change on a national scale.
Although the power company is looking after multi-year CSR projects, relief measures to fight COVID-19 were top priority this year, as was the case with most corporations. NTPC contributed Rs. 257.50 crore to the PM CARES fund and set aside an additional Rs. 21.74 crore by various units for relief measures against the pandemic.
38. Godrej Industries Ltd.
Godrej Consumer Products Limited which is also part of the Godrej group of companies is way higher than Godrej Industries on this list because of its recent performance in the field of ESG and higher expenditure. However, Godrej Industries has a history of running interventions that made impact on scale. Take, for example, Godrej EMBODE (Elimination of Mosquito Born Endemic Disease) which is working towards a malaria-free India.
Another biggie is Global Volunteer Day. The day is an extension of Godrej’s existing year-round philanthropic volunteering programme. Since its introduction in 2014, employees around the world have engaged in skill-based, long-term volunteering, preparing young people and adults for the world of work, day-long activities, and fundraising for emergencies.
Dr. Vikas Goswami, Sustainability Head, Godrej Industries Limited and Associated Companies says:
“CSR and Corporate Sustainability is the way companies achieve enhanced ethical standards and a balance of social economic and environmental imperatives addressing the concerns and expectations of the stakeholders. I have always believed that Corporate Social Responsibility should be part of a company’s ethos and embedded in its business processes, instead of being reduced to just a mandatory expense or a compliance factor that involves only shelling out funds. Business growth is tied with not just financial sustainability, but also social and environmental sustainability.”
39. IndusInd Bank Ltd.
IndusInd Bank is one of the handful of Indian firms like JSW Group and Sony Pictures that are driving sports CSR programmes in a big way. Apart from sports, the bank has CSR programmes dedicated to preventive healthcare, environment, skill development and inclusiveness. The bank spent Rs. 108.15 crore on corporate social responsibility this year, nearly double of the CSR spend in 2018-19.
IndusInd Blind Cricket Programme is a special one that clubs sports and the specially-abled. The bank is principal supporter for 26 players in the Indian Blind Cricket Team, which won the bilateral ODI series against the West Indies and Nepal this year. It also started the Nagesh IndusInd Trophy this year to bring out new talent.
Nurturing Rural Champions Programme is an inclusive sports CSR initiative. The programme takes care of everything from training and nutrition to recovery for 15 national level and 40 state or district level athletes in Mann so they can achieve international success in future.
Stree Swabhiman Livelihood provided 4,500 girls with menstrual hygiene supplies in Madhya Pradesh this year. Not only did the programme achieve a sanitation goal, it also created livelihood for nearly 2,000 women who were employed to manufacture the pads. Indusind Bank started Road to School Project in collaboration with Learning Links Foundation for changing the delivery model of education in government schools. Road to School reached out to 10,915 children in 42 government schools in Odisha.
40. HCL Technologies Ltd.
