Backward districts are not just socially deprived; they also sit at the heart of India’s economic potential
MUMBAI (India CSR): Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India has grown into a significant tool for nation-building since the enactment of Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013. The law mandates companies to spend at least two per cent of their average net profits of the past three years on social development. While much of this spending has been directed towards education, health, and urban development, Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has drawn attention to an uncomfortable reality: CSR has remained largely city-centric, leaving backward and remote districts with limited corporate engagement.
Speaking at the fifth Governing Council meeting of the Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation (VSTF), Fadnavis urged corporates to widen their horizons. His appeal is simple yet powerful: don’t just fund projects in Mumbai, Pune, or Nagpur—take responsibility for Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Latur, and other underserved districts where the need is greatest.
Shifting CSR From Comfort Zones
For many companies, implementing CSR in metro cities and industrial clusters is logistically convenient. Urban centres offer access to NGOs, consultants, skilled manpower, and visibility. However, this convenience often dilutes the spirit of CSR. Remote districts continue to grapple with poor infrastructure, malnutrition, lack of health facilities, and underperforming schools.
Fadnavis’s call is a reminder that CSR was never meant to be about convenience—it was designed as a mechanism to balance growth by reaching those who live far from economic prosperity. Maharashtra’s Village Social Transformation Foundation is a practical framework for this shift. Its first phase showed measurable progress, especially where corporates and socially committed fellows worked together at the grassroots. Yet, the progress slowed when external fellows left, underlining the importance of building village-level institutions that can sustain change.
Corporate Participation: Encouraging Examples
The meeting saw notable commitments. Noel Tata of Tata Group revealed that nearly a quarter of Tata’s CSR funds are earmarked for Vidarbha and other backward areas. Sangita Jindal of JSW pledged transformation work in 50 villages of Gadchiroli district. IDBI Bank, through VSTF, is already supporting 104 villages across five districts with initiatives ranging from school adoption to hospital strengthening.
These examples highlight that when corporates step outside metros, the social and economic dividends are enormous. Villages gain improved education, healthcare, and water security, while companies build long-term trust with communities and governments. This alignment also strengthens their ESG credentials, increasingly scrutinized by investors and global stakeholders.
From Philanthropy to Sustainable Development
The lesson from the first phase of VSTF is clear: one-off projects do not sustain transformation. Fadnavis rightly emphasized that institutional capacity must be built within villages. Training local officials under initiatives like Mission Maha Karmayogi ensures that once corporate partners move on, communities continue to progress.
For CSR to be impactful, companies must treat it not as philanthropy but as an investment in inclusive growth. Projects should be tailored to each village’s unique needs. For one community, it may be watershed management; for another, skill development for women or digital access for children. The one-size-fits-all approach must give way to context-driven solutions.
Why Remote Areas Deserve CSR Focus
Backward districts are not just socially deprived; they also sit at the heart of India’s economic potential. Regions like Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Gadchiroli are rich in natural resources, yet their people often lack basic opportunities. Investment in these areas through CSR can reduce distress migration, enhance agricultural productivity, and provide livelihood opportunities locally.
Moreover, directing CSR funds here aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on poverty, health, education, and gender equality. It also addresses regional disparities, a challenge that has historically hindered balanced growth in states like Maharashtra.
Devendra Fadnavis’s appeal is more than a political statement; it is a moral and strategic imperative. Maharashtra’s progress will not be judged by the skylines of Mumbai or Pune alone but by the conditions in Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, and Nandurbar. Corporates, with their resources and innovation, can make this possible.
CSR in India must evolve from cheque-writing in familiar zones to co-creating sustainable solutions in forgotten geographies. The second phase of the Village Social Transformation Foundation provides a platform for this. What remains is for corporates to overcome hesitation, embrace partnership, and commit to leaving no district behind.
Chief Minister Fadnavis has rightly set the tone. The challenge is now for corporates: will they continue to play safe in urban comfort zones, or will they rise to the occasion and take responsibility for those left at the margins of growth? The answer will define not just Maharashtra’s rural future, but also the credibility of CSR itself.
(India CSR)
