The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), in association with Manappuram Finance Ltd., jointly organized the 2nd edition of CSR Conclave in Kochi on March 06, 2019. The event was themed, “Improving the CSR Eco systems &Corporate Partnerships”.
The daylong conclave brought together dignitaries from leading corporates, representatives from the social sector and government officials to discuss value creation through strategic investments, partnerships and implementation in CSR.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Madhukar Gupta, Additional Secretory, Department of Public Enterprises, Government of India. In his inaugural address he focused on CSR in public sector undertakings and said that CSR projects should ensure growth of the weaker sections and bring them into the mainstream. Mr. V.P. Nandakumar, MD and CEO, Manappuram Finance Limited said that financial inclusion should be a focus area of social responsibility and lauded the role of NBFCs in promoting inclusive development. He also shared his experience in unlocking household gold in India aiding economic growth.
At the conclave, the panel discussions were divided into three sessions. The first session saw speakers shedding light on strengthening the CSR ecosystem, role of civil society, financial models and instruments, policy frameworks and implementation. Shankar Venkateswaran, former head of Tata Sustainability Group, related CSR to economic development and said CSR begins by correctly identifying the needs of the society. Harish Krishnaswamy CEO of Tata Trusts called for judicious utilisation of funds, adding that innovations will give efficiency in CSR.
The second session of the conclave focused on CSR- Corporate partnerships, their strategies, and social impacts. The concluding session was on CSR governance, accounting standards, and monitoring mechanisms. Ms. Rebecca Daou, Executive Administrator at Lions Clubs International Foundation, Chicago, spoke about international best practices in CSR.
Dr. Naresh Aggarwal, Chairman, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Dr. Garima Dadhich, Head, NFCSR, IICA, Harsh Jaitli, Chief Executive Officer, VANI, , Santhosh Jayaram, Partner KPMG, Nixon Joseph, President & CEO, SBI Foundation, Aarti Wig, Founder & Country Director, Yunus Social Business India, Vijaykumar Raju, Trustee Lions Clubs International Foundation, Anjani Sharma, Dr. S. Parasuraman, Former Director TISS, Soumitro Chakravorty, CEO Fiinovision , Rebecca Daou, Executive Administrator at Lions Clubs International Foundation,Dr. Garima Dadhich, Head NFCSR, IICA were also spoken.
