1

UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI

SUBJECT: CSR AND BUSINESS ETHICS

PROJECT TOPIC:
“SELECT A COMPANY AND EXPLORE ITS
STRATEGIES IN IMPLEMENTATION OF CSR AND
ACHIEVING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INTO
THEIR BUSINESS.”

Class: F.Y. M.COM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (SEM1)

ACADEMIC YEAR: 2021-2022

SUBMITTED BY
ARNAV BOTHRA
ROLL NO – 015
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Abstract

The concept of ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) has today become a key
aspect of business philosophy and practice world over. CSR has been part of Indian
business for long. There have been efforts, both in the remote and recent past, on the
part of business community and government to make responsible business practices
part of our business ethos. All the same, such efforts have been unsystematic,
individual/ institution specific in orientation and, in certain cases, lacking a well-
defined direction and purpose. Of late, there are indications that the scenario is
changing. A host of factors such as globalization of business operations, the rise to
prominence of climate change agenda, adoption of Millennium Development Goals
and so on has contributed to an enhanced level of concern and commitment to the idea
corporate social responsibility.

As the era of liberalization, privatization and globalization set in India in 1991, many
of the companies which were already established and the companies which were
established later saw tremendous growth in terms of size as well as profits. Some of
the companies looked beyond profits and started doing something good for the cause
of the society. As far as the government’s initiatives are concerned, these are reflected
in the new Companies Act passed in 2013, which mandates CSR spend for a defined
category of corporate entities. Now it is mandatory for those companies whose net
profit is Rs. 5 crore or turnover is Rs. 1000 crore or net worth of Rs. 500 crores has to
spend 2% of its profit according to Companies Act. This has given fillip to corporate
CSR initiatives in a big way, which have, in many cases, gone beyond the
requirements of the law. There have also been efforts, in tune with the global practice,
to make CSR part of the corporate strategy and as a tool for attaining and sustaining
competitive edge in the marketplace.
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Table of Contents
Topic Page number
Chapter 1: Introduction to CSR 4
1.1 Introduction to Sustainable Development 5
1.2 Literature Review 6
1.3 Purpose 6
1.4 Objectives of the Study 7
1.5 Research Methodology 7
1.6 Limitations 7
Chapter 2: About the Company – Wipro 8
2.1 The Spirit and Values 8
2.2 Chairman’s Message 9
2.3 Recognition and Recent Landmarks 9
Chapter 3: Wipro Corporate Social Responsibility 10
Chapter 4: Wipro CSR Strategy 10
4.1 Social Partnerships 11
Chapter 5: CSR Committee 11
Chapter 6: CSR Spend 12
Chapter 7: Education 12
7.1 Systematic Reforms in School Education 13
7.2 Education for Underprivileged Children 13
7.3 Wipro Earthian 13
7.4 Education for Children with Disability 14
7.5 Azim Premji University 14
Chapter 8: Scholarships and Fellowships 15
8.1 Santoor Women’s Scholarship 15
8.2 Engineering and IT Scholarships 16
8.3 Wipro SEF Programs in USA and UK 16
Chapter 9: Community Care 17
Chapter 10: Community Ecology 17
Chapter 11: Corporate Volunteering 17
Chapter 12: Biodiversity 18
12.1 Bengaluru Sustainability Forum 18
Chapter 13: Response to COVID-19 19
Chapter 14: Conclusion 19

1. Introduction to CSR
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The concept of corporate social responsibility is based on the idea that not only public policy
but companies, too, should take responsibility for social issues. In more recent approaches,
CSR is seen as a concept in which companies voluntarily integrate social and environmental
concerns into their business operations and into the interaction with their stakeholders. The
idea of being a socially responsible company means doing more than comply with the law
when investing in human resources and the environment. In general terms, the CSR approach
seeks to motivate companies to assume responsibility for problems and challenges that used
to be addressed by state regulation. Despite various attempts at an unambiguous description
of CSR, the concept still lacks a uniform definition.

Consequently, the various stakeholders define CSR in their own way, and several approaches
to CSR exist.

CSR is understood as “the commitment of business to contribute to sustainable economic

development by working with employers, their families, the local community and society at
large to improve their quality of life, in ways that are both good for business and good for
development. A widely quoted definition by the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development state that “Corporate Social Responsibility is the continuing commitment by
business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the
quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and
society at large” (WBCSD, 1999). Thus, the meaning of CSR has two-fold. On one hand, it
exhibits the ethical behaviour that an organization exhibits towards its internal and external
stakeholders. On the other hand, it denotes the responsibility of an organization towards the
environment and society in which it operates. CSR is regarded as vehicle through which
companies give something back to the society. It involves providing innovative solutions to
societal and environmental challenges. But the challenge for development professional and
business community is to identify CSR priorities and the areas of interventions which are
meaningful in the context of rural development sector.

