Project Report

(Submitted for the Degree of B.Com. Honours in

Accounting & Finance / Marketing/ .... under the
University of Calcutta)

Title of the Project

CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY

Submitted by: Mohit Rai

Registration No: 434-1111-0185-22
University Roll No:221434210068
College Roll No:221613
Name of the College : Shree Agrasain
College
Supervised by: Name of the Supervisor:
Prof.Priya Singh
Name of the College: Shree Agrasain College
College Month & Year of Submission
May,2025
1
 ANNEXTURE1

SUPERVISOR’S CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Mohit Rai , a student of B.Com Honours in Accounts of The
Shree Agrasain College under the University of Calcutta has worked under my
supervision and guidance for his Project Work and prepared a Project Report with
the title ‘ CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ’.
The project report submitted by him is genuine and original work to the
best of my knowledge.

Place: Kolkata Date:

30th May,2025
Signature Name: Prof. Priya Singh
Name of the College: Shree Agrasain
College

2
 ANNEXTURE-1B

STUDENT’S DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the Project Work with the title “CORPORATE
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY” submitted by me for the partial
fulfillment of the degree of B.Com Honours in Accounts under the
University of Calcutta is my original work and has not been
submitted earlier to any other University/Institution for the
fulfillment of the requirement of any course of study. I also declare
that no chapter of this manuscript in whole or in part has been
incorporated from any earlier work done by others or by me.
However, extracts of any literature which has been used for this
report has been duly acknowledged providing details of such
literature in the references.

Signature Name: Mohit Rai Address:

9/1 pannalal basak lane Registration
Number: 434-1111-0185-22
Roll Number : 221434210068
Place:Kolkata
Date:30/05/25

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“Perseverance inspiration and motivation have always played a key role in success
of any venture”. I here by express my deep sense of gratitude to all the personalities
involved directly and indirectly in my project work. With immense pleasure, I
would like to express my thanks to all my supervisors for having given me this
privilege of working under their guidance and completing this study. Last but not
the least; I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the faculty members
including our librarian who have always been a source of guidance, inspiration and
motivation.
However, I accept the sole responsibility for any possible errors of omission and
would be extremely grateful to the readers of this project report if they bring such
mistakes to my notice.

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 INDEX
SL.NO. PARTICULAR PAGE NO.
1 Self Information Acknowledgement 1 TO3 4 5 6 7
Index Introduction Rationale Brief 8 9 10 11 12
Reviewof Literature Objectiveof 13TO14
15
theStudy ResearchMethodology 16TO17
Limitationsof theStudy 18TO21
ChapterPlanning Conceptual 22TO23
Framework Objectives Features
National Scenarioof CorporateSocial 24TO26
Responsibility
27
Analysis&Findingsof CorporateSocial
Responsibility 28TO29
Advocaryof CorporateResponsibility
Incorrect CorporateSocial 30TO34
Responsibility Practices 35YO36
CompaniesWithGoodCorporateSoci 37
al
Responsibility CaseStudyof
CorporateSocial responsibility
Conclusions/Recommendations&
Bibliography Bibliography

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 CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND

Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR makes for eminent business sense as

well when one considers the knock-on effect that social and environmental
responsibility brings to the businesses. For instance, corporations exist in a
symbiotic relationship with their environments (the term environment
refers to all the components of the external environment and not to
ecological environment alone) where their exchange with the larger
environment determines to a large extent how well they do in their profit
seeking endeavors.
The evolution of CSR as a concept dates back to the 1950’s when the first
stirrings of social conscience among management practitioners and theorists
were felt. The writings of Keith Davis starting in the 1950’s and continuing into
the 1970’s speak of the need for businesses to engage in socially responsible
behavior and to ensure that society as a whole does not lose out in the process
of profit making behavior by businesses. CSR as a concept was starting to be
taken seriously by the time the 1970’s dawned and through the tumultuous
decade when big business and their minions were accused of several
misdemeanors pertaining to rampant disregard for the environment and
society as a whole.
One can trace the anxieties of activists and management theorists during this
time as they feared that the rapacious behavior of businesses and corporations
ought to be checked if a semblance of social responsibility was to be
maintained. Of course, both sides started to stick to their positions and this
resulted in the debate over CSR getting shriller during the 1980’s. I conclude
the article with two quotes that illustrate the need to think beyond the
ordinary and at the same time remind ourselves of the responsibility we have
towards succeeding generations.

