Akanksha Sharma

Considering the mix of enterprises current impact funds in the country focus on, to leverage impact investing for CSR, impact investing firms will need to develop funds that adhere to the country’s CSR guidelines. Here policy reforms are crucial to modify existing laws and scopes that will ensure better use of corporate, public, and retail investors’ funds for nation-building. This can dramatically improve the accessible capital base for impact investments in India and make the market for… Mehr zeigen

Considering the mix of enterprises current impact funds in the country focus on, to leverage impact investing for CSR, impact investing firms will need to develop funds that adhere to the country’s CSR guidelines. Here policy reforms are crucial to modify existing laws and scopes that will ensure better use of corporate, public, and retail investors’ funds for nation-building. This can dramatically improve the accessible capital base for impact investments in India and make the market for impact investing more sustainable by decreasing reliance on foreign capital. Government support through tax and fiscal incentives and championing is crucial for the impact investing industry in India to grow and develop.
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Today, the case is stronger than ever for businesses to invest in artificial intelligence, for the technology is pivotal to addressing the tenets of the Triple Bottom Line. It will not be an overstatement to acknowledge that harnessing the power of AI-driven digital innovations is of prime requisite to scale and ensure business continuity and social-equity in a dystopian world, fraught with uncertainties.

The COVID-19 crisis is calling out to businesses to look beyond the economic lens, to remain relevant in the ‘after’, organizations need to look beyond just business

The COVID-19 is a grim reminder that while the bottom line is imperative to keep the wheels of the civilizations turning, it needs to be adjusted with socio-environmental and cultural considerations. Overclocking capitalism has its indelible negatives. Because, like a fission reactor out of control, it will invariably end up in decimating the very globalized world order that it has sworn to serve and protect.

This is a time to re-build businesses - yes, but this is also a time for them to keep the helping hand extended to curtail the effects of COVID-19.

In the globalized world of interlinked stakeholder interests, society is likely to undergo large scale disruptions from catastrophes, both human-made and natural. The present COVID-19 episode may be a point in a trajectory of upsetting events, extending well beyond the end of this century. Fostering the spirit of community-centric ingenuity will not only expand the horizon of mitigation options but will also strengthen the root of the social order to ensure survival in a new and dangerous… Mehr zeigen

In the globalized world of interlinked stakeholder interests, society is likely to undergo large scale disruptions from catastrophes, both human-made and natural. The present COVID-19 episode may be a point in a trajectory of upsetting events, extending well beyond the end of this century. Fostering the spirit of community-centric ingenuity will not only expand the horizon of mitigation options but will also strengthen the root of the social order to ensure survival in a new and dangerous world.
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SAARC not only needs to rejuvenate but also must rearm itself with new collective-policy tools to deal with the grim realities of a multi-polar world. In the future, the present COVID-19 episode is likely to be repeated and will possibly be a pawn in the geopolitical chessboard of the great powers.

With its immense networks and know-how, the private sector can play a crucial role in alleviating the situation. But the sector will need to think out of the box on ways to bring about a maximum impact from its efforts and resources.

the ecological balances irreversibly altered through anthropogenic activities, the Covid-19 outbreak is unlikely to be the last such disease. Today, in this asymmetric war against nature, when governmental agencies are often found lacking on many counts, corporates—with their global footprint, vast networks, formidable resources, and a finger on the pulse of the citizens — need to step forward as the sentinels for the common good.

We live in an age where data and technology are indispensable parts of our everyday life. In fact, over the last few years technology has emerged as a powerful instrument of change and has been employed to address some of the world’s most pertinent and challenging issues. While it is common to observe private sector enterprises making use of technology to maximize their own profits, it is still rare to find technology being harnessed in the social sector.

While India is emerging as an attractive market for impact investing, there lie some greater synergies with CSR

There has been an increase in consumer interest in sustainable investment along with the increasing population of millennials who tend to be more socially and environmentally conscious. We are heralding an age of a fundamental shift in the financial investment sector that may accelerate the reallocation of capital to areas contributing to sustainable development.

the first world companies in the US are inclined more towards ‘Individual Social responsibility’ as practiced by Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and others, the collaborative efforts of the other economies- India and UAE calls for a greater encouragement and support from the industry and citizens group.

