Patna: UNICEF, in partnership with the Centre for Innovation, Management and Policy (CIMP), convened a high-level roundtable in Patna to discuss the operationalisation of Bihar’s pioneering State Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Policy. The discussion took place during the 5th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility (ICCSR).
Bihar is the first state in India to formalise a State CSR Policy, aimed at directing private sector contributions toward strategic development priorities under Viksit Bihar@2047. The roundtable brought together industry leaders, policy experts, and development specialists to examine the framework and explore practical approaches for on-ground implementation.
Bhaskar Chatterjee, former director-general of IICA and widely regarded as the “Father of CSR in India,” welcomed the clarity offered by the state policy but called for additional incentives to encourage corporate investment in Bihar.
Highlighting the transformative potential of CSR partnerships, UNICEF Bihar chief Margaret Gwada pointed to critical sectors such as water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), nutrition, and child-focused programmes. CIMP Director Prof (Dr) Rana Singh emphasised the importance of long-term engagement, noting that CSR initiatives must deliver sustained social impact rather than short-term interventions.
Joining virtually, Hishmi Jamil Husain of Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) described Bihar as a “high-return geography” for strategic social investment, while former HelpAge India CEO Mathew Cherian called for a greater focus on rural and underserved areas. NABARD Deputy General Manager Lakshman Kumar highlighted the need for improved coordination in livelihoods, skilling, and rural health initiatives.
A follow-up roundtable, moderated by UNICEF India’s Partnership Specialist Ramona Bakshi, focused on key aspects of policy implementation, including the development of a state CSR portal. Participants from organisations such as the Gates Foundation, Palladium India, Jubilant Ingrevia, Apollo MedSkills, TERI, ICICI Foundation, ARAMCO, NABARD Foundation, and Wabtec stressed district-wise priority mapping, a centralised project repository, and the importance of sustainability—both environmental and social.
Deliberations addressed four main areas: embedding core CSR values of equity, transparency and sustainability; establishing flexible funding pathways; strengthening institutional mechanisms at state and district levels; and creating a robust, user-friendly Bihar CSR portal for project tracking and impact monitoring. Experts also called for enhanced government–corporate–civil society partnerships, capacity building of implementing agencies, and regular stakeholder consultations.
Prof Senapati of CIMP described the roundtable as a critical step in moving from policy formulation to execution, with participants agreeing to establish thematic working groups to support coordinated implementation in the coming months. The recommendations from the UNICEF-facilitated dialogue will be shared with the Bihar government to aid effective rollout of the State CSR Policy 2025.