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 RATIONALE

The theme of my study is corporate social responsibility. I have chosen this

theme because it is one of the main issues of modern business which is
developing fast and is widely discussed. With the introduction of Companies
Bill 2013 where it has become mandatory for companies to spend at least
2% of their Profit After Tax on CSR activities and Indian companies and
Government giving due importance to Corporate Governance, it has been
necessary to understand the need and ways of understanding Corporate
Social Responsibility. A company cannot sustain in present scenario without
practicing Corporate Social Responsibility. Thus, as per the need of the
hour, Corporate Social Responsibility is an apt topic to select foe the study.
With some models, a firm's implementation of CSR goes beyond compliance
and statutory requirements, which engages in "actions that appear to
further some social good, beyond the interests of the firm and that which is
required by law".

The binary choice between 'complying' with the law and 'going beyond' the law
must be qualified with some nuance. In many areas such as environmental or
labor regulations, employers can choose to comply with the law, to go beyond
the law, but they can also choose to not comply with the law, such as when they
deliberately ignore gender equality or the mandate to hire disabled workers.
There must be recognition that many so-called 'hard' laws are also 'weak' laws,
weak in the sense that they are poorly enforced, with no or little control or no
or few sanctions in case of non-compliance. 'Weak' law must not be confused
with soft law. The aim is to increase long-term profits and shareholder trust
through positive public relations and high ethical standards to reduce business
and legal risk by taking responsibility for corporate actions.

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 BRIEF REVIEW OF LITERATURE

1. “Ethics is the new competitive environment” – Peter Robinson, CEO,

Mountain Equipment Co-op.

2. “The business of business should not be about money. It should be

about responsibility. It should be about public good, not private greed” –
Anita Ruddick, Founder, Body Shop.

3. “We know that the profitable growth of our company depends on the economic,
environmental, and social sustainability of our communities across the world. And
we know it is in our best interests to contribute to the sustainability of those
communities” – Travis Engel, CEO, Alcan.

4. “Corporate Social Responsibility is a hard-edged business decision. Not because

it is a nice thing to do or because people are forcing us to do it but because it is
good for our business” – Niall Fitzgerald, Former CEO, Unilever.

5. “In the next decade, the most successful companies will be those that
integrate sustainability into their core business” – Jim Owens, CEO, Caterpillar.

6. “Creating a strong business and building a better world are not conflicting
goals- they are both essential ingredients for long-term success” – William
Clay Ford Jr., Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company.

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 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

My intention while doing this project on Corporate Social Responsibility

is to show that how CSR practices can lead to profitability and
sustainability. It can really help companies to achieve strategic
advantage over their competitors to survive in the market in today’s age
of globalization and the ways which companies are adopting to
implement these policies and help the society to prove themselves as
responsible corporate citizens.
1) To study & analyze the CSR practices adopted by the corporate world,
especially the Indian corporate house.
2) To analyze the impacts of CSR practices on corporate brand buildings.
3) To carry out the comparative study of brand building through CSR practices.

9
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Area of Study: (Secondary Data)

While collecting data for the project mass media was the main source which
includes studying and collecting data from esteemed newspapers like The
Business Standards, Economic Times, news channels like Times Now, CNN IBN
and internet. The project has been done based on secondary data

Sample:

CSR policies adopted by both national and international companies have been
thoroughly studied and requisite data has been included in the project.

