Institute will recognise CSR leaders and initiatives in education, healthcare, livelihoods, skill development, women’s empowerment and climate action.
NEW DELHI (India CSR®): Organisations and corporate social responsibility leaders working to deliver measurable and sustainable social impact across India have been invited to submit nominations for the SETU Bandhan CSR Awards 2026. The awards ceremony will be held on August 21, 2026, at Juniper Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, from 10:30 am to 4 pm. Instituted under SETU, the flagship thought leadership forum of Bandhan Konnagar, the national recognition platform seeks to celebrate organisations and leaders contributing to inclusive development through responsible business practices.
The awards will recognise strategic leadership, innovation, sound governance, partnerships, scalability, sustainability and measurable community impact.
Leadership Awards
The SETU CSR Leadership Awards will recognise individual leadership across three organisational segments:
- CSR Leader of the Year – Large Enterprise
- CSR Leader of the Year – Medium Enterprise
- CSR Leader of the Year – Small Enterprise
Organisations will be classified according to their annual CSR spending and project value.
| Enterprise category | Annual CSR spending | Project value |
|---|---|---|
| Large Enterprise | Above Rs. 25 crore | Rs. 10 crore and above |
| Medium Enterprise | Above Rs. 5 crore to Rs. 25 crore | Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 10 crore |
| Small Enterprise | Up to Rs. 5 crore | Below Rs. 2 crore |
Applications under the leadership segment will be assessed on strategic CSR vision, leadership, governance, innovation, scale, partnerships, sustainability and measurable impact.
Impact Categories
The SETU Impact Awards will recognise notable CSR programmes across six development areas:
- Education
- Healthcare
- Livelihoods
- Skill Development
- Women Empowerment
- Climate Action
Education projects may cover school education, foundational literacy, digital learning, higher education, inclusive education and teacher capacity building. Evaluation will consider learning outcomes, enrolment, retention, access and scalability. Eligible interventions should have operated for at least 12 months. The livelihoods category includes self-help groups, entrepreneurship, farmer producer organisations, rural enterprises, income enhancement and market linkages. Projects will be examined for their contribution to income growth, employment creation and enterprise sustainability. Healthcare nominations may cover primary and preventive healthcare, maternal and child health, telemedicine, cancer care, mental health and nutrition. Improved health outcomes, programme coverage and accessibility will be important evaluation considerations.
Skills and Inclusion
Skill development initiatives may include employability programmes, vocational training, digital skills, youth employment and industry-linked skilling. Assessment will focus on placements, income enhancement, participant retention and certification. Under women’s empowerment, eligible areas include financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, leadership, gender equality, safety, healthcare and education. The evaluation will consider women’s participation in decision-making, income enhancement and leadership. Climate action projects may address renewable energy, water conservation, biodiversity, circular economy, carbon reduction and waste management. Nominations will be assessed according to measurable environmental outcomes and community adoption.
Eligibility Requirements
Registered companies, corporate foundations, Section 8 companies, trusts and societies may participate, provided their nominated CSR programme has been implemented in India. Applicants must have completed at least one financial year. Projects executed or implemented during FY 2025–26 and/or FY 2026–27 will be eligible for consideration. The initiatives must comply with Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013. An organisation may submit one application in each category, subject to a maximum of three submissions. Supporting documents are mandatory, while an independent third-party assessment is preferred.
National Recognition
According to the organisers, the awards have been conceptualised to recognise programmes that improve lives, strengthen communities and contribute to nation-building. They also aim to encourage innovation, deepen collaboration and promote scalable solutions for inclusive development. By showcasing credible CSR models, Bandhan Konnagar seeks to inspire organisations to move beyond short-term interventions and build initiatives capable of generating long-term and measurable outcomes.
How to Nominate
Interested organisations can download the nomination form from bandhan.org/setu-2026. The completed application, along with the required supporting documents, must be submitted by email to setu@bandhan.org
Nomination deadline: Open.
Eligible organisations should, therefore, complete and submit their applications at the earliest opportunity ahead of the awards programme on August 21, 2026.
Program Details
| Particular | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | SETU Bandhan CSR Awards 2026 |
| Date | August 21, 2026 |
| Time | 10:30 am to 4 pm |
| Venue | Juniper Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi |
| Nomination form | bandhan.org/setu-2026 |
| Submission email | setu@bandhan.org |
| Maximum submissions | Three per organisation |
