Bengaluru, 25 November 2024:
CII Karnataka organized its Annual CII Karnataka CSR Conclave 2024 “A Decade of CSR in Karnataka; Learning from the Past; Shaping the Future ” today at Bengaluru. Addressing the inaugural session, Sadhguru Sri Madhusudhan Sai, Spiritual Leader & Global Humanitarian, Sri Madhusudhan Sai Global Humanitarian Mission shared “CSR interventions at the grassroots level can create transformative impacts in education, healthcare, and nutrition. Small actions, like providing daily meals through initiatives such as Annapoorna, demonstrate how focused efforts can overcome challenges and improve outcomes. Investing in education and skill-building is critical especially in rural areas where college enrolment rates are low, targeted CSR efforts can reshape lives, empower communities, and build a knowledge-based economy. Partnerships and collaboration between Industry and the goverment through CSR are the key to driving lasting, impactful and transformative change.”
Mr Ritesh Kumar Singh, IAS, Principal Secretary for the School Education & Literacy, Department, Government of Karnataka remarked “Fostering collaboration between the government and industry is a key priority, as their convergence has the potential to drive transformative change. Partnerships have the power to create meaningful and sustainable impacts, especially in critical areas like education. The Marusinchana initiative, which spans 93 talukas across Karnataka, has created a significant impact . The Karnataka Public School (KPS) model, which aims to scale up to 500 schools, is a perfect example of how collaborations can transform educational outcomes and empower future generations. I am convinced that such partnerships are vital for achieving long-term development goals and driving inclusive growth. “
Mr N Venu, Chairman CII Karnataka State Council & Managing Director & CEO – India and South Asia, Hitachi Energy emphasised “A strong partnership and collaborative mandate needs to be institutionalised to support inclusive development along with the strong focus on economic transformation and growth. For India to become a sustainable developed nation, focus on health, education and employment generation will be critical. Corporate Social Responsibility today is a strategic initiative that aims to create long-term value for both businesses and society. CII Karnataka is focussed in it’s efforts on developing public private partnership models addressing social inclusion which leverage the strengths and capabilities of the ecosystem comprising diverse industries, leading technology, innovation and R&D institutions and a rich pool of entrepreneurial and startup talent. The CII Karnataka CSR Panel over the years has provided an important platform for all stakeholders to collaborate on the agenda of CSR.”
Mr G V Rao, Convenor CII Karnataka CSR Panel Director CSR & External Industry Affairs, Volvo Group India Pvt Ltd highlighted “Karnataka stands as a frontrunner in CSR implementation. The state secured the second position in terms of CSR expenditure in India during FY 2022-23, with an estimated outlay of Rs 2000 crores. This significant investment highlights the state’s commitment to social and environmental causes. However, a further analysis finds that majority of the funding is concentrated around the districts of Bengaluru, Mysore, Mangalore and Hubli. There’s a definite need to expand CSR initiatives beyond urban centres to underserved areas. The Karnataka government, recognizing this imperative, is actively seeking strategic public-private partnerships to ensure equitable distribution of CSR funds across urban, rural, and aspirational districts.”
Dr Anupama Shetty, Co Convenor CII CSR Panel & Mission Director, BIOCON Foundation remarked “CSR has transformed from a mere compliance obligation to a strategic imperative, we require a committed acceleration of efforts as we address newer challenges, such as climate change and resource inequality, health epidemics, diverse stakeholder expectations, changing regulatory landscape and the need for agility and adaptation.”
The conclave highlighted critical themes in CSR and the sectoral experts discussed and deliberated on the Opportunities & Challenges in the sector and areas to mitigate bottlenecks through Policy Ecosystem, Opportunities and Challenges Private Public sector Partnerships in Enhancing CSR space, Technology Trends and Innovations Digital Transformations, and lastly the Emerging Changes in the sector.
Leading industries and institutions including Titan Company Ltd, Maini Group, Volvo India Pvt Ltd, ASM Technologies Ltd, Satya Sai Trust, BIAL, Biocon Foundation, United Efforts and Embassy group shared and showcased their insights which was attended by over 100 industry CXO’s and stakeholders across sectors.
“The Karnataka Public School (KPS) model, which aims to scale up to 500 schools, is a perfect example of how collaborations can transform educational outcomes and empower future generations.”-Mr Ritesh Kumar Singh, IAS, Principal Secretary for the School Education & Literacy, Department, GoK.
