The American Bazaar foresees exciting things for India’s philanthropic sector, based on a report called “India’s CSR: Taking Singles instead of Hitting Sixers,” which analyzes the latest trends in Indian philanthropy and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
The new report analyzes “one of the world’s most interesting experiments to promote private philanthropy—the CSR requirement in the 2013 Companies Act.” The act makes it mandatory for corporations in India with revenues of more than 10 billion rupees (approximately $131 million) to give two percent of their profits to charities. The Guardian noted the great debates the law sparked between NGOs and businesses, as its enactment made India the first country to mandate CSR initiatives.
Just as the Indian government pushes inclusive demonetization to reduce corruption and technology access for all Indians, it is pushing India’s corporate sector to provide the seed capital and philanthropy for solutions to India’s most challenging problems in education, healthcare, the environment and skills development.
The Economic Times India attributes an 11 percent growth in India’s “millionaire club” to the 2013 Companies Act. The credit is based on a trickle-down view of regional development; wealthy Indians—including non-resident members of the Indian diaspora who live overseas—raised the incomes of the average Indian household in ways that benefit the philanthropic sector: “In 2016 alone, 924 startups received funding…creating rapid advancements on the technological, medical, financial and retail fronts.” The phenomenon underscores the claim that the 2013 Companies Act has been successful in “thrusting philanthropy rates in India” in a way that benefits regional, and transnational development.
The American Bazaar notes that Indian companies practiced CSR before the Companies Act was enforced. Such philanthropy was practiced “without calling it so.” Corporate housing, and subsidized living, and employee retention practices have been linked to community development initiatives. From the onset, the Guardian elaborated on NGOs concerns about how any “forced philanthropy” risks “tick-box behavior, tokenism, or even corruption, and masking of data.” However, many agreed that only time will show any real impact of the legislation.
So, what have we learned so far? Nish Acharya, former director of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Obama administration and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, explains in the American Bazaar that NGOs in India “see a sector that is still in the early stages of getting organized.” The “newness” to philanthropy in India makes it difficult for NGOs to provide more constructive feedback. This assessment is derived from the India CSR report’s interviews with 39 leaders of India’s largest NGOs—“the very organizations receiving CSR funds.”
Three core themes resonated from recommendations about what is still needed to generate more constructive feedback. Companies should do the following:
“Move beyond the check” by ensuring that CSR departments engage more with their NGO partners;
“Emphasize the corporate in CSR” by actualizing the role of corporate to assist NGOs in areas of operations, finance, marketing, and governance; and
“Focus on impact” by generating and implementing more long-term rather than short-term internal projects and strategies.
Doing so can better scale NGO and external partners’ efforts in influencing public policy. Thus, pushing the corporate world to support more functional CSR mechanisms and partnerships proves a must.
The problem is that dictated development agendas through mandated CSR fail to meet the actual needs of communities: “Thus, many efforts labeled as ‘progress’ in India…have led to increased marginalization and inequality for the local poor.”
This article was taken from here.