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Business Operations

CSR Advisory

Practice01/06

CSR Policy & Strategy Formulation.

Note01
CSR Policy drafting, Schedule VII alignment, multi-year strategy, thematic focus areas.
Index06 Practices
01CSR Policy & Strategy Formulation
02Social Initiative Planning
03Implementing Partner Selection
04Implementation Support
05Monitoring, Evaluation & Impact
06Development Communications

The Scope of Our Services

From the drafting of your CSR Policy to the closing impact assessment, we work with Boards and CSR Committees across each stage that Section 135 and the CSR Rules now require.

CSR Policy & Strategy Formulation

Drafting the Board-approved CSR Policy with activity scope aligned to Schedule VII, alongside the multi-year strategic direction that defines thematic focus areas, geographic priorities, beneficiary profiles, and the outcomes the Board wishes the contribution to achieve.

Social Initiative Planning

Translating strategy into the Annual Action Plan required under Rule 5(2) of the CSR Rules, including programme design, theory of change, budget allocation across projects, and target outcomes for the financial year.

Implementing Partner Selection

Shortlisting and due diligence of implementing agencies, including Section 8 companies, registered trusts, and registered societies, under the revised Form CSR-1 framework effective 14 July 2025.

Implementation Support

Operational systems for programme execution, including standard operating procedures, milestone-based fund release controls, and governance protocols that keep the CSR Committee informed without involving it in daily decisions.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Impact

Field validation visits, management information dashboards, quarterly review meetings, and the third-party impact assessment mandatory under Rule 8(3) for companies with average CSR obligation of ten crore rupees or more.

Development Communications

Reporting and disclosure across the required formats: the CSR section of the Board Report, Form CSR-2 inputs filed alongside AOC-4, BRSR-aligned narratives for listed entities, and the website disclosure required under the CSR Rules.

Why Structured CSR Matters

With the 2025 amendments raising documentation standards for implementing agencies and third-party impact assessment now mandatory for larger CSR spends, the demands on Boards and CSR Committees have grown materially.

  • CSR Policy and Annual Action Plan aligned with Section 135 and Schedule VII activity boundaries
  • Implementing partners verified under the revised Form CSR-1 framework effective 14 July 2025
  • Audit-ready documentation for the CSR Committee, statutory auditors, and ROC inspections
  • Third-party impact assessment delivered under Rule 8(3) where the threshold applies
  • Form CSR-2 disclosures prepared for filing as an addendum to AOC-4
  • Set-off of excess CSR spend and unspent amounts under Section 135(5) and 135(6)

Our Approach

Step 1

Applicability Review

We confirm Section 135 applicability against your financial thresholds, compute the two per cent obligation on the three-year average of net profits as defined under Section 198, and identify any set-off eligibility under Rule 7(3) from earlier years.

Step 2

Policy & Strategy Formulation

We draft the CSR Policy for Board approval, define thematic focus and geographic priorities for the multi-year programme, and prepare the Annual Action Plan required under Rule 5(2) of the CSR Rules.

Step 3

Partner Identification & Diligence

We shortlist implementing agencies aligned to your strategy, verify their Form CSR-1 registration under the revised framework, and conduct due diligence on track record, governance, and statutory standing.

Step 4

Programme Design & Launch

We define the theory of change for each project, set monitoring indicators, structure fund release against milestones, and establish the reporting cadence the CSR Committee will rely on through the year.

Step 5

Monitoring & Evaluation

We conduct field validation visits, review the management information dashboards, flag deviations early, and commission third-party impact assessment where the Rule 8(3) threshold applies.

Step 6

Reporting & Disclosure

We prepare the CSR section of the Board Report, draft Form CSR-2 for filing alongside AOC-4, support BRSR-aligned disclosures for listed entities, and refresh the website disclosure required under the CSR Rules.