<a href="https://www.unitedbreweries.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Breweries Limited (UBL)</a>, a subsidiary of <a href="https://www.theheinekencompany.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HEINEKEN</a>, has inaugurated its flagship transformative CSR initiative, Project Jal Shakti, in Sangareddy district, Telangana.



The project, implemented in partnership with <a href="https://bharatcares.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BharatCares</a>, focuses on promoting sustainable agriculture, enhancing groundwater recharge, and boosting biodiversity across six gram panchayats: Malkapur, Kothlapur, Guntapalley, Gopulapuram, Haridaspur, and Malepally.



As part of Project Jal Shakti, two renewable energy-powered Centres of Excellence (CoEs) have been established to empower farmers and local communities.



The CoEs offer training in sustainable farming practices, soil and water conservation techniques to improve crop productivity. Equipped with automatic weather stations for real-time data and soil testing laboratories, the centres enable data-driven, efficient agriculture.



To bolster water security, the initiative includes constructing a new check dam, rejuvenating an existing one, and deepening/widening three irrigation channels. Additionally, over 1,200 native saplings are being planted to aid ecosystem restoration.



The inauguration event featured key attendees including Geetu <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garima-singh-ubl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gidwani Verma </a>(CSR &amp; ESG Committee Chairperson, UBL), Yolanda Talamo (CSR &amp; ESG Committee Member, UBL), Garima Singh (Chief Corporate Affairs, UBL), Bhomik Shah (Trustee, BharatCares), and Pentani Praveen Kumar (Sarpanch, Kothlapur Gram Panchayat).



Garima Singh, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at UBL, stated: &#8220;Project Jal Shakti reflects our long-term commitment to sustainable agriculture and water stewardship. By integrating farmer training, water infrastructure, agroforestry, and Centres of Excellence, we are building resilient livelihoods and restoring ecosystems through impactful partnerships.&#8221;



Bhomik Shah of BharatCares added: &#8220;We are collaborating closely with communities to advance sustainable farming and water availability. The CoEs will drive long-term resilience for regional farmers.&#8221;



Project Jal Shakti aligns with UBL&#8217;s broader sustainability efforts as India&#8217;s largest beer producer, marketing brands including Kingfisher and Heineken variants, alongside non-alcoholic beverages.



BharatCares, the social impact arm of CSRBOX Group, ranks among India&#8217;s top social organizations, emphasizing innovation, scalability, and collaborations to tackle education, employability, rural infrastructure, healthcare, entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, and road safety.

UBL launches transformative project Jal Shakti in Telangana

Naveen S Garewal



In recent parliamentary sessions, a familiar pattern has emerged: Members of Parliament routinely seek granular details on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending within their Lok Sabha constituencies. <a href="http://Sansad.in Lok Sabha Questions">Questions </a>range from development works by specific sugar mills in Valmikinagar, Bihar, to targeted interventions in backward or Scheduled Caste-dominated areas of Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and even proposals for district-level “CSR project banks” in Amroha to align with local needs in drinking water, sanitation, schools, and skills training. 



The Ministry of Corporate Affairs responds with consistent restraint: CSR expenditure according to parliamentary constituency is not maintained centrally. The framework under the Companies Act, 2013, remains disclosure-based and board-driven. Companies file annual details in the MCA21 registry, and aggregates — state-wise, district-wise, sector-wise, company-wise — are publicly accessible on <a href="http://www.csr.gov.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.csr.gov.in</a>. 



The government issues no directives on where or how corporates should spend, nor does it track spending by political boundaries or specific communities. This position is not bureaucratic evasion; it is a deliberate design choice that deserves defence. 



The intent of Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, was never to create a parallel public funding stream under parliamentary oversight. CSR emerged as a statutory nudge for profitable companies to contribute to society, with boards — advised by CSR committees — deciding priorities based on business strategy, operational footprint, and Schedule VII activities. 



