Corporate Social Responsibility and Voluntary Sustainability Standards: The India Story

This chapter discusses developments in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) in India. It explains how to engage in CSR and VSS in both Indian and western multinational companies. India’s growing economy, the increasing pace of production and consumption, its vast natural resources and a large supplier base, linked to global businesses, along with democratic and demographic dividends, make it both an attractive market and a destination for international businesses. Building on the historical Indian traditions of charity and philanthropy, the perceptions and practices of CSR in India predominantly referred to social investments by business. The CSR Mandate in India is also attracting much attention globally among policy-makers, practitioners and academic scholars, and also receiving both praise and critiques. The social and environmental impacts of business activities and unsustainable production and consumption practices are a growing concern in India.