Farm Sector Policy Department

CSR Round Table - Partnering Development, 15th September 2015

FSPD, Head Office has organised a programme “CSR Round Table- Partnering

Development” with major Corporate Houses on 15 September 2015 at Mumbai.

Around 39 participants representing 26 Corporate Houses, both private and Public

Sector, participated in the programme, in addition to CGMs of Odisha and

Chhattisgarh ROs and HO departments

02. The objective of the Round Table was to explore the possibilities of converging

CSR initiatives of Corporate Houses effectively and efficiently with NABARD

developmental interventions and to seek their feed back on the possibilities of larger

collaborations. Thirty Eight Representatives of twenty Six Corporates participated in

the Round Table.

03 At the outset Dr B.G.Mukhopadhyay, CGM, FSPD welcomed the participants

to the Round table and emphasised that the objective of the Round table is to chalk

out a road map for convergence in the CSR initiatives of Corporates with the various

programmes of NABARD in the sphere of agriculture and rural development.

04 Chairman Dr. H.K.Bhanwala delivering his Inaugural address, emphasised

that most of the regular works of NABARD qualify as CSR activities. Major

programmes/initiatives taken up by NABARD include SHG movement, Kisan Credit

Card (KCC) scheme, JLG, Watershed development, WADI, JFM, Rural Tourism etc.

He explained that working in collaboration with NABARD in CSR, Corporates will

benefit by accessing the knowledge, experience and learnings, NABARD has gained

in this field over the last three decades.

Further, NABARD with its offices at district level and association with more than

5000 NGOs has tremendous reach at the grass root level which the Corporates can

take advantage of. He stated that NABARD is already working with 18 top level

corporate houses of India and there is lot of mutual learning through experience

Farm Sector Policy Department

sharing. He invited the Corporates to join hands with NABARD in transforming the

rural India in a big way.

Chairman also indicted that the programmes of NABARD are flexible to add

additional project components, social sector interventions so that the interventions

could be holistic and also provide scope for the corporates to contribute substantially

to the project.

05. Dr K Palanisamy DGM, FSPD made a presentation on the interventions of

NABARD with special focus on Natural Resources Management programmes and

opportunities for Corporates to collaborate with NABARD under co-funding mode.

06. Participants from major Corporate Houses like Tata Trusts, Srinivasan Trust

(TVS Group), ITC, JSPL, Bharath Dalmia Foundation, Lupin Foundation shared their

experience in implementing Co funded project in collaboration with NABARD.

07. CGMs of Odisha and Chhattisgarh also shared their experience in

implementing projects in co-funding mode.

08 Shri R. Amalorpavanathan, DMD, in his concluding remarks summed up that

NABARD and all the Corporates working in this field have to think big and scale up

the activities. The effort should be not in carrying out activities in traditional way,

rather new areas, new technology and new system of delivery have to be identified

and adopted. He identified certain thrust areas like technology dissemination, credit

support to Producers Organisations, Value Chain creation, Infrastructure creation,

risk mitigation for farmers, software development in monitoring activities etc. He

expressed that our objective should be to shift the surplus rural population dependant

on agriculture towards non-agricultural activities without affecting agricultural

production. This is possible only through investment, technology and proper

handholding by the Corporates. Collaboration between NABARD and Corporates in

certain new areas like climate change, Producer Organisations, technology transfer,

extension services etc. were identified.

DMD, Shri Amalorpavanathan indicated that Regional Offices of NABARD should

organise such meet with the corporates to showcase the activities of NABARD to the

Corporates for forging fruitful collaborations.

Some the photographs taken during the programme are attached below.

Farm Sector Policy Department

Dr B.G. Mukhopadhyay, CGM, FSPD & FSDD Welcoming the Participants

Dr H.K.Bhanwala, Chairman, NABARD delivering the Inaugural address

Farm Sector Policy Department

Shri R.Amalorpavanathan, DMD, NABARD addressing the participants

Farm Sector Policy Department

Dr K Palanisamy, DGM, FSPD making the Presentation on opportunities for collaboration with NABARD.

CGMs from Chhatisgarh and Odisha

Farm Sector Policy Department

A section of participants