Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna Strengthens Management Education in Bihar

Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna Strengthens Management Education in Bihar

Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna Bihar, in collaboration with UNICEF and the School of Management Studies, University of Hyderabad, successfully organized the 5th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility  2025 under the CIMP Centre for CSR & ESG Studies Foundation. The conference convened policymakers, academicians, corporate leaders, development practitioners, and students to explore emerging pathways for socially responsible and impact-driven CSR in Bihar.

In his welcome address, Professor Rana Singh, Director of CIMP, highlighted the evolution of CSR spending in India, from an initial estimate of INR 20,000 crore to nearly INR 2 lakh crore by 2020. He stressed the need to move beyond chequebook philanthropy toward evidence-based, outcome-focused interventions aligned with Bihar’s development priorities.

Dr. Indranil De, Axis Bank Chair Professor, delivered the keynote address, describing CSR as a mechanism for private firms to support public goods where state capacity is limited. He emphasized CSR’s potential to link corporate profitability with citizen welfare through targeted investments in health, sanitation, education, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability, while advocating transparency, monitoring, and third-party evaluation to maintain credibility.

Ms. Margaret Gwada from UNICEF praised Bihar’s improving governance and called for deeper collaboration among government, corporates, and civil society. She highlighted UNICEF’s sanitation and community-based initiatives, urging Bihar to become a model for child-centric CSR innovation.

Dr. Hishmi Jamil Hussain emphasized CSR’s role in ensuring fundamental rights such as clean water, health, and dignity through multi-stakeholder partnerships. Mr. Lakshman Kumar of NABARD outlined CSR initiatives in climate resilience, health, education, water, and entrepreneurship, implemented via 43 partners across nearly 300 projects funded with over INR 2,000 crore. He highlighted the importance of addressing Bihar’s CSR location bias.

Policy expert Mr. Mathew Cherian connected CSR to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that Bihar receives only 1% of national CSR funds. He stressed principles of “do no harm,” focus on aspirational districts, and sustainability.

In a special address, Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, architect of India’s CSR framework, described CSR as a “bloodless revolution” built on a triangular partnership between corporates, civil society, and government. He highlighted India’s current CSR mobilization of INR 35,000 crore from 28,000 companies, projected to reach INR 1 lakh crore by 2035, positioning Bihar as a rising contributor.

The event also featured a CSR Roundtable on the newly gazetted Bihar CSR Policy with representatives from Palladium India, Apollo Medskills, TERI, ICICI Foundation, Dulux Paints, WABTEC, and Nalanda Charitable Trust, followed by the presentation of over 15 research papers from scholars across India.