10
 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
1) Since Corporate Social Responsibility is a relatively newer concept
many companies do not prepare CSR reports to ascertain how much
expenditure has been done by them.

2) The project primarily depends upon Secondary data. Sources

such as newspapers, journals from Business Standard Research
Bureau have been studied for the project.

3)The analysis is limited to 2024 data.Only the data published on the

internet is available in this project.

4) In particular, little is known about how corporate decision-

makers privately reconcile the conflicts between public and
private interests, even though this is likely to be relevant to
understanding the limitations of CSR as a means of aligning
business activity with the broader public interest.

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 CHAPTER PLANNING
Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate
citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/
Responsible Business) is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a
business model. CSR policy functions as a built-in, selfregulating mechanism
whereby a business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of
the law, ethical standards, and international norms. CSR is a process with the
aim to embrace responsibility for the company's actions and encourage a
positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers,
employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public
sphere who may also be considered as stakeholders

The second chapter: “CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK” relates to Conceptual Framing

of the Subject. This subhead discusses the meaning of
Corporate Social Responsibility. This portion also states the Advantages and
Disadvantages of Corporate Social Responsibility. Along with it the National
and International Scenario of Corporate Social Responsibility has also been
explained in it.

The third chapter: “ANALYSIS & FINDINGS” includes the advocacy of Corporate
Social Responsibility, companies that are practicing CSR and case
study on Infosys and HDFC Bank the results therein after analysis of CSR
practices
adopted by them.
The fourth chapter: “CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS”

includes the conclusions derived after the analysis & findings and the
recommendations/ suggestions to increase profitability from CSR practices.

Lastly, Bibliography/ References of data have been mentioned.

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 CHAPTER 2
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

MEANING OF CORPORATE SOCIAL

RESPONSIBILITY

“Corporate Social Responsibility is operating a business in a manner which meets

or excels the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that a society has
from the business.”

Corporate Social Responsibility is nothing but what an organization does to

positively influence the society in which it exists. It could take the form of
community relationship, volunteer assistance programmers, specially
scholarships, and preservation of cultural heritage and beautification of cities.
The philosophy is basically to return to the society what it has taken from it, in the
course of its quest for creation of wealth. Movement aimed at encouraging
companies to be more aware of the impact of their business on the rest of society,
including their own stakeholders and the environment.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a business approach that contributes to

sustainable development by delivering economic, social and environmental
benefits for all stakeholders.

CSR is a concept with many definitions and practices. The way it is understood
and implemented differs greatly for each company and country. Moreover, CSR
is a very broad concept that addresses many and various topics such as human
rights, corporate governance, health and safety, environmental effects,
working conditions and contribution to economic development. Whatever the
definition is, the purpose of CSR is to drive change towards sustainability.

13
Although some companies may achieve remarkable efforts with unique CSR
initiatives, it is difficult to be on the forefront on all aspects of CSR.
Considering this, the example below provides good practices on one aspect
of CSR – environmental sustainability.

Example:
Unilever is a multinational corporation, in the food and beverage sector, with a
comprehensive CSR strategy. The company has been ranked ‘Food Industry
leader’ in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for the 11 consecutive
years and ranked 7th in the ‘Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the
World’.

One of the major and unique initiatives is the ‘sustainable tea’ programme. On a
partnership-based model with the Rainforest Alliance (an NGO), Unilever
aims to source all of its Lipton and PG Tips tea bags from Rainforest Alliance
Certified™ farms by 2015. The Rainforest Alliance Certification offers farms a
way to differentiate their products as being socially, economically and
environmentally sustainable

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ASPECTS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
1)The primary objective of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is to
ensure businesses operate ethically and sustainably, contributing to
societal and environmental well-being while maintaining profitability.
CSR aims to create positive change by addressing social issues,
protecting the environment, and supporting community initiatives.

2) To facilitate exchange of experiences and ideas between

various
stakeholders for developing a framework for strengthening of
CSR indicatives.

