Axis Bank’s Sustainability and CSR Head says remote geographies need deeper corporate attention, stronger local partnerships and long-term commitment
NEW DELHI (India CSR): India’s Northeast continues to receive only a small fraction of corporate social responsibility funding, despite its deep development needs and difficult geography, said Abhejit Agarwal, Senior Vice President II and Head – Sustainability and CSR at Axis Bank.
In a recent interaction with BW Businessworld, Agarwal said CSR capital in India is not evenly distributed. Remote regions, including the Northeast and tribal belts, often remain outside the main flow of corporate development spending. He said Axis Bank is trying to bridge this gap through focused work in education, livelihoods, healthcare and environmental conservation.
Agarwal said the idea behind Axis Dil Se Open was to take CSR support to places that rarely receive institutional funding. The programme began around eight years ago in Leh-Ladakh and later expanded to the Northeast.
According to him, the Northeast became a natural focus because the region receives only a limited share of CSR funding. Axis Bank now works with local NGOs, the Indian Army and the Assam Rifles to support education systems in some of India’s most remote communities.
The programme has also moved into tribal regions of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha. It focuses on out-of-school children and teachers who need additional training and support.
Agarwal said banks should not be seen only through the lens of business and financial services. He said banks have historically played an important role in funding infrastructure, expanding financial inclusion and helping underbanked communities enter the formal economy.
CSR, he added, has given banks another structured way to contribute to society.
At Axis Bank, CSR is a board-led agenda. The bank has a CSR committee and an involved board that guides its social investment priorities. Agarwal said the bank had already created the Axis Bank Foundation even before CSR became a regulatory requirement in India.
The Axis Bank Foundation is nearly two decades old. For the past 15 years, it has focused mainly on rural livelihoods.
Agarwal said the foundation has reached millions of families through grassroots partners across India. Its work has supported farmers, rural entrepreneurs and local economies.
Livelihoods remain the largest CSR area for Axis Bank. The bank is now working toward an ambitious goal of supporting four million livelihoods by 2032.
Education is another major focus of Axis Bank’s CSR strategy. Agarwal said the bank’s education work is built around three pillars.
The first is higher education. Axis Bank partners with institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science, Plaksha University, IRMA and BITS Pilani. These partnerships support research, innovation and quality learning.
At IISc, Axis Bank is helping build the Axis Bank Centre for Mathematics and Computing. Research, PhD programmes and postgraduate teaching have already started there.
At IRMA, the bank supports an Axis Bank Chair for Financial Inclusion. The work focuses on public finance, rural finance and grassroots research.
The second education pillar focuses on system-level change. Axis Bank works with state governments and NGOs to improve primary and secondary education.
This includes teacher capacity building, curriculum support and help in implementing the National Education Policy.
The third pillar is Axis Dil Se Open. This programme takes education support to children and teachers in underserved, remote and difficult regions.
Axis Bank’s CSR work also extends to healthcare. Agarwal said the bank works with institutions such as CMC Vellore and Tata Memorial Centre.
One of its major healthcare partnerships is with Tata Memorial Centre through the National Cancer Grid. The project aims to improve digital infrastructure and standardisation across cancer hospitals in India.
The bank also supports tumour biobanks, cancer research and direct care for children with cancer and serious illnesses through partners such as the Indian Cancer Society.
Agarwal said Axis Bank’s environmental work is guided by India’s larger climate and sustainability commitments.
The bank supports projects linked to biodiversity, forests, river ecosystems and mangroves. These programmes are implemented with experienced partners working in conservation and restoration.
Working in remote and tribal regions is not easy, Agarwal said. One of the biggest challenges is identifying credible local partners.
Axis Bank gives strong importance to due diligence before selecting NGO partners. The bank looks at governance, expertise, leadership and the organisation’s connection with the community.
Agarwal said needs assessment is also critical. A programme can succeed only when it responds to what the community actually needs.
Agarwal said CSR projects face problems when there is a mismatch between what communities need and what organisations offer.
Community buy-in, therefore, becomes essential. Local trust, local understanding and local participation decide the success of grassroots work.
Government support is also important. District collectors, block officers, panchayats, sarpanches and education officials all play a major role in implementation.
Agarwal also pointed to practical challenges. Floods and cyclones can damage plantation work. Elections can disrupt teacher training and school schedules.
He said experienced NGOs understand these ground realities and build flexibility into programme design so that work continues despite disruptions.
Agarwal’s remarks highlight a deeper issue in India’s CSR landscape. Funding often moves toward accessible and visible regions, while remote geographies continue to struggle for attention.
The Northeast, tribal belts and difficult terrains need patient, long-term and locally rooted CSR support. For companies, the challenge is not only to spend CSR funds, but to take them where they are needed the most.
Key Takeaways
- Only a small share of CSR funding reaches India’s Northeast.
- Axis Bank’s Axis Dil Se Open programme focuses on remote education support.
- The bank aims to support four million livelihoods by 2032.
- Education, livelihoods, healthcare and environment are key CSR priorities.
- Credible NGO partners and community buy-in are central to grassroots success.
- Remote CSR work needs flexibility because of floods, cyclones, elections and local challenges.
