Takers and givers in social responsibility

How responsible has corporate India been over the years in giving back to the society a minimum of what they have sucked into their balance sheets from it? The answer is a "no", with only a few exceptions.

Corporate houses in India, unlike their western brethren, have been shirkers in taking up the cause of the society. The corporate houses have left no opportunity to squeeze out every possible mileage from event sponsorship pass by. They have been more of a breed of "takers" than "givers". Well, one must agree that making profit is not a sin, but giving back at least a minuscule part of it is surely a virtue.

The society is not concerned about event sponsorship, but about setting up institutes across the country to nurture talent from the time they have just shown promise. Most corporate houses debate it is the responsibility of the government. Yes, it is. But why not supplement the government's efforts with some corporate initiative towards social causes?

Asking for a little generosity for the have-nots from the people who earn in billions cannot be expecting too much.

Let us take up the issue of education. Ironically, extension of corporate patronage to education by Indian business houses was much more prevalent earlier than now. Most universities in India have had the generous financial backing of wealthy families. That, to a large extent, was to get an ego boost. But, no doubt, it served the purpose.

Then came the industrial houses such as the Tatas and Birlas. They set up premiere institutes that imparted higher education and training in several fields. Their contribution has earned them the repute and respect that make them proud. Such examples are few. But in the more recent times the selfless attitude of corporate houses has vanished to a large extent. Apart from part-sponsoring few management schools, nothing much has been done. Institutes such as dairy products maker Amul's Indian Institute of Rural Management, consumer goods manufacturer Nirma's business management institute, Bharti Telecom-sponsored school at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi and the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute promoted by Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation have come up. But the need is much more.

Last week when I read that US beverage giant Coca-Cola will pump in dollars liberally to set up a university in India, it immediately occurred to me that is it mandatory for the cue to come from abroad? According to the report, Coca-Cola has taken the initiative to bring to India a unique concept of a retail university. To gain maximum mileage, it will also teach small shop-owners some tricks of modern selling and storage techniques. The university is expected to come up in a year or so.

Many believe the fear of being ostracised from the society in the wake of the controversy over pesticides in cola drinks, setting up the university is more of a branding exercise than the manifestation of a noble intention. So be it, but we will get a university, that too a unique one.

Benefits

Corporate universities benefit companies in many ways. It is a terrific branding opportunity. The brand recall is usually very high because the initiative also serves the purpose of a constant communication vehicle.

Moreover, if a company is looking for a specific skill set, then the hunt becomes all the more difficult. So setting up a university is beneficial since the company can influence the curriculum.

But were all these unknown to Indian companies? I wonder why do these ideas always have to come from the west? Why can't our corporates think about it first? After all it is our homegrown talent that will be nurtured by Coke. Why should they shape up to the requirements of a foreign company? Don't we need them first for us?