A landmark gathering of over 200 leaders from government, corporate India, multilateral bodies, and civil society organisations took place in New Delhi on March 17, 2026, to deliberate on ways to deepen the reach of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending in India’s most underserved regions. The event, held at the India International Centre, was organised by AROH Foundation, one of the country’s leading development-sector non-profits working across 260 districts in 26 states.
What the Summit Set Out to Achieve
The full-day event was themed around building stronger bridges between public welfare programmes and private CSR investments. Conversations centred on reducing duplication of effort in the field, building shared data systems for impact measurement, and creating workable models for CSR delivery in aspirational districts and tribal areas where access remains a persistent challenge.
Policy Leaders and Practitioners Share the Stage
The opening address was delivered by Member of Parliament Shri Lumba Ram Choudhary, who called on corporate India to look beyond metro-centric philanthropy and channel resources toward remote communities. A policy-focused panel brought together voices from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Ministry of Education, and Indian Oil Corporation to discuss how government targets and corporate funding can align more effectively.
Multilateral and Civil Society Participation
Representatives from UNICEF India, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Welthungerhilfe, Habitat for Humanity India, and PCI India contributed perspectives on scaling proven models. These organisations emphasised the importance of rigorous evidence, community ownership, and long-term programme design rather than one-off interventions.
The Case for a New Operating Model
Dr. Neelam Gupta, Founder and CEO of AROH Foundation, outlined a three-part framework, referred to as Community-Collaboration-Convergence, as a blueprint for the sector. The model proposes that CSR impact improves significantly when corporate funders, government departments, and grassroots NGOs co-design programmes from the outset rather than working in parallel silos.
Why This Matters for the Sector
India’s mandatory CSR law requires qualifying companies to spend at least 2% of their average net profit on social development. While total CSR spending has grown steadily since the law took effect in 2014, questions about on-ground effectiveness persist. Events such as this summit signal a growing appetite within the ecosystem for accountability, convergence, and measurable outcomes at the community level.