Advancing Human Rights overarching theme of our year end edition of CSR Times calling on businesses and organizations to reaffirm their commitment to dignity, equity, and inclusion by embedding human rights principles into their operations and value chains. From fair labour practices and workplace safety to gender equality, accessibility, and community empowerment, CSR initiatives can play a transformative role in protecting fundamental rights and fostering social justice.
CSR Times brings together insights from Corporates, NGOs, experts, and thought leaders to showcase how responsible business conduct can uphold human rights while creating shared value.
"At Wagh Bakri, we are committed to making a meaningful impact on society. Through our livelihood initiative for the differently-abled, we aim to create self-employment opportunities that promote dignity and stability. We aim to support over 100 differently-abled persons under this initiative by providing them with the resources and training to become atmanirbhar. Similarly, our ‘Cup of Goodness’ initiative shows our commitment to improving health, hygiene and education for tea pluckers and their families, who are the backbone of the tea industry. These initiatives are part of our broader responsibility to ensure that positive change reaches those who need it most."
Mr. Sanjay Singal
CEO, Wagh Bakri Tea Group
“At Hyundai Motor India Foundation, our vision ‘Progress for Humanity’ drives Project Adhikaar to advance social inclusion and bridge entitlement gaps. Through hyper-local Adhikaar Kendras and trained female entrepreneurs as Adhikaar Sakhis, we aim to unlock ₹200 crore in government benefits and impact 90,000 lives by 2028. Already aiding low-income and tribal communities, this scalable model champions dignity, equality, and self-reliance. Thus making access and empowerment a reality for all.”
Mr. Puneet Anand
AVP & Vertical Head - Corporate Affairs, Corporate Communication & Social, Hyundai Motor India Limited
"Advancing human rights begins with equitable access to quality education and good health and well-being. At the Girnar Foundation, we echo this belief through the adoption of SDG 3 and SDG 4, driving numerous on-the-ground initiatives. Through initiatives like Warm Care, we support underserved communities with essential health and wellness resources, while our Children’s Day educational drives encourage learning, confidence, and aspiration among young minds. When individuals are healthier and better educated, the entire community moves toward a more equitable and empowered future."
Ms. Pihu Jain
Head of Girnar Foundation, CSR arm of Cardekho Group
"Access to mental health support is a right for everyone and central to advancing human rights. While it is encouraging that corporates are recognising this responsibility, over 1.7 lakh suicides in 2023 highlight the urgency. Mental health impact cannot be measured by short-term ROI; its value unfolds over years, strengthening dignity, resilience, and emotional security. At Mpower, we witness this daily and urge deeper corporate investment to build an equitable India"
Ms Parveen Shaikh
President, Mpower, an initiative of Aditya Birla Education Trust
Advancing human rights begins with protecting access to life’s essentials - clean water, a healthy environment, and sustainable livelihoods. These are not privileges, but fundamental rights that allow communities to live with dignity and resilience. At Bisleri, sustainability is rooted in this belief. Through our Greener Promise, we work collaboratively with government, industry, and civil society to strengthen water security, safeguard environmental health, and empower communities. By building inclusive and resilient systems, we create long-term impact that supports both people and the planet, ensuring progress that is equitable, responsible, and enduring for generations to come.
Mr. K Ganesh
Director - Sustainability & Corporate Affairs, Bisleri International
"Human rights must be lived, not just discussed. At Aayom Welfare Society, our initiatives tackle inequality head-on through education, empowerment, skilling, and community-led action that reaches those often left behind. When people gain the power to make choices, claim dignity, access opportunities, and shape their own future, society moves forward in a more just direction. Advancing human rights is never optional for us, it remains the core intention behind every intervention we design."
Mr. Prerrit Mansingh
Secretary, Aayom Welfare Society
"Equal access to education, opportunity, and the tools that shape the future is essential to advancing human rights. At Zeta, we believe digital literacy is a foundational right for every child. By establishing computer labs in government schools, we are strengthening digital learning ecosystems with structured computer education and inclusive environments. Through grassroots digital infrastructure, we aim to ensure technology becomes a bridge to opportunity and empowers every child to thrive in a rapidly evolving world."
Mr. Shubhayu Sengupta
Chief People Officer, Zeta
Ester Industries’ CSR journey over the past several years has been guided by a simple belief: communities grow stronger when people are given the chance to learn, stay healthy, and live with dignity. Our cumulative investment of over ₹ 9.76 crores in education, healthcare, sanitation, child welfare and rural development reflects this long-term commitment to meaningful, sustained impact. Through the Ester Navsrijan Programme and other initiatives, we have supported hundreds of children in and around Khatima, Uttarakhand with free education, books, uniforms, and transport. Our work in healthcare from ambulance services to providing clean drinking water, promoting sanitation and providing medical equipments in local hospitals is helping families access essential services they can rely on. For us, CSR is not just compliance it is our way of contributing to a fairer, kinder, and more supportive world.”
