Programs and Events
Sustaining Corporate Social Responsibility during an Economic Recession
Representatives of more than 40 corporations and 33 NGOs working on a wide range of issues including environment, health, heritage preservation, disability rights, education and literacy came together in Bangalore on August 28 to discuss how to build and sustain corporate social responsibility (CSR) even during difficult economic times. Mr. T.V. Mohandas Pai, Member of the Board, Infosys Technologies, Ms. Sylvia Subbaiah, Management Aide and Leader, Texas Instruments India Foundation, Ms. Sagarika Bose, Vice President–CSR and Research, NASSCOM Foundation, and Mr. Mustafa Moochhala, Managing Director, Innobridge Consulting Services, Chennai lead the lively discussion. The speakers made the case for increased corporate involvement in improving the social conditions of their local communities and offered compelling business reasons for doing so. Rather than always reaching for the checkbook, the speakers highlighted CSR initiatives involving staff volunteering their time and expertise to a cause. Mr. Moochhala spoke from the NGO perspective and offered useful strategies for NGOs seeking CSR partnerships with corporations. Following the discussion, corporate representatives toured stalls set up by the 33 NGOs to enquire about their work and projects needing support. Both NGO and corporate participants remarked on the prospects for new partnerships sparked by the interactive event. The Consulate organized this event in association with the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce - Karnataka and the NASSCOM Foundation with a grant from the Department of State.
In the afternoon, Mr. Moochhala stayed on for a second session of the seminar for 120 social work students and faculty members on “Sustainable NGO-Corporate Partnerships.” Additionally, two former exchange grantees – Ms. Janaki Murali, Group Leader, Education and Research, Infosys Technologies and Mr. Vishal Talreja, Founder and CEO, Dream-a-Dream Foundation, spoke about their organizations’ CSR experiences. While Ms. Murali highlighted the various projects of Infosys Technologies, especially in the areas of improving the quality of education in backward and rural educational institutions, Mr. Talreja recounted his personal journey from a corporate executive to starting his own NGO that helps underprivileged children. Mr. Moochhala, who has extensive corporate and NGO experience, shared valuable strategies on NGO-Corporate partnerships targeted to help the social work students in their future careers.
To receive information about future Consulate programs e-mail ChennaiPASprograms@state.gov