Corporate social responsibility is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders. Even though the term CSR may be relatively new to India, but India has the world’s richest tradition of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). India has a deep-rooted culture of sharing and caring. This concept dates back to Mauryan history, wherein philosophers such as Kautilya stressed on ethical practices and principles while operating business and has travelled a chromatic journey and has now come down to become a statutory mandate for certain companies. This paper traces the journey of Corporate Social Responsibility from ancient medieval times to the Companies Act, 2013 along with the current status of CSR and the need for mandatory statutory provisions
