Leveraging on public – private partnership and policy imperatives

Seema Zutshi Kaul, ORG Centre for Social Research
Ranjana Saradhi, ORG Centre for Social Research

In India enhancing the health status, providing education, ensuring safe water and sanitation etc. has for long been the mandate of the Government. However, the strong and dynamic private sector with the boom of multinational investors in India is best placed for social development initiatives. corporates have started integrating social goals with their business goals. It is a passion for some companies, some are beginners, some are already business excellence models, integration of social and business goals are in transition, but needs formalizing and channeling to take it forward and make a difference. Their motivation can be further guided by the view that while the interest of any business enterprise is towards financial returns, a business can not succeed in a society that fails to attain the desired level of social and economic fabric. The private sector is increasingly been seen as potential partners by the Government, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and local, national and international organizations. While the key mandate of CII has been to catalyse industry’s involvement in social development, some of the UN organizations are working towards bringing out a Social Code for Business. The present paper highlights some such initiatives which indicate that concerted efforts are being made by the Government and other partners to motivate and involve the corporates into social development activities. However, no organized efforts at the policy level have been made to set a mandate for the corporates or involving them in the developmental efforts. If corporate action is targeted towards the most fundamental problems facing a poor country like India, then the components of Millennium Development Goals, including water and sanitation, prevention of eradicable diseases etc. becomes a guidepost for the corporate social strategy and action.