3) To facilitate any other assistance directly or indirectly for activities which

seek to promote CSR practices.

4) To establish and deepen links with the organizations in various parts of

the world which promote CSR practices for exchange of ideas and
collaborative actions and programmes.

5) Managing the company based on the MAPFRE values of

solvency,
integrity, vocation for service, innovation for leadership and
committed team, which must be present in any business project
that is carried out.
6) Establishing relationships of stability and equality with
stakeholders
related to the company, mainly those defined in the mission1:
shareholders, employees, providers, distributors, clients and
society.
7) Managing the risks and business opportunities arising from the
development of the environment in which MAPFRE does business,
assuming the impact it generates on society and the environment,
maximizing the positives and minimizing the negatives.

15
 FEATURES
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming more and more
important in business, and the business gifts sector is no exception. People
expect both big and small companies will make their decisions with due
consideration for the economy, the environment and society. Companies
cannot become socially responsible overnight: it requires the commitment
and efforts of management and employees. CSR is a very broad term that
decision-makers can define in their own way. Below you will find a
checklist for the business gifts sector, containing a number of features taht
are important for companies focusing on CSR. For example, you can
choose to be a company that is concerned with the three P’s
– Profits, People and the Planet – which is a key term in CSR.

1: Environmental protection

Companies in the business gift sector can do their bit for the environment
primarily by raising awareness among employees, clients and suppliers.
This can be done by way of simple incentives such as installing dustbins,
giving tips on reducing energy consumption, encouraging people to take
the train instead of the car and purchasing environmentally-friendly
equipment, etc.
2: Employee safety and commitment

Employees should be given the respect they deserve. A number of

scandals have demonstrated that this is not always the case. Bullying
and unsafe workplaces are by no means the exception. Draft an ethical
code and have it signed by all companies.

3)Ethical Behavior:
CSR emphasizes conducting business with fairness, honesty, and
integrity, adhering to high ethical standards.

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 4: Sustainable investment and purchasing policies

More and more companies are making sustainable investments. This

means that they take into account the economic, social, ecological
and cultural impact of their entire processes, both in the short term
and then long term. Campaigns set up by suppliers are carefully
studied to ensure an ethical policy. The various interested parties
are interviewed, in order to look at the various requirements side by
side.
5: Corporate Governance

Corporate Governance is a general term for the way in which companies

are managed. IGO-POST attaches great importance to having an efficient
management team that maintains good relationships will all interested
parties. Scandals such as the Enron scandal that came to light in the past
led to changes in national and international law. Our sector must also
comply with the various requirements and laws that are there to protect
everyone.

6)Customer Loyalty:
Consumers are increasingly drawn to companies that prioritize
social and environmental responsibility, leading to increased
loyalty.

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 NATIONAL SCENARIO OF
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
In India CSR is not a new concept as it occupied a prominent place even before
India got its independence. The Infosys and HDFC Bank have had long standing
position in this field. This concept picked up pace after 1991 reforms of
economic liberalization, which provided a mode of transformation for India’s
business into large global enterprises. Although these industrial organizations
had paid attention to large social welfare program’s but the 1991 reforms was
major impact on bringing CSR into the core focused areas for market growth in
the economy.
There has been major development in the triangular relationship between the
Companies, state and the society and Corporate Social responsibility has
become increasingly prominent in the Indian scenario. The companies have
now realized that besides market growth, it is also essential for them to sustain
that position by building a trustworthy relationship with the community.

In India the CREP (The Corporate Responsibility for Environmental Protection)

was formed in 2003. A guideline for a set of non-mandatory norms for 17
polluting industrial sectors has been set but there is no real pressure for
implementation or internalization. An ethical being which claims to respect the
earth cannot have discontinuities in its practices. Ethical practices have to
place in an integrity framework, and that implies at the very least a lack of
multiple ways of being. Companies in India follow the trend “better the CSR policy,

the more the

sales”. The trend affects most of the product categories which are bought on
daily basis which means that consumers are making purchase decisions every
day. This could be one of the major reasons why Indian FMCG companies are
most actively engaged in responsible activities and rank on top in the latest
Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) report
on CSR by Indian corporate. The report says that of 175 Indian companies
studied, 52 companies in the FMCG sector have taken the maximum of CSR
initiatives. This was followed by the chemical sector and then the IT sector.

