CSR Conclave to debate next phase of corporate social responsibility

Bengaluru, July 15

As corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending in India enters its second decade under the Companies Act, policymakers, corporate leaders, regulators and social sector practitioners will gather at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli, near Bengaluru, on July 16-17 to deliberate on how CSR can evolve from a compliance exercise into an outcome-driven instrument for national development.

The second edition of CSR Conclave 2026, organised by the One World One Family Mission, will centre on the theme 'Reforming CSR for a Viksit Bharat’. The Hindu businessline is the media partner for the conclave.

The two-day conclave comes at a time when India’s annual CSR expenditure has crossed ₹30,000 crore and companies are increasingly looking beyond statutory compliance towards measurable social impact. The deliberations will focus on improving the deployment, governance and measurement of CSR capital while aligning corporate investments with national development priorities.

The inaugural session will feature addresses by former TCS CEO S. Ramadorai, Chairman of the CSR Conclave, Vineet Nayar, Founder-Chairman of Sampark Foundation, and Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Founder of the One World One Family Mission. A white paper containing recommendations for strengthening India’s CSR ecosystem will also be released.

Panel discussions

Four panel discussions have been scheduled during the conclave.

The first will examine whether the Social Stock Exchange can emerge as a significant platform for deploying CSR funds and scaling social enterprises. Another session will explore how the Indian diaspora can play a larger role in nation-building by complementing domestic CSR efforts through structured philanthropy.

A third panel will discuss the growing importance of impact measurement, ratings and governance standards in assessing social outcomes, while the final discussion will debate whether CSR investments should increasingly be evaluated through measurable economic and developmental outcomes.

The conclave will bring together representatives from SEBI, Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC, Allcargo Logistics, Azim Premji Investments, Karkinos Healthcare, the Gates Foundation, IndianOil, Tata Hitachi, HSBC India, Volvo Group India and several other organisations.

Apart from the conference sessions, delegates will visit the healthcare, nutrition and education facilities at Sathya Sai Grama. The first day will conclude with the Viksit Bharat CSR Leadership Awards, followed by an interaction with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai and a networking dinner. The conclave will conclude with a summary of the deliberations and the way forward for strengthening India’s CSR framework

Published on July 15, 2026