1.1 Introduction to Sustainable Development

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Sustainable development represents an opportunity to construct a new approach, and the

success of these efforts has powerful implications for issues of peace and security.

The term ‘Sustainable development’, in place of ‘development’ is now being increasingly

used by scholars. It has become a major topic of discussion among all the social scientists,
social organisations, statesmen and leaders. The industrial-technological and economic
development registered by the humankind during the past 100 years has not proved to be a
real development in so far as it has created imbalances in the environment as well as among
nations.

Degradation of environment, resulting from unprincipled and excessive exploitation of the

resources of our planet earth, has threatened to negate, and in fact has already adversely
affected the development registered by various societies. Undoubtedly, industrial and
infrastructural projects are means for development. In the past, the utility and feasibility of
such projects used to be determined only in terms of economic gains.

Of late, however, with environment and human rights issues gaining currency, it is
considered essential that such projects be formulated, planned and executed in such a way as
may ensure the real and enduring socio-economic welfare of the people without doing any
damage to the environment. Instead of thinking only in terms of GDP and GDP per capita, we
must think in terms of GDH—Gross Domestic Happiness.

Development should be secured without in any way harming the human rights of the people,
particularly of those whose life is to be directly and physically affected by such projects. The
concept of sustainable development denotes this new positive approach. Sustainable
development is now held to be an essential condition for securing stable, enduring, real and
sustainable world peace, security, and development.

The term ‘Sustainable’ stands for sustainability and it represents an approach to development
which is concerned with such fundamental human concerns like poverty, environment,
equality, democracy, development, and peace. The link between development and peace is
now realized.
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1.2 Literature Review

According to Frederick (1960), Social responsibility means that businessman should oversee
the operation of an economic system that fulfils the expectations of the people, Belal (2001).
Hardly a few studies have looked at CSR practice in India. Different research at different
points of time and classical Indian literature have emphasized the CSR practice of corporate
entities in India. A long back Kautilya in his “Arthasastra” mentions traders’ responsibilities
to the local society. In ancient India, such responsibilities were voluntary and not mandatory.

An ideal CSR has both ethical and philosophical dimensions, particularly in India where there
exists a wide gap between sections of people in terms of income and standards as well as
socio- economic status (Bajpai, 2001). Goyder (2003) argue: ―Industry in the 20th century
can no longer be regarded as a private arrangement for enriching shareholders. It has become
a joint enterprise in which workers, management, consumers, the locality, government, and
trade union officials all play a part. If the system which we know by the name private
enterprise is to continue, some way must be found to embrace many interests whom we go to
make up industry in a common purpose. CSR implies some sort of commitment, through
corporate policies and action. This operational view of CSR is reflected in a firm’s social
performance, which can be assessed by how a firm manages its societal relationships, its
social impact and the outcomes of its CSR policies and actions (Wood, 1991). Khan and
Atkinson (1987) conducted a comparative study on the managerial attitudes to social
responsibility in India and Britain. The study shows that most of the Indian executives agreed
CSR as relevant to business and felt that business has responsibilities not only to the
shareholders and employees but also to customers, suppliers, society and to the state.

1.3 Purpose

To understand the concept and scope of corporate social responsibility and getting an insight
in CSR Initiatives of Wipro Ltd.
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1.4 Objectives of the Study

1) To understand the concept of CSR

2) To know how the Wipro Ltd has fulfilled its responsibility towards all stakeholders; what
specific activities, programs, and strategies it has set, devised, and implemented.

1.5 Research Methodology

• Secondary data is the sole source of information used for the various topics of the study.

• The material has been compiled after reviewing numerous articles, reports, research papers
etc. from government as well as private sources.

• The data used has been cross-checked with alternate sources on sample basis and the data
gives an accurate overview of Corporate Social Responsibility. (CSR)

1.6 Limitations

• The complete reliance on the data provided by the government and private organisations is a
limitation since the data may not differ but can be inaccurate.
• The study is solely dependent on secondary data such as the internet, articles, blogs, posts,
etc and no primary/field data was collected.
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2. About the Company – WIPRO

Wipro Limited is at the cutting edge of robotics and cognitive computing today and has more
than 180,000 employees in offices spread across six continents. However, this tech giant
began as a vegetable oil manufacturer 75 years ago in a small town of Maharashtra. From
cooking oil to soaps and other products, it was a journey of more than three decades before
Wipro ventured into Information Technology. 

