Business and Community—The Story of Corporate Social Responsibility in India

Sundar (founder and first executive director of Sampradaan Indian Centre for Philanthropy, India) describes the history and current practices of corporate social responsibility ("a catch-all term to indicate business-community social engagement for mutual benefit") in India from the beginnings of Indian industry to the present. She describes four significant periods of business-community engagement: 1850-1914, when there was a shift from merchant charity towards the more Western form of philanthropy; 1914-1960, when there was a maturing of philanthropic practice, with businesses contributing to nationalist political, educational, and cultural causes; 1960-1990 in which business constraints and government social programs initially led to a decline in business philanthropy, although true corporate philanthropy first began to emerge in the 1970s; and the 1990s onwards, when economic liberalization increased business ability to give, as well as public and government expectations of business, and which saw a shift away from traditional philanthropy towards more direct engagement with development concerns and disadvantaged groups. Following this discussion of history, she examines current practices and ongoing challenges. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)