A key guiding principle is preference for local areas around operations, but this is advisory, not mandatory. The regime seeks to harness corporate resources for social good without turning CSR into government-directed allocation. Parliamentary constituencies are political constructs, redrawn periodically through delimitation exercises. 



They rarely align neatly with administrative units like districts or company operations. Imposing central tracking at this level would demand additional compliance burdens — mapping multi-site projects, verifying boundaries, auditing overlaps — on thousands of companies. The cost would outweigh benefits, especially when district-level data already enables scrutiny of local impacts. More critically, constituency-level granularity risks politicising CSR. 



Persistent questions from MPs reflect understandable constituency pressures: elected representatives want visible development in “their” areas. Yet formalising such tracking could foster expectations of informal quotas or invite lobbying, turning a corporate responsibility into an extension of electoral politics. 



Evidence already hints at distortions — higher CSR flows in election years or ruling party strongholds. Codifying constituency data might amplify these tendencies, undermining the board-driven ethos and inviting misuse. 



Transparency exists where it matters. The csr.gov.in portal offers robust, verifiable data: over Rs 4,000-5,000 crore annually from PSUs alone in recent years, spread across states and sectors. District-wise breakdowns allow MPs, civil society, and citizens to analyse flows and advocate for better alignment with local needs. If imbalances persist — say, in aspirational districts or SC/ST areas — the solution lies in incentives, guidelines, or voluntary campaigns, not central mandates that erode corporate autonomy. 



The government’s refusal to maintain constituency-wise data upholds a vital distinction: CSR supplements, but does not substitute, public expenditure or schemes like MPLADS. Politicising it further would blur lines between private philanthropy and state welfare, potentially deterring genuine corporate engagement.



 In an era when development rhetoric often outpaces outcomes, resisting micro-political oversight of CSR preserves its potential as flexible, innovative social investment. Parliamentarians would serve their constituents better by pushing companies directly, leveraging public data, or strengthening convergence with government programmes — rather than demanding a tracking system that the law never envisioned and good policy should avoid. include focus keyword in title and throughout the story

Why CSR should not be mapped to parliamentary constituencies

By Eldee



Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spending in India&#8217;s 112 Aspirational Districts — the backward regions identified by NITI Aayog for accelerated development — grew by nearly 20 per cent in FY 2023-24, reaching Rs 1,521.44 crore from Rs 1,265.36 crore the previous year, according to the latest data tabled in Parliament by the <a href="https://services.india.gov.in/service/ministry_services?cmd_id=670&amp;ln=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ministry of Corporate Affairs</a>.



The figures, part of a Rajya Sabha response in early February 2026, reflect a gradual shift towards channelling private sector resources into underdeveloped pockets, even as overall national CSR expenditure climbed to Rs 34,908.75 crore in FY24 from Rs 30,932.08 crore in FY23.



<a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/news/bhel-4-psus-doing-csr-work-in-41-aspirational-districts/269" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aspirational districts</a>, which account for some of the country&#8217;s highest poverty and lowest human development indices, continue to receive only about 4-4.5 per cent of the total CSR pie — a share that has more than tripled over the past decade from around 1.3 per cent but remains modest given the scale of need.



The data highlights stark regional and district-level variations. Jharkhand emerged as the top recipient among states, with its aspirational districts attracting around Rs 317 crore in FY24 (up from Rs 263 crore), driven largely by industrial and mining-linked contributions.



Districts such as Purbi Singhbhum (Rs 94.20 crore) and Ranchi (Rs 80.65 crore) remained heavyweights, benefiting from proximity to corporate operations in steel, coal and heavy industries.



Madhya Pradesh followed closely, with Singrauli topping the national list at Rs 114.29 crore in FY24 — the single highest district allocation — underscoring the influence of energy and mining sectors.



Other notable performers included Uttarakhand&#8217;s Haridwar (Rs 75.80 crore) and Maharashtra&#8217;s Gadchiroli, which saw a dramatic jump from Rs 14.55 crore to Rs 70.15 crore, likely tied to increased focus on tribal and forested areas.



