A turning point for inclusive growth and development in India arrived when section 135 of the Companies Act 2013 came into force in April 2014, mandating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) among Indian companies. Since then, CSR has emerged as a powerful tool in bridging social, economic and cultural fault lines across the country. A pivotal player in furthering CSR activities in West Bengal has been The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I), which has gone pan-India with its CSR involvement this year. The culmination of BCC&I’s CSR efforts took place at the second edition of BCC&I’s CSR Conclave and Social Leadership Awards, organised at the BCC&I premises on December 7.
The winners, runners-up and recipients of Special Jury Awards
Representatives of Hope Kolkata Foundation felicitated by Jitendra Kumar and Sumit Das Gupta
Over 100 corporates and NGOs participated in the Awards, which involved separate divisions for corporates and NGOs. The winners of the Awards on the day were — Roots Foundation and Hope Kolkata Foundation in the Small Project (NGO) category, Calcutta Rescue in the Medium Project (NGO) category, Youth 4 Jobs Foundation in the Large Project (NGO) category, Minda Corporation Limited in the Empowerment (Small Corporate) category, ITC Limited in the Empowerment (Large Corporate) category, Tata Metaliks Limited in the Education (Small Corporate) category, Capgemini Technology Services India Limited in the Education (Large Corporate) category, and Capgemini Technology Services India Limited and Schneider Electric India Private Limited in the Environment (Large Corporate) category.
Representatives of Calcutta Rescue felicitated by Bhaskar Chatterjee
Special Jury Awards were given to The Rangeen Khidki Foundation in the Small Project (NGO) category, Sanjog India in the Medium Project (NGO) category, JSW Foundation in the Large Project (NGO) category, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in the Empowerment (Small Corporate) category, Infinity Infotech Parks Limited in the Education (Small Corporate) category, and Exide Industries Limited in the Education (Large Corporate) category.
The first runners-up were — Parivaar Education Society in the Large Project (NGO) category, Aditya Aluminium Limited for the Empowerment (Large Corporate) Category, The Peerless General Finance and Investment Company Limited in the Education (Small Corporate) category, and Tech Mahindra Foundation in the Education (Large Corporate) category. Moreover, a second runners-up award was presented to Vihaan in the Large Project (NGO) category.
The jury for the Awards comprised Bhaskar Chatterjee, former director general and CEO, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs; Sujata Sen, CEO, Future Hope; Partha Sarathi Bhattacharyya, former chairperson, Coal India Limited; Manish Gupta, president, The Institute of Company Secretaries of India; and Sumit Das Gupta, founder and director, Allcap Communications.
‘The Bengal Chamber isn’t confined by boundaries… we aren’t confined to West Bengal’
(L-R) Jitendra Kumar, Ravindra Chamaria, Arup Raha, Gautam Ray, Subir Chakraborty, Bhaskar Chatterjee, Jaidip Mukerjea and Neepa Saha Sharma
On a wet and chilly morning in Kolkata, proceedings got underway at BCC&I’s Williamson Magor Hall with Gautam Ray, president, BCC&I, delivering the welcome address, underlining the synergy between corporates and NGOs that formed the essence of the event. Jitendra Kumar, chairperson of the corporate governance and CSR committee at BCC&I and company secretary and president (legal and corporate affairs) of Exide Industries Limited, followed up with the theme address. “Our objective is to collaborate with and handhold stakeholders, including corporates and NGOs, besides recognising the excellent work being done in the field of CSR. The Bengal Chamber isn’t confined by boundaries, which means we aren’t confined to West Bengal. I expect this event to take place outside Bengal as well as outside India in the years to come,” said Kumar.
Arup Raha, former chief of the Air Staff at the Indian Air Force and former chairperson of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, highlighted how “a lot more can be done to improve social indices to ensure improvement in the quality of life and standard of living for the downtrodden in India”. Subir Chakraborty, CEO and managing director of Exide Industries Limited and former president of BCC&I, spoke about making CSR projects “more effective and meaningful by reflecting a spirit of true partnership between corporate houses as well as NGOs all the while ensuring long-term commitment towards wholesome upliftment”.
Jaidip Mukerjea, former Indian tennis player, recipient of the Arjuna Award and director of the Jaidip Mukerjea Tennis Academy commented on how “sports isn’t an organised industry in India yet, but in a country that is teeming with talent, help from CSR projects can tap into the sporting potential of Indians”. Ravindra Chamaria, mentor, corporate governance and the CSR committee at BCC&I and group chairperson of Infinity Infotech Parks Limited, urged all present “to give not with a sense of obligation but privilege, and to receive not with a sense of entitlement but gratitude”.
Bhaskar Chatterjee then took to the dais to mention how “the CSR ecosystem in India is unique, with neighbours like Nepal taking inspiration from us”. Neepa Saha Sharma, co-chairperson of the CSR committee at BCC&I and head of CSR at CESC Limited, stressed on how “corporates and NGOs have to complement each other and build on each other’s strengths and weaknesses”.
‘The business of business isn’t only about making money, but also about making a difference’
(L-R) Madhupee Bhaumik, Amit Vatsyayan, Bhaskar Chatterjee, Anurag Pratap, Medha Oka and Meera Shenoy
The first panel discussion of the day revolved around “CSR as a business strategy: Linking purpose and profit” and was moderated by Bhaskar Chatterjee. The panellists included Anurag Pratap, vice president and CSR leader, Capgemini India Private Limited; Medha Oka, executive director, India Sponsorship Committee; Meera Shenoy, founder-CEO, Youth 4 Jobs; Amit Vatsyayan, partner, Ernst & Young LLP; and Madhupee Bhaumik, youth representative from Indus Valley World School. “The business of business isn’t only about making money, but also about making a difference” emerged as one of the leading takeaways during a conversation that touched upon the role of State governments in CSR, the differences between sponsorships and donations, and the need to prioritise sustainability as part of CSR initiatives.
Thereafter, a case study was presented by Sudipta Mukherjee, chief advisor, Generation, CESC Limited, on a CSR project of Haldia Energy Limited that invested in the empowerment of the underprivileged in rural Bengal, including provisions relating to sanitation, education and employment.
(L-R) Bhaskar Chatterjee, Mamta Binani, Ambarish Dasgupta and Rupanjana De
The second panel discussion narrowed down on “Impact funding with a focus on Social Stock Exchange” and was moderated by Mamta Binani, former national president, Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). The panellists included Ambarish Dasgupta, senior partner, Intueri Consulting LLP; Rupanjana De, central council member, ICSI; and Bhaskar Chatterjee. The session lucidly explained the rules and regulations pertaining to the concept of Social Stock Exchange, which allows investors to monitor their CSR investments alongside receiving detailed feedback on the same from social impact auditors and assessors.
(L-R) Souptika Bhattacharya, Sujata Sen, Puja Marwaha, Anagha Mahajani and Suparno Moitra
The third and final panel discussion was centred around “Social impact: Collaboration and partnership for effective CSR” and was moderated by Sujata Sen. The panellists included Puja Marwaha, CEO, Child Rights and You (CRY); Anagha Mahajani, chief impact officer, Ambuja Cement Foundation; Suparno Moitra, public speaker, life coach, communications and cause advocacy specialist; and Souptika Bhattacharya, youth representative from BDM International School. The main insights from the session involved shedding light on the most important values governing CSR — trust, transparency, accountability and clarity of communication and collaboration.
Sukanya Bose, director, BCC&I
The programme came to a conclusion with the vote of thanks by Sukanya Bose, director, BCC&I, where she emphasised BCC&I’s commitment to expanding CSR further with a dedicated focus on pan-India projects.
