The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), operating under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, marked its third CSR Day on Gandhi Jayanti with a virtual address to trainees in its Certified CSR Professional Programme. The event served as a prelude to the third National Conference and Exhibition on Corporate Social Responsibility (NCCSR 2026), scheduled for October next year. The day’s theme connected Gandhi’s philosophy of trusteeship to modern corporate responsibility in India.
Key facts
- IICA CSR Day observed on 2nd October, following a 2019 suggestion by former President Ram Nath Kovind to dedicate this date to corporate social responsibility
- Batch 11 of IICA Certified CSR Professional Programme participants addressed by IICA Director General and CEO Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh
- CSR spending in India grew from approximately Rs 10,000 crore in the first year of mandatory CSR (2014–15) to nearly Rs 35,000 crore in FY 2023–24
- NCCSR 2026 scheduled for 6th and 7th October 2026 at The Ashok, New Delhi
- Over 550 delegates already registered for the national conference from across India
- Exhibition will feature 30–40 stalls across four thematic zones aligned with Viksit Bharat @ 2047 vision
What CSR means in India’s legal framework
Corporate Social Responsibility in India stems from Section 166(2) of the Companies Act, 2013, which requires profitable companies to spend 2% of their average net profit towards social welfare activities. The legal framework recognises that companies operate within society and have responsibilities to employees, communities and the environment, not merely to shareholders.
The IICA Director General emphasised that CSR is rooted in Indian philosophical traditions of trusteeship rather than being an imported concept. The regulatory framework has evolved over a decade, moving from an initial “comply or explain” approach to amendments in 2019 and new rules in 2021 that introduced concepts such as Unspent CSR Accounts, multi-year project approval, certification of fund utilisation and impact assessment requirements.
The shift from compliance to commitment
A central message in the CSR Day address was the need to move beyond viewing CSR as mere regulatory compliance. The IICA leadership called for a transformation in how companies approach social responsibility, shifting from spending to transforming, from compliance to commitment, and from reporting to evidence-based outcomes.
Currently, CSR initiatives tend to be supply-driven, with companies selecting projects based on familiar areas, geographies and implementing agencies rather than documented community needs. The address stressed the importance of needs-based CSR with active community participation, standardised procedures for assessing community needs, and social impact assessment to measure actual change.
Government platforms and collaboration
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs operates a CSR Exchange Portal that allows district administrations, organisations and communities to register documented social needs. Companies can access this platform to identify projects aligned with actual ground-level requirements. The address encouraged companies operating in the same sector to pool CSR resources for larger-scale national projects rather than fragmented initiatives.
CSR should function as a multiplier of government efforts, leveraging corporate technology and expertise to test innovative approaches in the social sector, rather than merely supplementing government spending.
Professional training in CSR implementation
The IICA Certified CSR Professional Programme aims to develop trained practitioners who can translate CSR obligations into measurable outcomes. The programme curriculum is now linked with the national conference, ensuring participants engage with current thinking on corporate responsibility. The institute emphasises that India’s CSR ecosystem requires more professionals with skills in impact assessment, community engagement, fund management and programme implementation.
NCCSR 2026: Theme and structure
The third national conference will convene on the theme “Re-envisioning the Spirit of CSR for Viksit Bharat: From Compliance to Commitment.” Participants will include senior government officials, corporate leaders, Central Public Sector Enterprises, corporate foundations, United Nations agencies, academic institutions and state governments.
The two-day event will feature five high-level panels and a fireside chat. An accompanying national exhibition will showcase 30 to 40 stalls organised around four thematic zones reflecting the Viksit Bharat @ 2047 vision: Yuva (education, skilling and employability), Garib (aspirational districts, tribal and marginalised communities), Annadata (agriculture and rural livelihoods) and Nari Shakti (women’s empowerment).
What this means for you
If you work in corporate social responsibility, this professional training programme offers certification that recognises your expertise in aligning business responsibility with social impact. For communities and district administrations, the CSR Exchange Portal provides a mechanism to formally present social needs to potential corporate partners. For companies, the shift towards evidence-based, needs-driven initiatives offers an opportunity to achieve greater social impact beyond regulatory compliance.