Mr. Arvind Singhania
Chairman & CEO, Ester Industries Limited
"Climate stability and human wellbeing are inseparable from the choices we make with our economy - and corporate leaders are key in determining what and how we produce the materials that underpin modern society. At Canopy, we’re collaborating with leading brands and investors to build resilient supply chains that protect forests, reduce emissions, and open new economic pathways for rural communities. Advancing equity and sustainability isn’t a trade-off — they’re both integral to fair and resilient markets and supply chains."
Ms. Nicole Rycroft
Executive Director, Canopy
"Advancing human rights means ensuring dignity, opportunity, and inclusion for every individual. At Sarthak Educational Trust, we believe true progress is achieved when persons with disabilities are empowered through education, skills and equal access—transforming rights from policy into everyday practice and enabling participation as active contributors to society."
Dr. Jitender Aggarwal
Secretary-General of NAAI and Founder & CEO of Sarthak Educational Trust
“Aligned with the edition's theme of advancing human rights, Arkade Developers believes providing healthcare, education, and dignity to the underprivileged as an integral part of our purpose and objectives through The Sajjan Jain Support Trust. With CSR activities focusing on cancer patient care, visually impaired student education, reconstruction of necessary infrastructure for schools, and well-structured welfare activities for labourers.”
Mr. Amit Jain
Chairman and Managing Director, Arkade Developers Ltd.
"Corporate initiatives and policies play a crucial role in providing fair opportunities. At Diligent India, our Global Mentorship Program enables employees to learn from seasoned professionals worldwide. Beyond the workplace, corporates can drive social impact. In partnership with our NGO collaborators, we are improving access to clean toilets and drinking water in rural Karnataka schools, helping create healthier and more dignified learning environments for students in need across the region."
Mr. Srinivas Chamarthy
SVP Engineering, Site lead and Country Head, for Diligent India
“As the year 2025 draws to a close, it is important to recognise how much businesses can do to ensure people live with dignity, are heard, and have real opportunities to move ahead in life. At InterGlobe Foundation, communities are at the centre of our work, and we focus on three connected areas — heritage, environment, and livelihoods, as we believe that when you protect cultural heritage, natural ecosystems, and incomes together, you help build fairer and more resilient societies. Whether it is the conservation of Rahim’s tomb in Delhi, which brings together monument restoration with livelihoods for artisans and local residents, or the waste management projects across multiple locations that transform dumping grounds into safe, dignified spaces for workers and residents alike, our effort is always to turn rights into something people can feel in their everyday lives. These long term collaborations around constructive work show how thoughtful corporate philanthropy can strengthen local institutions, create safer and more inclusive public spaces, and give communities, especially women and marginalised groups, a stronger say in decisions that shape their futures.”
Dr. Monica Banerjee
Head of InterGlobe Foundation, InterGlobe Foundation (IGF), philanthropic arm of InterGlobe Enterprises
"NGOs are the foremost players in advancing human rights; they work beyond policy papers and operate directly on the ground. Their strength lies in transforming principles into measurable outcomes, engaging closely with communities to uphold dignity, fairness, and protection. By converting intent into credible action, NGOs ensure that human rights are not distant ideals but lived realities sustained through dedication, accountability, and compassion."
Dr. Geetanjali Chopra
Founder and President, Wishes & Blessings, NGO
Human Rights are at the core of building a stronger nation. While these are often discussed in grave matters and situations, these must be considered as the founding principle of our system. Human Rights must be researched, discussed and awareness should be spread across the role, importance and need for Human RIghts in India. This should be discussed widely in podcasts and intervies on social media to help it gain mass attention.
Mr. Mithun Majumdar
Director, Auxilium Opportunity Foundation
“At Shree Cement, we operate in several regions facing social and economic challenges and recognise our responsibility to contribute meaningfully to inclusive development. Our CSR approach focuses on sustained, community-led initiatives that strengthen well-being and opportunity, aligned with national priorities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Education, healthcare, women’s empowerment and rural development remain our key focus areas. In FY25, our programmes positively impacted over eight lakh people across our locations. Aligned with SDG 3, Shree Cement’s CSR advances healthcare, education and employability by training 2000 youth, empowering women, supporting sustainable agriculture and communities, and through Project Naman, supporting families of martyred soldiers.”
Mr. Vishal Bhardwaj
CSR Head, Shree Cement Limited
