17,130 implementing agencies execute the CSR plans on ground, confirms GoI

New Delhi, 01 December 2021: India has a total of 17,130 Implementing Agencies which are implementing the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in India, the government has confirmed.

Responding to a query in Lok Sabha on Monday, Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) Rao Inderjit Singh said that as of October 31, a total of 17,130 Implementing Agencies were registered with MCA21 registry.

The Government provides the broad framework for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 (‘Act’), Schedule VII of the Act and Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014.

He said that in the CSR Legal framework, the word ‘Non-governmental Organisations (NGO)’ has nowhere been defined, however, Section 135 of the Act read with Rule 4 of the Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014 prescribes that the Board of the company is empowered to undertake its CSR activities either by itself or through Implementing Agencies as mentioned in the said rule.

The Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014 was amended on 22nd January, 2021 and registration of Implementing Agencies with the Central Government had been made mandatory with effect from 1st April, 2021, he said.

The Minister was responding to a query asked by Mitesh Rameshbhai Patel, a ruling party parliamentarian elected from Anand, Gujarat. Patel asked about the number of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) including the organisation functioning in the social sector in the country, which is engaged in the fields of environment, skill development, and sanitization through projects/activities under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

In his response, the minister also clarified about the scale of CSR activities done by implementing agencies.

He said, “Approximately 60% of the CSR expenditure has been done through implementing agencies.”

It can be better understood in a perspective with the total CSR amount spent year-wise. “On the basis of filings made by the companies in the MCA21 registry, companies have spent a cumulative amount of Rs 20,150.27 Crore in FY 2018-19, Rs 24,688.66 Crore in FY 2019-20 and Rs 8,828.11 Crore in FY 2020-21 respectively,” the minister said.