Achieving Sustainability Through Corporate Social Responsibility

Author(s)

Dr. Amritjot Kaur Sekhon and Dr. Lalit Mohan Kathuria

Affiliations

School of Business Studies,Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana

Abstract

In the year 2015, Government of India introduced several amendments in Companies Act, 2013 thus making CSR expenditure mandatory for certain companies. In the light of these regulatory changes this study aims to explore the corporate social responsibility activities undertaken by Ambuja Cements Limited in Punjab region of India. Further it will also analyze the implications of these activities on general public in Punjab. The case study explores and documents the perception of various stakeholders of Ambuja Cements Limited in Punjab with context to its social responsibility initiatives in the area. Both primary as well secondary data were collected. Primary data was collected by conducting field visits to area around its manufacturing facilities. Also unstructured interviews were conducted to gain insights from company employees, government officials and general public. Secondary data was collected from annual reports, company websites, newspaper articles and other internet source. The case study documents the CSR initiatives undertaken by Ambuja in Punjab region of India. The study finds that Ambuja has made a lot of efforts over years towards benefiting the local communities by improving their quality of life. It has also rolled out several programmes towards making women in rural areas self dependent thus uplifting their social status. This paper improves understanding of how social responsibility initiatives can be implemented in a way to ensure sustainable development.

Keywords

Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, India, Ambuja, Punjab, Water, Cement, Society, Education, Rural Development, Healthcare

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