Yet the pattern reveals persistent clustering. A handful of districts — often those with resource extraction or strategic industrial presence — captured a disproportionate share, while many remote or low-activity aspirational districts received negligible funds.



Several, including Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh, Bijapur and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh, and Yadgir in Karnataka, recorded zero or near-zero spending in both years. Others, like Sirohi in Rajasthan, saw sharp declines (from Rs 50.97 crore to Rs 20.67 crore).



Experts point to the voluntary, board-driven nature of CSR under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, which encourages but does not mandate spending in specific geographies beyond preferring local areas around operations.



Government-owned companies have been more proactive, directing a higher proportion (around 11 per cent in recent analyses) to <a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/woman-and-child/transformative-malnutrition-csr-efforts-nddb-conclave/1296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aspirational districts</a> compared to private firms.



Reports from think tanks such as Sattva Consulting note that while private corporations now contribute the majority of aspirational district funding — led by BFSI and energy/mining sectors with natural rural linkages — the overall flow remains aligned more with business footprints than pure equity considerations. Three-fourths of district-mapped CSR often concentrates in metros, Tier-1/2 cities or industrial hubs with lower poverty levels.



NITI Aayog&#8217;s Aspirational Districts Programme, launched in 2018, has used real-time monitoring and convergence with central schemes to drive improvements in health, education, nutrition and infrastructure across these regions.



The rising CSR inflows complement these efforts, but stakeholders argue for stronger nudges — such as better alignment with district priorities, multi-year commitments and incentives for non-core area spending — to ensure more equitable distribution.



The Ministry maintains that CSR data is publicly available on csr.gov.in, empowering transparency and stakeholder scrutiny. As national CSR totals approach Rs 35,000 crore annually, the challenge remains translating incremental gains in backward districts into transformative, sustained impact amid uneven corporate priorities.

CSR flows to India&#8217;s aspirational districts rise 20% in FY24, but concentration persists in mining hubs

A groundbreaking study from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has uncovered an alarming Western Disturbances shift, with these vital weather systems—traditionally tied to winter snowfall—now exerting greater influence during pre-monsoon months, heightening threats to climate resilience, disaster preparedness, and water security in northern India.



 Published in the International Journal of Climatology, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.70272" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the research </a>reveals that Western Disturbances are becoming more active beyond the cold season, traveling longer distances, absorbing higher moisture, and delivering intensified precipitation from March to May. 



This Western Disturbances shift, driven by climate warming, is reshaping precipitation patterns across the Himalayas and adjacent areas.



 Analyzing over seven decades of atmospheric and rainfall data, researchers identified significant changes in Western Disturbances pathways, including extended travel, enhanced moisture uptake, and stronger upper-level winds, which amplify rainfall intensity outside the traditional winter period.



 The alarming Western Disturbances shift elevates risks of flash floods, landslides, and extreme rainfall in the fragile Himalayan terrain, while disrupting long-term water availability for downstream regions.



 “Extreme events, such as the 2023 Himachal flood and the recent 2025 Uttarakhand flood, reflect the growing influence of these disturbances,” said Spandita Mitra, PhD Scholar at IIT Roorkee’s Department of Hydrology.



 Lead investigator Prof. Ankit Agarwal added: “Our analysis shows that Western Disturbances are undergoing significant seasonal and structural changes, particularly during the pre-monsoon period. This transition has far-reaching implications for water resources, extreme weather events, and disaster vulnerability in the Himalayas.”



 Prof K K Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, emphasized the need for proactive measures: “Scientific evidence such as this is crucial for rethinking climate resilience in ecologically sensitive regions. This study reinforces our commitment to translating insights into actionable strategies for sustainable development.”



 The researchers call for updated climate models, dynamic forecasting, and region-specific risk assessments to address the evolving patterns under a <a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/sustainable-world/eco-survey-climate-finance-gap-structural-misalignment/1337" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warming climate</a>.

