Suzlon Foundation: Engage, Empower, Sustain

Abstract

The Suzlon case describes the manner in which the CSR activities of the organization moved from adhoc charity, deliberate philanthropy to strategic philanthropy to a more structured corporate wide CSR initiative. In this journey to institutionalized CSR, there was a need for Suzlon to strengthen its systems and processes, hire and retain the right kind of people and get the entire organization to buy into a common philosophy towards involvement in the communities in which Suzlon operated. This case throws light on the manner in which Suzlon went about recruiting a development professional to lead its CSR strategy, the manner in which the company’s understanding on sustainability issues began to get strengthened through the CSR department and finally the challenge faced by the department to pursue its intent and purpose within the organization, especially in the background of the financial crisis. The manner in which the leadership of Suzlon chose to engage with CSR is of significant interest for a number of infrastructure based organizations that have seen rapid growth in the Indian context. The case also demonstrates the need for companies to engage responsibly with communities, in particular when infrastructure requires acquisition of large land holdings.