History and Evolution of CSR: Indian Detailed

Before the term and concept of corporate social and environmental responsibility came into common usage in the 1990s, the terms “charity” and “philanthropy” were prevalent in business circles. The idea of corporate involvement in social well-being as a voluntary response to social issues and problems and responsible behaviour in business, is as old as business itself. However, although the evidence of the concern of business for society goes back several centuries, formal writing on corporate social responsibility is largely a twentieth century phenomenon.
The account given below presents the shifts, from merchant charity to corporate citizenship in India. Such shifts occurred over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as business responded to evolving societal needs and demands.
Merchant communities: The pre–industrial era
The practice of business giving continued through the ages, and the business response to social needs changed with evolving economic, political and social conditions. This is described as a shift from merchant charity to modern-day corporate citizenship.
Although business traditions in India had their beginnings thousands of years ago, India is still a relatively young industrial nation compared to the industrialized countries of the West. The merchant class played an important role in India’s pre-industrial society, and in spurring the ideals of modern capitalism. The merchants were engaged both in domestic and international trade, as well as in a wide range of other commercial activities. Indian merchants provided relief in times of crisis such as famines or epidemics, throwing open warehouses of food and treasure chests. Merchants built and supported temples, pilgrim rest houses, night shelters, bathing platforms, water tanks, wells and animal refuges, and provided drinking water facilities.