Computers were an innovation in the 1980s, poised to revolutionize the lives of practically all
the people who would go on to inhabit the planet. From manufacturing minicomputers in the
Eighties to software development in the 1990s and non-IT businesses in 2013, this innovative
firm has seen and done it all. Today, the focus is entirely on the vast global IT business. 

2.1 The Spirit and Values

If there was one underlying entity that guides how everything moves and everyone acts at this
firm, it’s The Spirit of Wipro. The Spirit lies at the core, it is the essence of being, it reflects
in the behaviour of the management and employees alike. Deeply rooted and unchanging, it is
the beacon. The Spirit gives a sense of direction and is naturally the touchstone of Wipro
CSR activities.

Azim Premji quit his position as Executive Chairman last year to focus on philanthropy. His
son Rishad Premji took over the baton with the same humility and rootedness you see in
Premji Sr. The confident Harvard grad believes that business organisations must serve a
larger social purpose. His vision of corporations as active and engaged citizens of the world is
in tune with the millennials and Generation Z who are taking over the workforce. 
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2.2 Chairman’s Message

Says Chairman Rishad A Premji:

“As the world’s best scientific minds scramble to find a vaccine or a cure for the virus, as
businesses we have a deep responsibility to the communities within which we operate. Our
response is an integrated set of carefully targeted actions that we are implementing in close
collaboration with the Azim Premji Foundation and Wipro Enterprises Pvt Ltd, where we
have jointly committed Rs. 1,125 crores. Our commitment rests on two crucial pillars, the
first is to balance short-term relief with medium-term requirements over the next 12-18
months and the second is to prioritize our effort to the most vulnerable sections of society
who have been most adversely affected.”

2.3. Recognition and Recent Landmarks

Wipro Limited consistently features in the Great Place to Work index because of a culture
that fosters inclusion and openness. Speaking of inclusiveness, it won the NASSCOM
Diversity and Inclusion awards (2019) for ‘Gender Inclusion’. It bagged a spot in the
Bloomberg Gender Equality Index 2020. So strong is the reputation for this trait, it scored 90
out of 100 on the 2020 Corporate Equality Index and was listed in the “100 Best Companies
for Women in India” list. It was dubbed a “Champion of Inclusion” in the 2019 Working
Mother & Avtar Most Inclusive Companies Index (MICI).

Wipro has become a world member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the tenth time
in a row. Ethisphere Institute has dubbed it World’s Most Ethical Company for the ninth year
in a row, which shows steadiness in its ethics and values. The tech giant got a Gold rating
from Ecovadis and is a member of the international FTSE4Good Index Series.  
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3. Wipro Corporate Social Responsibility

What differentiates the corporate social responsibility of Wipro from other Indian corporates
running sustainability initiatives is the finesse. The quality of resources and personnel that
CSR activities of Wipro engage, the attention to detail in laying out the intervention’s plan,
the thoughtful consideration for challenges that NGO partners may face, and the readiness to
come up with solutions. It takes a long-term view and sets goals in accordance. The change
you see is systemic rather than superficial.

The Wipro corporate social responsibility journey began 20 years ago, with an education
programme for school children. The success of that intervention led to more social projects
for rural development, ecological conservation, and community transformation. 

4. Wipro CSR Strategy

There are two focus areas for all the Wipro CSR activities: one is to make the company more
sustainable in line with the triple bottom line approach; the other is to work towards a just,
inclusive and sustainable society. While the focus areas of Wipro corporate social
responsibility are Education, Ecology, Primary Health Care and Disaster Response, the CSR
activities of Wipro projects span various sub-categories including Urban Ecology, Access and
Inclusion in Education to public spaces.
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4.1 Social Partnerships

Working in silos is an archaic approach to corporate responsibility. The evolved management
here recognises the importance of partnerships with social enterprises and non-profits in
making change happen. 

There is a lot of emphasis on social and natural capital. The team chooses partners based on
how well they can foster social and natural capital. Apart from the implementation of CSR
programmes, the company encourages partnerships for collaborative advocacy. It takes a
long-term view of problems, and designs programmes in line with its ethical standards. 

Last year, corporate social responsibility of Wipro worked with nearly 200 partners which
include civil society organisations and academic institutions across India, US, UK, Europe,
and Asia-Pacific.

5. CSR Committee

The Wipro CSR committee was formed in accordance with the norms in Section 135 of the
Companies Act, 2013. It is part of the Board Governance, Nomination and Compensation
Committee. It comprises three Independent Directors (William Arthur Owens, M. K. Sharma
and lreena Vittal) with Mr. Owens also being the Chairman of the CSR Committee.
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6. CSR Spend

The Company spent Rs. 181.8 crores towards corporate social responsibility activities in the
financial year 2019-20, according to the latest integrated annual report. As you can see in the
graph, the actual spend is much higher than the prescribed amount every year, for the past
five years. This is true of previous years as well, since the firm has been engaged in Nation
Building decades before the mandate came into effect. 

