By IANS,
New Delhi : The chemical industry undertook the maximum number of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives during 2008-09, according to an industry lobby report.
The study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) said out of 300 Indian companies across 18 broad sectors spending on social initiatives last fiscal, 74 were from the chemical sector.
The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector was second on the list with 62, while the textile sector came third with 53 taking up CSR initiatives.
According to the report, the 300 corporate houses on an aggregate have identified 26 theme areas for CSR initiatives.
Out of these, community welfare accounted for 21 percent of the total CSR initiatives and was the top priority theme for corporate houses, Assocham president Sajjan Jindal said while releasing the study.
The second popular area was education with a share of 19.64 percent, with companies giving funds for setting up schools, colleges and other centres of learning, the report said.
Environment is the third on the priority list with a share of 17.02 percent, followed by healthcare such as mobile medical services, medical camps and creating awareness programmes on preventive health care.
State-wise, Maharashtra received the maximum attention for CSR activities, followed by Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.