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 INTERNATIONAL SCENARIO OF
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Out of all the companies across Europe and the Americas, approximately 70
percent report about the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives taken by
them. Guidelines related to reporting on CSR initiatives exist in countries
like France, Australia, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark.
However, with the introduction of Companies Act 2013 (hereinafter called
‘the act’) along with clause 135, India has become the first country to
introduce statutory provisions with respect to Corporate Social
Responsibility. The concept of CSR has existed in the country since ages. It
however lacked the statutory mandate. In 2008, a joint project between the
Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs and the German technical agency and
bilateral donor GIZ lead to the development of “an Indian concept” for CSR
guidelines and reporting. The “National Voluntary Guidelines on Social,
Environmental, and Economic Responsibilities of Business” were a result of
these discussions. After the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
ordered the 100 largest companies listed on the BSE and NSE to disclose
their CSR activities along with the percentage of after-tax profits devoted to
CSR, these guidelines crystallized into rules. Passing of the Companies Bill by
the Lok Sabha in 2012 gave CSR rules the hue of a mandate. Discussion
Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility in India: The evolution of
Corporate Social Responsibility in India can be divided into four phases. i.
First phase: CSR motivated by charity and philanthropy, ii. Second phase:
CSR for India’s social development, iii. Third phase: CSR under the paradigm
of the “mixed economy”, iv. Fourth phase: CSR at the interface between
philanthropic and business approaches1 .
19
Globalization has had a major impact on the world and thus it has
lead to CSR being a common theme around the world. NGO (non-
governmental organizations) and trade unions approach the
companies questioning about their commitments to the society.
CSR has become a medium for the companies in strengthening
their market positions and benefiting there business depending on
their sector and size, thus CSR has now become a factor of
competitiveness. National policy makers, International
organizations (European commission, International Labour
organization and United Nations commission on Human Rights) to
ensure that CSR maintains its voluntary nature and companies
have their discretion in there service to the society.

CSR is different issue once a company builds and maintains a production

facility in emerging and developing countries. Companies are often
confronted with pressing problems of these countries like crushing
poverty, inadequate health care, HIV, corruption, Child Labour,
restriction of trade union activity and poor education system in some
cases even the lack of rules for working conditions and environmental
protection.

Typical problem areas which company is confronted with-

1) A company has to comply with the statutory provisions of the host
country, however these do not run counter to the general standards
laid down by the United nations and International labour
organization, for instance in the area of freedom of association in
China, companies face
dilemma: either they break the law or they infringe the generally
accepted social values.

20
2) Another area of conflict maybe the culture and traditions of the country
in question. For example-equality of opportunity of occupation for women
is very difficult to be applied in Muslim countries.

3) The behavior and social commitment of the company must also take
account of the economic situation of the countries in question. Hence
rigorous implementation of high environmental and social standards in
developing countries could be perceived as an attempt by industrialized
countries to increase labour costs in those countries, thereby depriving
them of their most important competitive advantage.

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CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS OF
CORPORATE
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
The increased interest in CSR has been accompanied by substantial growth in the
number of external standards produced for business by governmental, non-
governmental, advocacy and other types of organizations. These various standards are
designed to support measure and enhance accountability of CSR.
Various performance and reporting standards have been introduced. Some are
explained below;

THE GLOBAL REPORTING INITIATIVE

The GRI is a reporting standards establishedin1997 with the missions of designing

globally guidelines for preparing enterprise level sustainability reports including
both social and environmental indicators. The GRI is convened by CERES
(COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE ECONOMICS) incorporates the
active participations of governmental, non- governmental organizations, UN
agencies and other stakeholders around the world. The GRI vision is that reporting
on economic, environmental and social performance by all organizations becomes
as routine and comparable as financial reporting.

