Commitment of companies to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is more important than compliance and voluntary initiatives in the social sector are more important than mandatory norms, Mr. K Subramanya, CEO, Tata BP Solar, said while delivering the keynote address at the CII Conclave on Integrating CSR with Business Strategy today. He exhalted   the corporate sector to be the change they wish to see and set an example in making a difference to  the  problems of one of the most important stakeholders of business - citizens.  Corporate  Social  Responsibility (CSR) in India can probably be traced back to when the Tata Iron and Steel Company was floated in 1907. The Jamshedpur plant today can be described as a mammoth social outreach programme that covers 600 villages in and around its manufacturing and raw materials operations through initiatives in the areas of income generation, healthcare and education. A good example of linking business goals with a larger societal cause is ITC's e-Choupal initiative, which has proven to be a digital revolution and has been reshaping the lives of farmers in remote Indian villages. .

Mr. S Viswanathan, Chairman,  CII Karnataka, highlighted CSR's impact on shareholder value of companies and that CSR, if integrated well with business strategy, can bring competitive advantage to them. Studies have shown that CSR can positively influence revenue generating mechanism of companies. Some companies believe that CSR is textured into the group's value systems. The companies create parallel organisation to focus on CSR. Today CSR views itself as a company engaged in the higher cause of nation building. The CSR agenda of Indian companies, do not view CSR as an instrument of enhancing their reputation, instead they display an earnest desire to give back to society and contribute to the nation's progress. Today CSR in India is led by large corporates but it does not mean that SME's cannot take initiatives, Mr. Subhash Lovekar, Vice President, MICO Bosch and Chairman CSR Networking Forum, CII said. He said CSR is not longer charity but can be part of business strategy. Companies today need to identify where they can incorporate CSR in their business processes as well.

Rahul Bedi, Director, Corporate Affairs Group, South Asia, Intel said Intel believes in the fundamental premise that good business is responsible business and responsible business is good business. The starting point for product companies is how to produce them with least impact on ecology. In India, Intel is making a difference to the next level of innovation by training large number of teachers and students. The larger purpose of Intel is to foster a knowledge and innovation-driven society. Extending the definition of CSR, Vijay Vardhan, Regional Welfare, Social Development, ITC Ltd, said CSR is not just about social responsibility, it's about everything we do, how we do business, and is a journey in sustainability. ITC, which has pioneered the triple bottomline reporting in India, has been working closely in integrating its business strategy with the community with whom it interacts constantly. 

Some of the other issues discussed were how CSR could draws its strength from applying corporate strategic thinking to both leverage positive social and environmental benefits and mitigate negative social and environmental impacts in ways that enhance competitive advantage. Responsive CSR addresses generic social impacts through good corporate citizenship and value chain social impacts by mitigating harm from negative corporate impacts on society. Strategic CSR transforms value chain social impacts into activities that benefit society while simultaneously reinforcing corporate strategy and also advances strategic philanthropy that leverages areas of competitiveness.  It   draws its strength from applying corporate strategic thinking to both leverage positive social and environmental benefits and mitigate negative social and environmental impacts in ways that enhance competitive advantage.

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