India’s overall Inc spending on corporate social responsibility (CSR) has climbed to a record Rs 40,794 crore in FY2024-25, marking a 17 per cent increase in just one year, a report said.
Majority of the companies in India have expanded their investments in key and crucial sectors, including health, education and sustainability, according to the Bharat CSR Performance Report 2026.
The report highlights a sizeable increase as CSR investments by Indian companies crossed Rs 2.61 lakh crore over the past decade, reflecting the growing role of corporate India in supporting social and environmental development.
The report also notes that more companies came under the CSR ambit during the year, with 1,012 new firms beginning CSR spending, taking the total number of contributing companies to 29,546, up 9 per cent from the previous year.
The number of CSR projects also rose sharply, increasing nearly 21 per cent to 72,233 projects across the country, with an average project size of Rs 56.47 lakh.
According to the report, the education sector remained the top beneficiary of CSR expenditure, attracting Rs 13,877 crore, or 34 per cent of the total CSR spending, marking a 14 per cent increase over the previous year.
Healthcare ranked second, receiving Rs 8,531 crore, accounting for 21 per cent of overall CSR investments.
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Environmental sustainability witnessed one of the fastest growth rates, with funding jumping 40 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,397 crore, highlighting the increasing focus of companies on climate and sustainability initiatives.
The report further highlights that nearly 98 per cent of the CSR funds, amounting to Rs 39,851 crore, were spent directly on social development projects, while only Rs 943 crore, or 2 per cent of the total, was transferred to government funds.
What is worth noting is that companies contributing to government funds have declined by 6 per cent compared to the previous year, hinting at companies’ preference for implementing projects directly.
State-wise, Maharashtra remained the top recipient of CSR investment, receiving Rs 8,631 crore during FY2024-25.
Company-wise, Reliance Industries Ltd emerged as the country’s highest CSR spender with Rs 1,309 crore, followed by HDFC Bank Ltd at Rs 1,039 crore and Tata Consultancy Services Ltd with Rs 949 crore.
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