CSR spends up but aspirational districts fail to get bigger share

New Delhi: Spending by eligible listed companies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has risen sharply over the past decade, but aspirational districts that typically face resource crunch have seen limited benefits, according to a Crisil study.

Of the 2,020 qualifying listed companies that undertook CSR spending, only 397 implemented projects in aspirational districts in FY24. These companies spent a combined ₹2,390 crore on projects in such districts, accounting for just 12% of the total CSR spend of ₹19,208 crore, the study said.

In the decade to FY24, eligible listed companies spent more than ₹1.22 lakh crore on CSR activities. Of this, about 63% (₹77,000 crore) was spent between FY20 and FY24, “reflecting a clear surge in CSR intent and planning by India Inc in recent years”.

“Geographic distribution of the spend, however, remains uneven, with targeted investment in aspirational districts-which face the most developmental challenges-limited relative to overall spend,” the study said.