Corporate Social Responsibility is not a new thing in India. It has been prevalent for least a few decades. Through Corporate Social responsibility, also known as CSR, companies aim to give back to society in the form of assistance or monetary support. Many PSU’s as well private sector companies are big in this domain. The great thing about India’s Industrial landscape is that the big companies are active participants in CSR. With regards to privately owned companies in India, they come no bigger than Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). The Mukesh Ambani juggernaut has been steadily investing in healthcare, education and infrastructure development for some time now. The company along with owned entities like the Indian Premier League Team, Mumbai Indians has been promoting education. The Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani Protsaham Scheme continues to support poor meritorious students. Recipient students of Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani Protsaham Scheme got admissions in junior colleges of their choice. With this, it should no surprise when RIL wins accolades for its work in the CSR domain.
RIL has been adjudged the Corporate Social Responsibility Company of the Year at Oliver Kinross’s Asia Oil & Gas Awards 2013 ceremony for demonstrating commitment to the communities in which it operates, as well as excellence in all ethical and environmental aspects of its business operations. The two-day conference-exhibition-cum-award ceremony took place at Amari Watergate Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 18, 2013.
Oliver Kinross, an international business research organisation, gives the Asia Oil & Gas Awards during its twin-summits – the Asia Offshore Oil and Gas Summit 2013 and the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea Oil and Gas Summit. It is Asia’s leading annual awards ceremony for the Oil and Gas sector and recognizes the achievements of local and international companies who have played a defining role in the industry. A panel of Energy Ministers, Oil and Gas Companies and Market Experts from across Asia decides the awardees.
CSR is a huge responsibility, and the biggest recipient of this is the common man. With concentrated efforts in the sector, companies enable people benefiting from their donations or assistance have a chance to lead a better life. Because of this, there is a sense of gratitude that develops from the people toward the organization. In the case of RIL, its CSR teams across its manufacturing divisions interact with the neighbouring community on regular basis. In the end however, companies in India, a country with widespread disparity on social as well as economic terms do have a sense of responsibility to give back to society. It’s heartening to see this on the rise with RIL at its forefront.