CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

According to 2011 census of India, out of total population of 121 crores, 83.3 crores people live in rural areas that count nearly 70 per cent of India’s population. This population living in rural areas has neither adequate land holdings nor alternate service opportunities to produce or procure their livelihood. In the absence of adequate employment opportunities, the rural people are unable to generate enough wages to sustain their livelihood. In order to tackle and root out these specific problems, a number of rural development programs are being implemented by the governments to create opportunities for improvement of the quality of life of the people. It is a fact and the corporate have also understood it that there is a vast size and magnitude of rural market. So the companies can take advantage of the situation by fulfilling their social responsibility. Corporate should augment their current charity efforts and utilize their business experience and capabilities to provide the required impetus to rural development and make valuable contributions in national development and prosperity. But the scenario has totally changed. Now sustainability, competition, environmental protection and finally customer delight have come in the picture. This paper tries to show that how national prosperity can be achieved through rural development and how corporate social responsibility plays an important role.