Over and above the annual spend of Rs. 181.8 crores, the company pledged Rs. 100 crores
towards COVID-19 relief work. The sum is being invested in helping frontline health
professionals fighting the pandemic, medical aid, and essentials for the most vulnerable
people affected by the coronavirus pandemic and resultant lockdown. 

7. Education

The majority portion of the CSR budget is directed towards education and skilling initiatives.
The belief is that a good education brings about a better society, as has been proven in
countless impact studies. The interventions span primary and secondary schooling, and
higher education in India and abroad.
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7.1 Systemic Reforms in School Education

This initiative was the first in corporate social responsibility by Wipro back in 2001. It has
been bringing change in education for two decades, by either working on the issues related to
school reform or by supporting organisations doing good work in this area. The initiative also
encourages civil society organisations in other fields to implement education projects in
conjunction with their goals.

7.2 Education for Underprivileged Children

Street children, kids in slums, children of migrant workers, and those affected by HIV are
often deprived of quality schooling. Not only does the initiative help educate children from
low-income families it also considers their nutrition, enrolment and offers counselling for

their parents. 

7.3 Wipro Earthian

Wipro Earthian is the flagship CSR programme that intertwines Education and Sustainability
at the school and college levels. It has two components: the pan India outreach programme
and the CEP (Continuous Engagement Programme). In fact, it’s our country’s biggest
sustainability education CSR initiative.

The year 2020 is special because it marks the 10th anniversary for Wipro Earthian. The idea
was to get young people thinking about the environment and come up with new ideas. The
youth is made aware of the impact of their actions on the environment. Climate change is no
longer a theoretical idea for many kids who have participated in the exciting annual event.

Approximately 8,000 schools and colleges submit their ideas on challenges related to
sustainability. The 20 best entries are awarded. CEP begins after the awards, where Wipro
corporate social responsibility works closely with the winners, faculty, and students in
sustainability education. Youth are exposed to fresh perspectives outside their comfort zone
on subjects related to biodiversity, water, and waste. The institutes they represent, in turn,
become partners in change. 
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7.4 Education for Children with Disability

CSR programmes for Persons with Disabilities about, but there isn’t enough in inclusive
education or support for children with disabilities from impoverished households. This
initiative is not only an educational one, although specially trained teachers are tutoring the
kids. This programme also integrates other important factors that children with disabilities
need, like assistive technology, health care and nutritious food.

7.5 Azim Premji University

Azim Premji University originated in response to the challenges that Azim Premji Foundation
came across in over a decade of work in elementary education. It is contributing to the
Education sector and overall Development of India through its courses and need-based
scholarships. 

Azim Premji University makes an explicit commitment towards social change using the
vehicle of education. The programmes are in the service of building a just and humane
society. The values are liberal and humanistic, but the intent is the political and social
development of the country.
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8. Scholarships and Fellowships

Wipro CSR activities take a distinct approach in using scholarships and fellowships for
achieving SDG 4 (quality education for all). Rather than the usual mode of monetary
assistance, promising students are exposed to the latest tech in their field that will go on to
prove fruitful in their career of choice. WASE and WiSTA are two such scholarship
programmes. Santoor Women’s Scholarship has proved successful for focussing on girl child
education in three states that rank low on education parameters.

8.1 Santoor Women’s Scholarship

Wipro Consumer Care and Wipro Cares are at the helm of this scholarship which has gone on
to become popular with young women in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka.
Santoor Women’s Scholarship is meant for girls in these three States who have completed
Class 12 and want to pursue higher studies but don’t have the means to. As many as 900
female students from low-income backgrounds get access to this scholarship annually for a
degree in science, arts and the humanities.

This CSR programme for girl child education has reached out to 3,600 students in the past
four years. Not only has their education received a boost with the scholarship, they have
renewed confidence in themselves and find themselves financially better off after completing
their studies, since they are also job ready.
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8.2 Engineering and IT Scholarships

Wipro Academy of Software Excellence programme (WASE in short) is run in CSR
partnership with BITS Pilani (Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani). This is a
scholarship for science graduates looking to get higher education in Software Engineering.
Wipro Infrastructure Management School (WIMS) is also running with BITS Pilani, to
nurture talent in IT infrastructure, with Cloud Computing as the main theme. 

