Weaving social responsibility with business strategy: a case study of South India Paper Mills

Any company in any country can be a responsible leader, if it chooses to be so. South India Paper Mills (SIPM), a medium‐sized family business manufacturing recycled paper integrated corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities early in its business strategy; activities such as providing free treated water for agriculture to the local farmers while finding a way of disposing of wastewater. The company voluntarily increased compensation and guaranteed employment to the children of retired employees, which ensured better living and educational standards, provided employment opportunities, and reversed the migration trend to the city. The acute power shortage led the management to generate its own power with the locally available biomass to ensure a steady supply of power and income, by supplying excess power to the State, and a regular source of income to the villagers.