Fostering new partnerships, the CII CSR- CSO Bridge 2011 on Tuesday urged micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) to raise bar of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Director-general, Council for Advancement of People?s Action & Rural Technology (CAPART) Mohammed Haleem applauded CII & business community to drive India through the journey of economic growth and retain focus on social responsibility.
Calling for the need of channelising MSE efforts for taking up CSR, he said, ?More than 75% of the domestic industry is MSEs. Hence, it?s time that MSEs should come forward to join hands and take up CSR as a mandate for its sustainability in the long run. Corporates and individuals have always involved in social development, in name of charity/social work. What is needed now is to channelise the efforts and professionally shape these initiatives in a conscious manner.?
Releasing the CSR dossier, Haleem said, ?The government governed projects take three steps long process and involve additional costs, from tax collection to the disposing budgetary allocation, to reach out through its developmental programmes whereas it has a simple direct link between the corporate and its beneficiary. This direct link makes CSR efforts more intense and grows horizontally?.
Bringing together all the stakeholders-individuals, government, NGOs and the corporates, at a common platform and indulge in fruitful discussion, the panelists called for flourishing CSR-CSO partnerships based on mutual trust.
Big ticket corporates like Coca-Cola India & South West Asia Business Unit, ACC Gagal Cements Works and Maruti Suzuki and Max India Foundation shared their respective societal initiatives. Cost effectiveness, productivity improvement and better monitoring is how industry can help partner with CSO, shared the industry panelists. Voicing the CSO view, were panelists from various NGOs like Force, Foresight Society of Human Resource & Development, Umeed , Anugraha and Global Cancer Concern.
Jyoti Sharma, president, Force said that It?s the intentions that make the money move. Clearing and defining the intentions of partnerships, she said, ?The partnerships with the corporates not necessarily be in terms of funds but also expertise sharing in communication, knowledge and creativity?. She also shared various rain water harvesting initiatives taken up by Force India.