AA1000
AA1000 Is launched in1999 based on john Ellington’s triple bottom line reporting
is an accountability standard designed to complement the GRI guidelines. The
AA1000 stakeholders Engagement Standards (AA10000SES) is a generally
applicable, open source framework for improving the quality of the design,
implementation assessments, communication and assurance of stakeholder’s
engagement.
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SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILTY 8000
SA 8000 is a comprehensive, global, verifiable performance standard for auditing
and certifying compliance with corporate responsibility. The heart of the
standards is the belief the t all workplaces should be managed in a such manner
that basic human rights are supported and that management is prepared to
accept accountability for this. It is an international standard for improving
working conditions.

THE CAUX ROUND TABLE

Promotes principle led business leadership and the belief that business has a
crucial role in identifying and promoting sustainable and equitable solutions to
key global issues affecting the physical, social, and economic environments.
The CRT is comprised of senior business leaders from Europe, Japan, and North
America and is based on Coax, Switzerland.

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 ADVOCACY OF CORPORATE
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILTY

Any country needs to have watchdogs to keep track of the entities that
make up the body polity. In the same way that courts are the custodians
of the law and act as a check on the executive, the advocacy groups act
like watchdogs of corporate behavior. Hence, any deviation in corporate
behavior is actively recorded and published by these groups. Of course,
there are many NGO’s that partner with corporations as well and the
examples of Janagraha and CRY (Child Relief and You) are the prominent
ones. So, there are both sides to the coin where advocacy groups act to
prevent corporate from indulging in socially irresponsible behavior as
well as those that work with companies in implementing CSR programs.
It is no secret that corporate social responsibility campaigns can be powerful
sales tools.

More and more companies are aligning their values with a cause so they
can market their good deeds right along with their products.
But CSR campaigns can be equally effective when leveraged to

complement
advocacy messages. Just take a look at Uber.
The mobile-app-based transportation company has undergone tremendous
growth over the past few years. In that time, it has also garnered some bad
press. To combat that, Uber has embarked on a new CSR strategy.

Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, a

women’s rights resolution adopted by the UN at the end of the 1995
Fourth World Conference on Women. The intended purpose of the
resolution was to “advance the goals of equality, development and peace
for all women everywhere.”

24
ASPECTS OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) encompasses a wide range of activities
and principles through which businesses aim to make a positive impact on
society while conducting their operations ethically and sustainably. The main
aspects of CSR include: 1. Environmental Responsibility

Sustainability initiatives: Reducing carbon footprints, waste management,

water conservation.
Eco-friendly practices: Use of renewable energy, green building design,
sustainable supply chains.
Climate action: Participating in efforts to combat climate change.
2. Social Responsibility
Community development: Supporting education, healthcare, housing, and
infrastructure in local communities.
Employee welfare: Ensuring fair labor practices, safety standards, diversity,
and inclusion.
Human rights: Upholding and promoting human rights across all operations
and supply chain
3) Ethical Responsibility
Corporate ethics: Adherence to high standards of integrity, transparency,
and accountability.
Anti-corruption measures: Implementing policies to prevent bribery, fraud,
and unethical behavior.
Responsible marketing: Honest advertising and communication with
consumers.
4. Economic Responsibility
Fair business practices: Ensuring ethical dealings with suppliers, customers,
and partners.
Long-term profitability: Balancing financial success with social and
environmental goals.
Investment in innovation: Funding sustainable products, technologies, and
services.

