Publication

Abstract : The advent of 21st century marks changes in many ways of life - personal, social, and corporate and political, pulling one into a multitude roles without knowing. Corporate Social Responsibility is one such way of life that took shape over many centuries in Indian life, and has come to a state of being perceived as a statutory requirement by Indian businesses, while it silently yearns to be treated as a metaphysical and dharmic way of conduct by the corporate citizens of the country. In this essay, it is attempted to sketch the developments in Indian corporate scenarios in the last few decades and identify few trends that have emerged in creating and implementing social responsibility initiatives in different spheres. The paper looks at the evolution of national guidelines on social responsibility and the subsequent elevation of the same as law and argues the extent of and scope of adherence of the law by businesses to indicate an emergence of karmic way of corporate life, especially in India.