Alarming Western Disturbances shift raises flood risks in Himalayas: IIT Roorkee study

In a massive show of community spirit for Swachh Bharat goals, <a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/agri-food/hcl-foundation-jointly-with-up-govt-launches-training-center-for-farmers/317" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HCLFoundation</a> teamed up with Noida Authority to host Swachhata Mela 2026 here on Wednesday.



The event, held under the guidance of Noida Authority CEO Krishna Karunesh IAS, brought together over 5,000 people — school students, teachers, RWAs, sanitation workers, urban village residents, NGOs and officials — to celebrate the city&#8217;s strides in cleanliness and sustainable living.



Vandana Tripathi IAS, Additional CEO of Noida Authority, graced the occasion as chief guest. She stressed that lasting cleanliness needs strong systems, efficient services and active public participation. “In partnership with HCLFoundation, we are strengthening waste management while honouring sanitation workers. Swachhata Mela offers a key platform to engage communities and promote responsible behaviour for long-term clean-city goals,” she said.



The mela featured lively panel discussions and expert talks on waste segregation, circular economy and changing citizen habits. Students and community groups enthralled the crowd with cultural performances.



A special Swachhata Exhibition spotlighted the achievements of HCLFoundation’s My Clean City programme, showing real progress in sanitation, waste handling and behaviour change — thanks to strong backing from Noida Authority.



A moving highlight was the felicitation of sanitation workers (safai karamcharis), school students, teachers and Waste Champions for their tireless efforts in keeping Noida and Greater Noida spotless. Sanitation kits were handed out to more than 5,100 safai karamcharis.



Participating schools under the My Clean City Waste Champion programme were also honoured for spreading awareness and inspiring young citizens to act.



Dr Nidhi Pundhir, Senior Vice President, Global CSR at HCLTech and Director, <a href="https://www.hclfoundation.org/work-with-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HCLFoundation</a>, said: “Sustainable urban change comes from strong partnerships and empowered people. Cleanliness goes beyond infrastructure — it’s about shared responsibility, dignity and trust. Through <a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/news/hclfoundation-plants-over-47-000-saplings-across-india-to-support-a-sustainable-planet/480" target="_blank" rel="noopener">My Clean City</a>, we drive large-scale behaviour change, and Swachhata Mela 2026 shows our dedication to inclusive, citizen-led solutions for resilient cities. I express heartfelt thanks to all Noida sanitation workers who keep our city shining.”



My Clean City is transforming urban sanitation in Noida and Greater Noida with science-based waste practices and wide community involvement. So far, it has sensitised nearly 750,000 citizens on good waste habits, trained over 61,000 stakeholders, and managed more than 50,000 tons of waste.



Key tech boosts include the Integrated Control and Command Center (ICCC) for operations, HomoSep robots for safe manhole/septic tank cleaning, and E-garbage loaders for efficient collection. Over 2,400 school students are active in the My Clean City Waste Champions Club.



The event reinforced how collective action can create cleaner, greener urban spaces across India.

Swachhata Mela 2026: Massive cleanliness drive in Noida

In a significant boost to rural livelihoods, the<a href="https://www.adanifoundation.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Adani Foundation </a>has transformed irrigation access for farmer Sandeep Kumar in Ropa village in Himachal Pradesh through the Dhounkothi Watershed Project, implemented in collaboration with ACC, the cement major of the Adani Portfolio.



The initiative involved constructing 335 meters of cemented RCC channels to augment traditional &#8216;kuhls&#8217;, ensuring consistent water flow, reduced maintenance efforts, and enhanced water use efficiency. Previously, Sandeep and his family faced challenges in irrigating their fields due to erratic water supply and frequent repairs.



With the upgraded infrastructure now in place, Sandeep has diversified into high-value cash crops including lady finger, brinjal, turmeric, garlic, and more. This shift has boosted his annual agricultural income from Rs 31,600 to Rs 40,100, while saving valuable time and labour for other activities such as livestock rearing.