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 CASE STUDY ON CORPORATE
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PRACTICES BY INFOSYS Is India’s largest

software service company and has won the Asian CSR award for initiating
community development work and implementing various programs and
devoting leadership and sincerity as ongoing commitment in incorporating
ethical values. Major focus of the company is on education sector. Company
is working upon literacy program that cares INFOSYS designed computer
based literacy model to teach adults and this program is known as adult
literacy program. Company is also working upon environmental policy and
has been developing environment friendly products and services. They has
also taken some footprints into the health sector too, i.e. it is actively
supporting children’s hospital in Mumbai. Success of all these CSR practices is
shared by company with a three dimensional framework that comprises
employees, management and workplace.

26
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PRACTICES
BY: HDFC BANK
HDFC Bank, one of India’s leading private sector banks, has
a strong commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR). Its CSR initiatives are implemented mainly through
the HDFC Bank Parivartan platform, which reflects the
bank's mission to bring about meaningful change in society.
Here are the key CSR practices of HDFC Bank:
1. Holistic Rural Development (HRD)
Flagship program under Parivartan aimed at
transforming rural lives.
Focus areas include:
Agriculture and livelihoods: Skill-building, better
farming techniques.
Water conservation: Check dams, rainwater
harvesting.
Sanitation and health: Building toilets, organizing
health camps.
Education: Infrastructure support, digital classrooms.

2. Education & Skill Development

Support for underprivileged children through
scholarships, school infrastructure, and digital literacy.
Partnerships with NGOs to deliver skill development
programs for youth and women.
Promoting financial literacy in rural and urban
underserved areas.
3. Healthcare
Mobile medical units providing health services in remote
areas.
Health awareness campaigns (nutrition, sanitation,
hygiene).
Preventive and curative services, including eye check-ups,
maternal care, and child health.
4. Environment Sustainability
Tree plantation drives and promotion of clean energy.
Solid waste management and water conservation projects.
Promoting use of LED lighting, eco-friendly technologies.

27
 CSR initiatives as one of them is Indian Women’s leadership council.
The Company issued its first corporate policy on environmental
affairs in the year 1971 and till date it is working on go green and
preserving natural resources.

HDFC BANK has developed a system that aligns the company’s values
with social responsibility initiatives and maximizes its impact as a
global enterprise. With this aim, company is working on specific
societal issues like environment, community development, health
care, education, etc. HDFC has integrated in organizing many health
services that constitutes providing medicines in industrial work area
along with looking after with respect to hygiene and safety. The
company is working with the motive of providing transparent system
and proactive engagement with employees, customers and the
society where they operate and work. With this, they are trying to be
better equipped with better products and services for a smarter
planet.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN INFOSYS AND

HDFC BANK:

AVG. CSR SPENING ON DIFFERENT SECOTRS IN LAST 3 YEARS (Rs. Crores)

COMPAN HEALT EDUCATIO ENVIRONMEN COMMUNITY OTHERS TOTAL

Y H N T DEVELOPMEN
T
INFOSYS 42.35 34.84 39.64 47.48 45.00 209.31
HDFC BANK 47.52 38.19 42.97 40.20 32.75 201.63

NOTE: The 3 year avg. data has been determined by Net Profit of financial
years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 on a stand-alone basis.
28
The data so mentioned in the project has been extracted from Business
Standard Research Bureau.
GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF CSR SPENDING BY
INFOSYS AND HDFC BANK ON DIFFERENT SECTORS:

CSR SPENDING ON DIFFERENT SECTORS BY

HDFC BANK

HEALTH
EDUCATION
ENVIRONMENT
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
OTHERS

CSR SPENDING ON DIFFERENT SECTORS BY INFOSYS

HEALTH
EDUCATION
ENVIRONMENT
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
OTHERS

29
 50
45
40
35
30
25
20 INFOSYS
15 HDFC
10
5
0

HEALTH EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT COMMUNTIY OTHERS

DEVELOPMENT

ANALYSIS OF % OF CSR SPENDING FROM

NET PROFIT AFTER TAX BY INFOSYS AND
HDFC BANK :
COMPANY NET PROFIT AFTER CSR SPENDING (Rs. % of CSR
TAX (Rs. Crores) Crores) SPENDING
INFOSYS 26750 275.50 1.029

HDFC BANK 17616 147.40 0.83

NOTE: The 3 year avg. data has been determined by Net Profit of
financial years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 on a stand-alone basis.

