Current slowdown will not impact CSR activity: Girbane

PUNE Prashant Girbane, director general, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), speaks to Hindustan Times on the sidelines of the corporate

PUNE Prashant Girbane, director general, Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), speaks to Hindustan Times on the sidelines of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) summit organised by MCCIA in the city on Friday.

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A lot has been spoken on the current economic slowdown in the country. How does it affect the CSR spending of the corporates in the country?

I don’t think that the current slowdown will have a major impact on CSR spending because it needs to be seen in the perspective of the quantum of the slowdown. Let us recognise and accept that there is a slowdown, however, it is not a gloom and doom situation and there is a difference in both of the terminologies. Hence, the current slowdown will not have considerable differences in how CSR should be spent.

Government of India has made it very clear that they are not enforcing any sort of taxation on corporates through CSR activities. However, many companies with sizable profits are still not willing to spend even two per cent of their money earned for CSR activities. How do we encourage them?

What was the motive behind MCCIA organising CSR summit?

The basic motive of this CSR summit is that corporates can come together and share their perspectives. With the exchange of ideas, many may get inspired to commence CSR activities with new ideas.