The project exemplifies how targeted infrastructure interventions can drive sustainable change. By partnering closely with local communities, panchayats, and grassroots organisations, the <a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/agri-food/ambuja-cements-transformative-nutrition-awareness-bathinda-csr-initiative/1316" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adani Foundation </a>and ACC are empowering farmers, building resilient villages, and promoting long-term agricultural productivity and resource access in underserved areas.



Such efforts highlight the growing role of corporate social responsibility in uplifting rural India and fostering <a href="https://www.csrvoice.com/post/education/acc-skill-development-empowers-gagal-youth-livelihoods/1247" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inclusive growth</a>.

Adani Foundation Irrigation Uplifts Himachal Farmer

Hyderabad’s iconic Chowmahalla Palace hosted the Community Pure Water Annual Fundraiser 2026, a transformative charity dinner that brought together philanthropists, business leaders, CSR executives, and government officials committed to safe drinking water as preventive health infrastructure in rural India.



 Race2Win Foundation served as title sponsor, reinforcing the urgent need to address water contamination that hinders education, economic progress, and gender equity.



Founded by Ravi Reddy under the Community Development Foundation, Community Pure Water operates over 550 ISO-certified community water centres, delivering more than 9 lakh litres of purified water daily to 1.2 million people across villages and schools with 97% uptime. These micro-utilities combine technology, automation, and community ownership to eliminate health hazards from polluted water and support stronger nutrition and livelihoods.



Under the leadership of Mrs. Pratiksha Prashant, Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee, the event achieved its goal of providing safe water to 25 additional rural schools through generous support from attendees, including Chief Guest Mrs. Pinky Reddy, Special Guest Speaker Ms. Nandita Das, and distinguished figures from defence, police, government, and civil society.



The fundraiser underscored safe drinking water as a powerful catalyst for community development. By prioritising clean water, Community Pure Water empowers healthier, more resilient, and thriving rural communities, advancing sustainable progress across India.

Community Pure Water Annual Fundraiser 2026: Safe Water Triumph

<a href="https://www.resustainability.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Re Sustainability Limited</a>, a leading integrated waste management firm, and <a href="https://www.janyutechnologies.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janyu Technologies</a> have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pioneer transformative robotics waste management solutions across India.



The strategic partnership combines Re Sustainability&#8217;s three-decade expertise in handling hazardous, bio-medical, and industrial waste with Janyu Technologies&#8217; advanced, remotely operated robotic systems.



The collaboration targets high-risk areas such as sludge removal, confined-space cleaning, and hazardous waste handling, significantly reducing human exposure while boosting operational efficiency, consistency, and traceability.



India&#8217;s waste management industry, valued at over <a href="https://www.ibef.org/industry/waste-management-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USD 20 billion</a>, is experiencing rapid growth amid stricter regulations, heightened compliance demands, and rising <a href="https://www.sebi.gov.in/legal/circulars/jul-2023/business-responsibility-and-sustainability-reporting-by-listed-entities_730.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESG priorities.</a>



This alliance accelerates the deployment of automation and deep-tech innovations to tackle complex challenges in regulated waste operations.



Leveraging Re Sustainability&#8217;s extensive nationwide network, regulatory knowledge, and execution prowess alongside Janyu&#8217;s indigenous robotics tailored for hazardous environments, the partners aim to deliver scalable, safety-first models that align with India&#8217;s circular economy and sustainability goals.



&#8220;Safety, compliance, and operational excellence are core to Re Sustainability,&#8221; said Masood Mallick, Managing Director &amp; Group CEO.



&#8220;This partnership with Janyu Technologies marks a transformative leap in integrating advanced robotics into high-risk waste management, minimizing human exposure and elevating efficiency, consistency, and traceability.&#8221;



Abhimanyu Raja, Managing Director of Janyu Technologies, added: &#8220;India&#8217;s industrial progress must prioritize worker safety and dignity. Our human-enabling robotic systems for hazardous tasks like sludge handling and confined-space cleaning shift workers to safer, skilled roles while generating data for AI-driven analytics. Together with Re Sustainability, we are building safer, more competitive industrial infrastructure through Indian innovation.&#8221;



The partnership establishes a foundation for next-generation, human-safe, technology-enabled waste and environmental infrastructure, promoting safer workplaces, robust compliance, and enduring environmental benefits.

