Corporate Social Responsibility and the Companies Act of India: A Socio-Legal Perspective
The Companies Act, 2013, introduced a pioneering mandate under Section 135, institutionalizing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a statutory obligation for qualifying companies in India. This paper examines the socio-legal implications of this mandate, analyzing its impact on corporate citizenship and its potential to reconcile profit motives with social justice. Through detailed case studies of major corporations (Tata Group, Reliance Industries, Infosys, Adani Group, Apollo Tyres) and a small-scale enterprise, it evaluates compliance challenges, judicial ambiguities, and ethical tensions. The study highlights the Acts success in mobilizing approximately 30,000 crore annually for CSR in FY 2023-24, while identifying enforcement gaps, particularly for SMEs, and ambiguities in Schedule VII. Recommendations include judicial clarification, SME-specific reforms, stakeholder engagement, and digital transparency to transform CSR into a robust socio-legal partnership framework.
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