Government, business, and civil society must combine their resources and expertise to make sure that for community development and growth.

Marriages are a big deal in India. In fact, they have always been. But now it’s more about the WEDDINGS; the event I  personally renounced the whole notion of the big fat Indian weddings sometime back, but, “How does it matter?” I am just a simple writer with differing views on the institution of marriage that many may not find acceptable.

The role of the corporate sector in public life is steadily transcending Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Philanthropy, for that matter, is an outdated concept now. Corporates are increasingly engaging in political and public relations and hence corporate diplomacy is emerging more into a business tool rather than just a management concept

In this era of digitization and transparency, businesses couldn’t have found a better way to manage stakeholders’ expectations and ensure that their actions translate into good.

"When one witness the numerous tears of weavers dissolved into the crawling infinity of colors, the chaos of textures that went into each strand of eternally complex tapestry, one would hesitate to buy expensive foreign branded wear.
After all, what matters is to echo the emotions of the beating heart and translate them into actions."

"“In a sea of human beings, it is difficult, at times even impossible, to see the human as being.”
― Aysha Taryam"

Even after the legal mandate, India is still failing to meet its national socio-economic development targets and achieving the SDGs

Most of the urban poor in India have their eyes filled with dust and hopelessness instead of those dreams for which they once migrated to these cities.  More relevant frameworks of development need to be developed for the urban poor by the government and other agencies before India spirals into becoming a country of urban poor

Development cooperation encompasses relationships between a diverse set of actors. It is imperative to examine the priorities and characteristics of a variety of development assistance providers and assesses their contributions to achieving development objectives. This is in accord with the need for convergence/ partnership of various players: multilateral aid providers, government, and private players to fill the developmental gaps and reduce overlaps to achieve Sustainable Development… Mehr zeigen

Development cooperation encompasses relationships between a diverse set of actors. It is imperative to examine the priorities and characteristics of a variety of development assistance providers and assesses their contributions to achieving development objectives. This is in accord with the need for convergence/ partnership of various players: multilateral aid providers, government, and private players to fill the developmental gaps and reduce overlaps to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
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"According to economists and policymakers, private sector investment is the key to sustainable growth and there is a huge potential for it to become a significant part of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in India"

With a law in place mandating CSR, there is an increasing trend to dress it up as a business discipline. That is distracting firms from what must be their underpinning goal, doing good

To ensure dignified life to the prostitutes, the right to work needs to be invoked and an inclusive protestation against processes and structures which limit women’s choices to achieve their full potential needs to be restructured so that many other exploited women like Reshma finds life beyond brothels.

We are a scared generation of Smarties – scared to fall in love, scared to commit, and scared to get our hearts broken. Today when there is hardly anything we cannot conquer in this world, here we are ham-fisted at the game of love – the most basic of human instincts.

The increasing trend of cow service in India Inc, only time will unfold how much do corporates cash on cows and how many gau rakshaks sustain in the business of doing good?

#CSR #SwachhBharat #climatechange International expedition on Climate Change

Development cooperation encompasses relationships between a diverse set of actors. It is imperative to examine the priorities and characteristics of a variety of development assistance providers and assesses their contributions to achieving development objectives. This is in accord with the need for convergence/ partnership of various players: multi-lateral aid providers, government and private players to fill the developmental gaps and reduce overlaps to achieve the Sustainable Development… Mehr zeigen

Development cooperation encompasses relationships between a diverse set of actors. It is imperative to examine the priorities and characteristics of a variety of development assistance providers and assesses their contributions to achieving development objectives. This is in accord with the need for convergence/ partnership of various players: multi-lateral aid providers, government and private players to fill the developmental gaps and reduce overlaps to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Let’s pick an example of Poverty Alleviation here. Weniger anzeigen

Poverty in India is becoming urbanised.

As long as informality renders urban populations invisible, data will be skewed and investment delayed.Most of the urban poor in India have their eyes filled with dust and hopelessness instead of dreams for which they once migrated to these cities. New developmental paradigms need to be developed for the urban poor by the government and other developmental agencies before it gets too late and India may be called “a country of urban poor.”