A study of corporate social responsibility practices of the top Bombay Stock Exchange 500 companies in India and their alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals

This paper highlights the organic link that exists between the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities undertaken by the Indian corporate sector and their alignment with the Sustainable Development Goal s (SDGs) from 2014–2016; the period after mandatory CSR came into existence as per Indian Companies Act. In this study, we identify critical areas pertaining to SDG goals neglected by corporate sector as far as CSR investments are concerned. We find that more CSR investments must be drawn towards climate change, biodiversity, Sustainable consumption and production, marine life and conserving flora and fauna. The sectoral analysis reveals that the companies falling under sectors that have a higher environmental footprint and impact are more concerned about taking up initiatives through CSR. The geographic analysis revealed that efforts need to be made to increase CSR expenditure in seven north‐eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir, and Union Territories. This paper recommends that the system needs to be further reviewed in light of the current observations.