Re Sustainability, Janyu ink MoU for transformative robotics waste management

Ease of doing business got a major green upgrade in southern India, with Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh emerging as trailblazing models, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26.



The pre-Budget document presents clear evidence that these states have dramatically improved ease of doing business by slashing environmental clearance timelines under the Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) — while smartly weaving sustainability right into their industrial and economic strategies. This shows that faster approvals and stronger environmental protection can — and do — coexist.



Kerala used BRAP 2024 to turbocharge ease of doing business through streamlined business registration, digitised land and tax records, and simplified environmental clearances. Simultaneously, the state accelerated renewable energy adoption, rolled out carbon-neutral gram panchayats and launched large-scale waterbody rejuvenation — delivering quicker business setup alongside meaningful ecological gains.



Tamil Nadu strengthened its ease of doing business ranking with single-window clearances, fully digitised approval processes and progressive land reforms. It is aggressively promoting massive solar parks, district-level decarbonisation plans and statewide energy efficiency programmes. 



The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board maintains rigorous oversight of industrial effluent treatment and actively facilitates Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) for pollution-intensive clusters like tanneries and textiles, ensuring treated wastewater consistently meets strict discharge standards.



Andhra Pradesh advanced ease of doing business under BRAP 2024 with single-window industrial clearances, online land registration and electronic environmental approvals. The state expanded its Online Consent Management &amp; Monitoring System, allowing businesses to apply for consents digitally, track real-time progress and significantly reduce delays — while greatly improving transparency and coordination between industries and the Pollution Control Board.



“Some evidence suggests that states streamlining processes to boost ease of doing business while embedding sustainability can cut delays, increase transparency and deliver better environmental outcomes at the same time,” the Survey notes.



These pioneering and balanced efforts send a strong signal: enhancing ease of doing business no longer means compromising on green goals — it can actually reinforce renewable energy growth, tighter pollution controls and digital-first governance.

Eco Survey: Southern states lead green ease of doing biz

Market-based tools like emissions trading — long hailed as successful in the US and Europe — can deliver big wins for cleaner air in developing nations too, the<a href="https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/economicsurvey/doc/eschapter/echap10.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Economic Survey 2025-26</a> has asserted, citing a pioneering experiment in Gujarat&#8217;s Surat city.



Traditionally, experts doubted whether pollution trading schemes could work in lower-capacity settings due to weak monitoring, limited enforcement, and low state credibility. Regulators often struggle to track emissions accurately or ensure polluters buy permits for every unit released.



But the Survey points to strong counter-evidence from the world&#8217;s first particulate matter emissions trading market, launched in Surat — a major industrial hub — and evaluated in the seminal 2023 study by Greenstone et al.



The scheme, run by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, covered 317 large industrial plants (mostly coal-burning units in textiles and other sectors). It replaced old command-and-control rules (tech mandates and concentration limits) with a cap-and-trade system, backed by mandatory Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) for real-time tracking of particulate emissions.



Key findings from the randomised trial:



The market worked smoothly — active trading took place, and plants achieved near-universal compliance (99% of emissions covered by permits vs just 66% under the old regime).



Participating factories slashed particulate emissions by 20-30% compared to those under traditional regulation.



For the same pollution level, abatement costs dropped by 11-14%, thanks to firms trading permits based on their differing marginal costs.



The Survey calls this a breakthrough proof that, with credible real-time monitoring like CEMS in place, pollution trading schemes can achieve major emissions cuts at much lower compliance costs — even in challenging developing-country contexts.



&#8220;This shows market-based environmental regulations are not just for rich nations. When supported by strong tech-enabled enforcement, they offer an effective and cost-efficient path to cleaner air,&#8221; the document notes.



The Surat pilot has already inspired expansions in Gujarat (including Ahmedabad) and discussions in other states, highlighting its potential as a scalable model for tackling industrial air pollution across India.