Uday Kotak advocates for global CSR model adoption
Uday Kotak, founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank, thinks it's time for global companies to follow India's lead on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
At the "TOI Social Impact Summit," he asked, "Why can't we have the world's corporations give half a percent of their profits to sustainable development goals?"
He believes even a small slice of profits could make a big difference worldwide.
India's CSR rules send real money straight to social causes
Kotak pointed out that India's CSR rules send real money straight to social causes—over ₹30,000 crore each year so far, with potential to reach ₹1 lakh crore.
He encouraged companies not just to tick boxes but to create genuine impact with their CSR work.
Stronger CSR leads to healthier markets and better governance
He also connected strong CSR with healthier markets and better governance.
Citing economist John Maynard Keynes, Kotak warned that too much speculation can hurt real businesses.
As SEBI tightens trading rules in India, he highlighted how good management and oversight help keep the economy steady.
What else did Kotak say?
Kotak founded Kotak Mahindra Bank and led a G20 panel on financing social development.
He champions direct corporate support for social causes and smarter market reforms that balance profit with responsibility.