IndiaMART’s mission of “Leaving No Dreams Behind” comes alive through its focused and sustained efforts in empowering communities at the grassroots. In FY 2024–25, the company invested ₹58.62 million towards its CSR initiatives, reaching over a million lives across India. But beyond the numbers lies a deeper commitment—to create lasting pathways of change through education, skill development, and inclusive growth. From revitalizing schools to nurturing entrepreneurial mindsets in young learners, IndiaMART’s approach blends purpose with practicality, ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has the opportunity to learn and thrive. In this conversation with TheCSRUniverse, Mr. Brijesh Agarwal, Co-Founder of IndiaMART, shares how these investments are shaping the company’s CSR focus and driving meaningful socio-economic impact in communities.
Read on to discover the strategies, partnerships, and stories behind IndiaMART’s CSR journey and how they are making a tangible difference on the ground.
Q&A
Q. IndiaMART’s CSR initiatives have already reached over a million lives. Can you share more details about the specific programs and focus areas that are driving this impact?
A. With the mission - ‘Leaving No Dreams Behind’, IndiaMART’s CSR focus includes enabling sustainable socio-economic development with a strong emphasis on education, skill development, and rural school infrastructure. To date, we have constructed and renovated 32 schools, 162 classrooms to create safe and inclusive learning spaces, built 47 toilets to enhance sanitation and hygiene, and developed 12 lunch sheds to support mid-day meal programs. In addition to this, we are also working to provide safe drinking water and have supplied 1,393 desks, benches, and furniture, fostering a conducive learning environment under our mission.
Q. Why has IndiaMART chosen education as the primary focus of its CSR initiatives?
A. At IndiaMART, we believe no dreams should be left behind because of where a child is born. We believe that true transformation starts with empowerment, and education is a powerful enabler of this transformation. Especially for a child, the journey from childhood to livelihood becomes easy if the foundation is strong. That is why our efforts have always been focused on getting every kid, especially from underprivileged backgrounds, to benefit from formal education at schools.
To bring this change, we are working on three pillars - building infrastructure, improving the quality of education, and building entrepreneurship development as an inclusive part of the education system. Better infrastructure motivates children to enter the premises, quality of education enriches their learning and provides a strong foundation for them, and an entrepreneurial spirit opens up opportunities for livelihood. We will continue our journey of one student, one school, one district, and add to the brighter future in every possible way.
Q. IndiaMART supports SMEs through its core business. How does your CSR strategy complement this mission and extend its impact on communities?
A. IndiaMART’s core business mission is to digitally empower MSMEs and equip them with the right tools, resources, and visibility to grow their business. Our CSR strategy is a natural extension of this mission, focusing on empowering communities and participating meaningfully in India’s growing economy. Under this, we are working to provide better infrastructure, improve the quality of education, and inculcate a spirit of entrepreneurship in the initial years of children.
By investing in better schools, technology access, and programs that ignite entrepreneurial thinking, we are working to build resilience and skills that reduce the digital divide as these children mature. This vision directly supports our broader goal of digitally transforming India's SMEs.
Q. What measurable changes have you observed in communities where IndiaMART has rebuilt or upgraded school infrastructure?
A. IndiaMART’s investments in rebuilding and upgrading school infrastructure have delivered tangible, measurable improvements in the communities we serve. These changes go beyond physical infrastructure, influencing education outcomes, gender inclusion, and community development. Some of the significant changes that our endeavors have contributed to include improved student attendance and retention, improved participation of female students in education, safer learning environments, and nurturing the spirit of entrepreneurship. For instance, we renovated and built classrooms in Sadat Inter College, where the total enrollment before the intervention was ~300 students. The same has now crossed 1,000 students. In another effort, our infrastructure programs led to an average 2x increase in enrollment in Bahraich, UP, as well as MM Hills, Karnataka.
Q. How does IndiaMART measure the success and long-term sustainability of its CSR programs?
A. We have a dedicated Board-level CSR Committee that oversees all the ongoing programmes and initiatives end-to-end. Before and after each project, we conduct a study to understand the situation with parameters such as attendance, dropout rate, enrollment, attendance by gender, and measure whether there has been any improvement or not. Other long-term KPIs include alignment with United Nations SDGs and national priorities, annual reporting with financial and non-financial metrics in the Corporate Social Responsibility Policy and Annual Reports, partner feedback, and ongoing dialogue with stakeholders to refine strategies and maximize future impact.
Q. Could you highlight the role of your collaborations with Khan Academy India and Udhyam Learning Foundation in expanding access to quality education?
A. Our partnerships with Khan Academy India and Udhyam extend our impact beyond infrastructure, ensuring that children and youth have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed. All programs are digitally enabled, in line with our core mission of driving digital empowerment. By connecting education directly to employability and entrepreneurship, these initiatives foster sustainable socio-economic change. We also support Khan Academy India in developing regional language educational content for Maths and Science. Last year, this partnership benefited approximately 80,000 students across 746 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs). In collaboration with Udhyam, IndiaMART is nurturing entrepreneurial mindsets among over 900,000 government school students, equipping them to thrive in a dynamic future.
Q. What role do gender inclusivity and women's empowerment play in IndiaMART’s CSR initiatives?
A. As we go deeper into the country, gender disparity is much more evident. Lower enrollment of girl children in school, high dropout rates, decreased attendance due to lack of facilities such as toilets and much more. These barriers continue to increase as the children mature, making the journey of a girl even more difficult.
At IndiaMART, gender inclusivity is woven into our social impact and business growth strategy. We actively promote gender equality through vocational training and skill development programs. Our CSR policy also focuses on empowering women through supporting educational opportunities for girls, and adopting measures to reduce inequalities faced by socially and economically marginalized groups. So far, we have provided 600 desks to Seemapuri Girls School, positively benefiting over 1,300 girl students. The SMART program by Tech Mahindra has emerged as a powerful platform for skill development, with women comprising 62% of its participants, and we continue to do more each day.
Q. With youth employability being a key concern in India, how are SMART Centres preparing young learners for the job market?
A. SMART Centres play a vital role in bridging the gap between education and employability, preparing young learners, especially from underserved communities, for meaningful participation in the job market. These centres are designed to equip youth with practical skills, digital literacy, and entrepreneurial capabilities, ensuring they are ready to meet the demands of India’s evolving economy.
The centres provide comprehensive vocational training, practical exposure, and industry-relevant skills. In addition, they offer career guidance, resume building, interview preparation, and soft skills training, enabling learners to confidently enter the workforce.
These SMART Centres are more than training facilities; they are launchpads for youth employability, combining practical skills, digital literacy, and ensuring that young learners are employment-ready, create value, and contribute to their communities, aligning directly with IndiaMART’s vision of inclusive, sustainable development.
Q. Looking ahead to FY 2025–26, what new CSR programs or expansions can we expect from IndiaMART?
A. Going ahead, we are looking to expand our footprint with a strong focus on inclusive education and entrepreneurship. One of the key initiatives under consideration is a collaboration with Khan Academy India to develop regional content for Social Welfare schools, which primarily serve underprivileged students from SC, ST, and EWS backgrounds in classes 6 to 12.
Additionally, we plan to scale our infrastructure development projects in schools located in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, enhancing learning environments for marginalized communities. We are also exploring further expansion of Udhyam’s Entrepreneurship program across more regions in Uttar Pradesh to create a long-term impact.