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 CHAPTER-4
CONCLUSIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS AND
BIBLOGRAPHY
CONCLUSIONS:
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a vital component of
sustainable business practices, and both Infosys and HDFC Bank
exemplify how corporations can positively impact society while
achieving business growth. Infosys, with its strong emphasis on
education, environmental
sustainability, and healthcare through the Infosys
Foundation, demonstrates a strategic and well-structured CSR approach. Its
initiatives like supporting rural development, promoting digital literacy, and
empowering communities reflect its commitment to inclusive growth and
long-term value creation. On the other hand, HDFC Bank has implemented
impactful programs

such as "Parivartan," which addresses financial literacy,

skill development, education, and sustainable livelihoods. Its focused
efforts on improving rural lives and promoting entrepreneurship highlight
the bank’s role in nation-building and community development. Both
organizations follow a transparent and ethical CSR strategy aligned with
the requirements of the Companies Act, 2013. Their CSR efforts not only
enhance brand reputation but also build trust among stakeholders and
contribute to the socio-economic development of the country. In
conclusion, the CSR practices of Infosys and HDFC Bank serve as
benchmarks for other corporates.

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RECOMMENDATIONS:
Enhanced Stakeholder Engagement:
Both Infosys and HDFC Bank can further improve their CSR impact by involving
more direct feedback from beneficiaries and stakeholders. Conducting regular
impact assessments and community consultations can help align CSR initiatives
more closely with real needs.

Focus on Measurable Outcomes:

While the CSR initiatives are commendable, both companies should place
more emphasis on measurable outcomes and impact metrics. Clear KPIs
(Key Performance Indicators) will enhance transparency and help in
evaluating the success of CSR activities.

Increased Rural Outreach:

Expanding CSR programs to deeper rural and underserved areas can
increase the inclusivity and reach of their initiatives. This will help
bridge urban-rural gaps in education, healthcare, and financial literacy.

Collaboration with NGOs and Government Schemes:

Partnering with local NGOs and aligning with government welfare
schemes can enhance the scale, efficiency, and sustainability of CSR
projects. Collaborative efforts often lead to more impactful results.

Integration with Core Business:

CSR should not just be a separate activity but integrated with the core
business strategy. For instance, Infosys can use its tech expertise to
build scalable digital education tools, while HDFC Bank can promote
financial inclusion through innovative fintech solutions.

Employee Involvement:
Encouraging employee volunteering and participation in CSR programs
can build a stronger organizational culture and ensure that the
workforce is directly contributing to social causes.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.Infosys Foundation Website

2.https://www.infosys.com/infosys-foundation
3.Infosys Annual Reports (CSR Section)
4. Available at: https://www.infosys.com/investors/reports-
filings/annual-report/
5.HDFC Bank CSR Portal – Parivartan
6.https://www.hdfcbank.com/csr
7.HDFC Bank Annual Reports (CSR Disclosures)
8. Available at: https://www.hdfcbank.com/personal/about-
us/investor-relations/financial-information/annual-reports
9.Companies Act, 2013 – Section 135 (CSR Guidelines)
10. Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India
11.https://www.mca.gov.in
12.Khan, Arif & Atkinson, Glen. (2020).
13.Corporate Social Responsibility in India: A Case Study of HDFC Bank
and Infosys.
14. International Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 7, Issue 3.
15.CSRBOX India – CSR News and Reports
16.https://csrbox.org
17.The Economic Times / Business Standard / LiveMint – News articles
on CSR initiatives of Infosys and HDFC Bank
18.https://economictimes.indiatimes.com
19.https://www.business-standard.com
20.https://www.livemint.com

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