Chairperson & Trustee, M3M Foundation
Dr. Payal Kanodia is the Chairperson & Trustee of the M3M Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the M3M Group committed to sustainable community development across India. Under her leadership, the foundation has impacted millions through programmes in education, health, women’s empowerment, and livelihoods spanning 22 states and multiple districts. She blends corporate leadership with social purpose and has earned accolades such as the Karma veer Global Fellowship and Custodian of Humanity Award for her work in social impact. Dr. Kanodia also champions women’s entrepreneurship and youth development, reflecting her vision for inclusive growth and empowerment.
Managing Trustee & President, M3M Foundation
Dr. Aishwarya Mahajan is the Managing Trustee & President of the M3M Foundation, the philanthropic arm of M3M Group focused on sustainable social development across India. With over two decades of experience in driving community-centred impact, he leads initiatives in education, health, livelihoods, and empowerment that benefit millions. Under his leadership, the Foundation supports changemakers, forges strategic partnerships, and champions equitable growth. Dr. Mahajan’s work has earned recognition for outstanding CSR leadership and community transformation.
Mission Director, Biocon Foundation India
Anupama Shetty is a distinguished public health and social development professional currently serving as the Mission Director at Biocon Foundation. With extensive experience in healthcare, community development, and sustainable social impact, she has been instrumental in leading initiatives focused on public health, preventive care, sanitation, women and child welfare, and strengthening healthcare systems in underserved communities.
At Biocon Foundation, Dr. Shetty plays a key role in designing and implementing inclusive programs that improve access to quality healthcare and promote holistic community well-being. Recognized for her strategic leadership and commitment to equitable healthcare, she actively collaborates with government agencies, healthcare institutions, and development partners to drive meaningful change. Her work continues to contribute significantly to advancing health equity and sustainable development across India.
Senior Executive Vice President and Head – CSR & ESG, Kotak Mahindra Bank
Himanshu Nivsarkar is a Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Customer Service Representative and ESG at Kotak Mahindra Bank, bringing extensive financial leadership to the banking sector. Their responsibilities include overseeing customer service initiatives and driving ESG strategies within one of India's leading financial institutions. Himanshu's role encompasses both customer-centric approaches and a commitment to environmental, social, and governance factors in banking operations.
Building on a background in financial strategy, Himanshu previously served as Senior Manager (Private Equity) at GE Aerospace. In this role, they applied financial analysis to support investment decisions within the aerospace and defense industry. Before that, as a core member of the Strategy and Investment Team at Reliance Industries Limited, Himanshu contributed to strategic planning and investment activities across diverse sectors. Their work history includes serving as Assistant Vice President at MAPE Advisory Group, where they focused on mergers and acquisitions and private equity advisory services, demonstrating practical experience in transaction advisory services.
Himanshu's expertise is supported by an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, complementing their experience in financial leadership and strategic investment.
Group Head - CSR, Vedanta & Hindustan Zinc Limited; Director, Zinc India Foundation
SVP, Global CSR, HCLTech & Director, HCLFoundation
Dr. Nidhi Pundhir is an accomplished international social development, CSR, and public health professional with more than 27 years of experience advancing human rights and socio-economic and environmental development. She serves as Senior Vice President, Global CSR at HCLTech and Director of HCLFoundation, where she leads the global CSR agenda and drives programs aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Her career includes leadership roles with Plan International and SOS Children’s Villages, with a strong focus on child protection, health, education, livelihoods, and poverty alleviation. Dr. Pundhir holds a doctorate in Public Health Management from IIHMR University, Jaipur, and an M.Phil. in Health Systems Management from BITS Pilani. Her work emphasizes inclusive, community-led, and sustainable approaches to social transformation.
Global CEO, Magic Bus India Foundation
Jayant Rastogi is a distinguished social impact leader and development professional serving as the Global CEO of Magic Bus Foundation. With extensive experience in the development sector, he has been instrumental in building and scaling programs focused on education, employability, livelihoods, and youth empowerment. Under his leadership, Magic Bus has expanded its efforts to equip young people from underserved communities with the skills, confidence, and opportunities needed to transition successfully from education to sustainable livelihoods. Mr. Rastogi is passionate about creating inclusive pathways for young people and strengthening community-led approaches to development. His work brings together corporates, government institutions, civil society organizations, and communities to create scalable and sustainable solutions. Through his leadership, he continues to advance Magic Bus Foundation’s mission of enabling young people to break the cycle of poverty and build secure, dignified futures.
