The Changing Landscape of Corporate Social Responsibility in India Pre & Post Covid- 19

Abstract

All beings in the world are directly or indirectly related to society, and the most significant entity is a human being who bears the greatest duty to the society of which he or she is a member. Like human beings, companies are also seen as major contributors among the important segments of business houses since, like other entities, they utilize resources from society for manufacturing while also relying on society for revenue. When the COVID-19 crisis was encountered by society, the pandemic conditions led to an increase in people’s expectations of corporate entities to provide assistance. As the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be exceptionally critical for the entire world, it has affected major sections of India, and problems have been observed in every aspect, including the physical, mental, economic, social, and so on. In such difficult situations, people started placing high expectations on many corporate entities to provide assistance in any manner they could. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) in India has undergone a remarkable transition as a result of the unprecedented problems posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the critical role of companies in responding to social needs and special situations. Companies have rapidly shifted their CSR efforts to healthcare, hygiene, and social protection, reflecting a new urgency in contributing to the country's resilience. The objective of this study is to examine various definitions and descriptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR), as well as to describe in detail the evolution of CSR in India, and analyse the shifting of CSR paradigms in India during the pandemic, offering insights into how businesses have adapted their strategies and priorities before and after the pandemic and the analysis of CSR trends during COVID-19 and Immediate challenges posed by the pandemic on CSR activities.