CSR Must Become ‘Nation-Building Capital’: VP Radhakrishnan

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 21st Feb: Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Saturday asserted that Corporate Social Responsibility must evolve into “nation-building capital,” urging industry leaders to align profit with purpose while addressing the National CSR Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

Addressing the summit organised by The Times of India Group, the Vice-President said transformation requires alignment between government, industry and society. He stressed that CSR is no longer peripheral but central to national development.

Highlighting India’s economic trajectory under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he noted that the country has moved from the 10th to the 4th largest economy globally and is poised to become the third largest. Structural reforms, digital governance, financial inclusion and infrastructure expansion, he said, have lifted over 25 crore people out of extreme poverty.

Calling for deeper partnerships in the next phase of growth, he said CSR must strengthen public education, primary healthcare in remote regions, skill development aligned with industry needs, women-led enterprises and renewable energy initiatives. “When you make a commitment, fulfil it,” he emphasised, underlining that CSR is about responsibility, not mere compliance.

The Vice-President said honest taxpayers and socially responsible corporations are pillars of national progress. He advocated responsible capitalism where innovation and inclusion, growth and sustainability move together.

He also urged media organisations to amplify development narratives to reinforce public trust in democratic institutions, and reiterated that long-term policy focus would benefit from initiatives such as One Nation, One Election.

Expressing confidence that the summit would generate replicable models across sectors, he encouraged corporate leaders to think boldly, measure impact rigorously and treat CSR not as expenditure but as an investment in India’s future.