Bizz Buzz Bureau Hyderabad

India'sCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ecosystem is poised for exponential growth, with annual CSR spending expected to rise to Rs75,000 crore within the next three years and eventually exceed Rs1 lakh crore, driven by the country's robust economic expansion and rising corporate profitability, according to Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, IAS (Retd.), one of the principal architects of India's CSR framework.

Addressing the "CSR Meets the Social Stock Exchange: A Journey Ahead" knowledge session organised by Equippp Social Impact Technologies Ltd. (EQUIPPP) at Yashoda Hospitals, Hitech city, Hyderabad, Dr. Chatterjee said CSR has evolved into a powerful development sector since its inclusion in the Companies Act, 2013.

"When I drafted the CSR provisions in the Companies Act, I never imagined the sector would grow to its present scale. Today, CSR has become a significant development ecosystem transforming lives across the country," he said.

Dr Chatterjee noted that while the CSR law initially covered around 8,000 companies, generating nearly Rs9,000 crore annually, the framework today encompasses more than 30,000 companies, contributing over Rs40,000 crore every year towards social development. He said India is also home to nearly 3.3 million registered NGOs, presenting significant opportunities for deeper collaboration between corporate India and civil society organisations.

Highlighting recent regulatory reforms, he said the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has simplified registration procedures for eligible non-profits seeking CSR funding. He also pointed out that companies are now permitted to invest up to 10 per cent of their annual CSR expenditure in Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) instruments listed on the Social Stock Exchange (SSE), creating a transparent and accountable avenue for social financing.

The event also marked a major announcement by Grace Cancer Foundation, which revealed plans to seek listing on the Social Stock Exchange while unveiling an ambitious national expansion strategy centred on preventive healthcare.

Founder Dr. Chinnababu Sunkavalli said the proposed SSE listing is aimed not merely at raising funds but at strengthening institutional governance, transparency, regulatory compliance and measurable social impact.

"Our objective is to ensure every rupee entrusted to us delivers measurable outcomes," he said.

The Foundation also announced plans to establish a Centre of Excellence for Preventive Oncology, deploy 100 per cent AI-enabled mobile cancer screening units, expand digital health platforms for rural communities, undertake collaborative research in preventive oncology, and scale up cancer and non-communicable disease (NCD) screening programmes across India.

Delivering the opening address, Sai Kiran of EQUIPPP said the session was designed to familiarise corporates, NGOs and impact investors with the evolving role of CSR, philanthropy and the Social Stock Exchange in financing sustainable social development.