Wipro Software Technology Academy (WiSTA) has Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)
as the partner. WiSTA is designed for data science students. The programme began back in
2011 when becoming a data scientist wasn’t considered a career option. Cut to 2020, data
science is one of the fastest-growing employers in tech jobs. WiSTA is another testament to
the visionary planning we laud the corporate social responsibility of Wipro for. 

Under the scholarship programmes WASE and WiSTA, the team selects B. Com, B.Sc., and
BCA students every year who are looking to pursue higher studies in software engineering,
IT and data science but don’t have the financial resources to do so. They get a college
education along with a monthly allowance for living comfortably as a student.

8.3 Wipro SEF Programmes in USA and UK

Wipro Science Education Fellowship (SEF) was started in the United States in 2012 and in
the United Kingdom last year. The two-year SEF programme fosters teacher leaders who will
bring a fresh wave of positivity in science education.

Wipro corporate social responsibility teamed up with Kings College London for Britain’s
first master’s programme in STEM education. In conjunction with Sheffield Hallam
University, STEM teachers get a professional upgrade through Wipro Teacher Fellowship
and Teacher Mentor programme. The goal is to build a strong STEM ecosystem for the next
generation of students.
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9. Community Care
The company empowers disadvantaged communities in a meaningful way through the
Community Care initiatives, which are run through Wipro Cares. The platform matches
employee contributions with Wipro Limited contributions in a 1:1 ratio (the company
matched employee contributions for COVID-19 in a 2:1 ratio).

In FY 2019-20, the CSR programme provided primary healthcare across five states to
1,22,000 people and restored livelihoods of 8,000 unfortunate people whose lives were
devastated by floods and cyclones. The solid waste management project in Bengaluru and
Mysuru reached out to 12,000 waste workers.

10. Community Ecology

From Agro forestry to urban solid waste management and sustainable farming, the
Community Ecology programmes cover diverse ground. It is helping farmers in rural Tamil
Nadu be more effective in their sowing practices. The cities of Bengaluru and Mysore have
hundreds of workers in the informal waste sector who have better health and food security via
this CSR initiative.

11. Corporate Volunteering

Wiproites are equal participants in the CSR paradigm. Corporate Volunteering through Wipro
Cares is integral to quite a few projects. They also make monetary contributions from their
paycheque, which are entirely voluntary. In 2019-2020, 14,000 employees across India
collectively put in 44,000 hours of volunteering for various CSR initiatives.
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12. Biodiversity

Entrance of the butterfly garden created by Wipro CSR at Bengaluru campus

The campus urban biodiversity CSR programme has a strong advocacy component.
Corporate social responsibility of Wipro wants to convert five of its campuses into veritable
biodiversity zones.
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The first flagship project in this regard was the Butterfly Park and biodiversity zone at the
campus in Bengaluru. It houses 106 species of plants and attracts butterflies of all hues. The
Pune campus has more than 300 native plants growing across five gardens, including a Ficus
Garden and a Spice Garden. 

12.1 Bengaluru Sustainability Forum

This forum fosters dialogue about sustainability in the future and partnerships for that
purpose. The Bengaluru Sustainability Forum was established in 2018 in collaboration with
the National Center for Biological Sciences. One outcome from last year was the Science
Gallery’s first interactive exhibition ‘Submerge’ and nine events in Bengaluru city. The
forum also had collabs with the Indo-Germany Energy Forum (IGEF) and the German
Consulate General on the ‘Energy Transition’ exhibition, besides supporting various grant
proposals for waste and biodiversity. 

13. Response to COVID-19

Soon after the news of the pandemic emerged, Wipro Enterprises Pvt Ltd pledged Rs. 100
crores towards tackling the COVID-19 outbreak. The disaster response team lost no time
getting in action for on-ground response, humanitarian aid, and enhancing the healthcare
capacity for those affected by COVID-19.

Marginalised communities on the brink of destruction got food, water, dry rations, face masks
and safety kits. CSR of Wipro partnered with several NGOs to share sanitisers, masks and
essential items.

The company itself took a broader view of technology. It has shifted from reactive to
proactive thinking. It is working on solutions for a resilient future. They will be executed in
an integrated manner by Wipro, Wipro Enterprises Pvt Ltd., and the Azim Premji
Foundation.
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14. Conclusion

Wipro CSR has specific targets for social growth that its well-designed programmes are
working towards. Establishing an ecosystem for STEM and sustainable education, for
example. Or fighting climate change and preserving the environment through collaborative
advocacy in water, waste and biodiversity. CSR activities of Wipro are making student’s
lives easier with a range of scholarships, in turn freeing them up to pursue higher goals.