Group Executive Director, Devi Sansthan
Nixon Joseph is an accomplished financial services and social impact professional, currently serving as Group Executive Director at Devi Sansthan. With extensive experience in banking, financial inclusion, and development, he has held senior leadership roles and worked extensively on initiatives aimed at strengthening financial literacy and expanding access to financial services for underserved communities. As a passionate advocate for social and economic empowerment, Mr. Joseph brings a strong understanding of how financial capability can contribute to sustainable livelihoods and inclusive growth. Through his association with Devi Sansthan, he contributes to initiatives that promote financial education, entrepreneurship, and community development. He is also a speaker and advocate for social and sustainable entrepreneurship, engaging with young people and emerging leaders to encourage responsible decision-making and purpose-driven approaches to business. His work reflects a commitment to combining financial expertise with meaningful social impact.
Chief Executive Officer, Light of Life Trust
Head – CSR, Larsen & Toubro
Founder & CEO,Buddy4Study
Ashutosh Burnwal is the Founder and CEO of Buddy4Study, India’s leading scholarship management platform, dedicated to helping deserving students access scholarships and financial support for education. His entrepreneurial journey is deeply rooted in personal experience, having faced financial challenges during his own educational journey. This motivated him to build solutions that make educational opportunities more accessible to students across India.
Since founding Buddy4Study in 2011, Ashutosh has focused on leveraging technology and partnerships to bridge the gap between students and financial aid opportunities. Under his leadership, the platform has supported 1.7 lakh scholars and expanded its impact through initiatives such as scholar mentoring and Kind Circle, which enables individuals and organisations to create scholarship programmes.
Recognised as a 2025 AACSB Influential Leader in the Community or Social Impact category, Ashutosh continues to champion education access, social innovation and inclusive opportunities for India’s youth.
Current Partners
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The Social Impact Conference is a vital platform where thought leaders, CSR leaders, policy influencers, ESG professionals, NGOs, and social sector practitioners converge to address the most pressing development challenges of our time. It goes beyond dialogue, offering deep insights into the evolving ecosystem of social responsibility, sustainability, and inclusive development.
By fostering meaningful cross-sector collaborations, the conference plays a crucial role in shaping strategies, sharing innovations, and scaling impactful interventions across sectors such as education, skilling, livelihood, healthcare, and environmental sustainability. Its curated sessions and thematic discussions help bridge the gap between grassroots realities and boardroom decisions, reinforcing the urgency to align purpose with practice.
Key Highlights
High-impact platform bringing together CSR heads, ESG leaders, policymakers, social entrepreneurs, and development professionals
Thematic sessions on social action, sustainability, education, skilling, livelihood, gender equity, and digital inclusion
Multi-sectoral participation from corporates, foundations, government bodies, NGOs, and academia
Focus on innovation and collaboration, showcasing scalable social models and tested, high-impact solutions
Insightful keynotes and panels addressing ground realities and global sustainability goals
Networking opportunities for building strategic partnerships across the social impact ecosystem
Interactive discussions and live examples of how CSR and ESG strategies are shaping India’s development narrative
The Social Impact Awards celebrate and honour individuals, organisations, and initiatives that exemplify commitment, creativity, and measurable change in the field of sustainable development. These awards recognise not only corporate excellence in CSR and ESG but also the contributions of NGOs, social enterprises, innovators, and grassroots changemakers who are transforming lives on the ground.
By spotlighting such exemplary work, the awards inspire replication, encourage accountability, and elevate the visibility of initiatives that often go underrepresented. They serve as benchmarks for best practices and catalyse momentum towards a more equitable and sustainable future.
Key Highlights
Recognition of excellence across CSR, ESG, sustainability, social innovation, and grassroots impact
Award categories covering diverse domains, including climate action, education, women's empowerment, livelihoods, and health
Honouring changemakers from both institutional and individual backgrounds, including unsung heroes and emerging leaders
Special Jury and Editorial Choice Awards to spotlight bold, underrepresented, or innovative initiatives
Encouraging replicable best practices and impact models for wider adoption across sectors
Uplifting voices from the grassroots to the national stage, validating contributions to sustainable development
Celebratory award ceremony that blends recognition with inspiration and community spirit
Previous Partners
TheCSRUniverse will have a multi-stage process to pick the best social projects.
Nominations by corporates, not-for-profits (NGOs/Foundations), individuals and TheCSRUniverse editorial
Scrutiny of entries by an internal expert panel (To ensure the entries forwarded to the next stage has all necessary basic details)
Eligible entries will be judged by a jury panel comprising CSR veterans, Top NGO/CSR leaders, renowned academicians, and CSR Policy enablers. The jury panel will be announced soon.
Project Concept & Design
Innovation
Execution Strategy
Community participation
Impact
Project Scalability/Project Sustainability
The SICA'26 Awards recognize outstanding achievements across various areas of climate action and sustainability, celebrating innovation, leadership, and impact. Categories include:
