RURAL Immersion Program – PGDM-IB Program Batch 2023-25

Corporate Social Responsibility: A Mandatory Commitment

To increase students' awareness and gain hands-on experience and insights, on December 6,
2023, the students of PGDM-IB batch 2023-25 got a glimpse of various CSR interventions by
Dabur India Limited in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
They got to witness the transformation of a local village pond by Dabur India Limited and even
participated in a plantation drive at the development site.
They were also taken on a tour of the villages in the district to interact with the beneficiaries of
various CSR interventions like Self-Help Groups (SHGs), computer literacy program, and
vocational training, to name a few.
The itinerary included:
 Site 1: Visit to Dabur Water Conservation Project to understand the Pond Renovation
work at Dasna undertaken by Dabur India.
 Site 2: Visit to Dabur's NGO – ‘Sundesh’ Site wherein students met Dabur's team
consisting of Field Staff and Sundesh's staff members.
The team addressed and interacted with the students and then they visited the ‘Project
Village’.
Here the students were exposed to: Village Self-Help Groups, Education interventions and Skill
Development Centre of Dabur. PGDM-IB students were able to relate to efforts of Dabur CSR
activities around three core areas, i.e. education, women empowerment and sustainable
environmental initiatives. Students visited self-help groups promoting women entrepreneurship,
aided schools and community initiatives such as organic farms, supported by Dabur.
While public sector undertakings previously did CSR activities on a voluntary basis, India's
Companies Act of 2013 made it mandatory for certain companies. This legislation applies to
companies exceeding specific financial thresholds: turnover of Rs. 1000 crore, net worth of Rs.
500 crore, or net profit of Rs. 5 Crore. These companies are required to form a dedicated CSR
committee or board, mandated by SEBI to report on their CSR activities. This committee plays a
key role in determining the budget, projects, and implementation of CSR initiatives for the
following year. It also monitors progress and ensures compliance with regulations. The Board of
Directors (BOD) is responsible for implementing the CSR committee's plans and decisions. A
minimum of 2% of the company's average net profit for the preceding three years, as calculated
according to Companies Act Section 18, must be allocated to CSR activities.
The students had a great full day visit and they understood that CSR initiatives ensure a
meaningful and sustainable contribution to society. They interacted with ladies from Self Help
Groups and NGO and saw all the facilities. With this the day ended with lots of learnings and
lessons learnt by the students.