corporate law
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), Government of India, has launched the National CSR Exchange Portal, available at [https://csrxchange.gov.in], to create an interactive and transparent platform for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) stakeholders. This digital marketplace facilitates connections between corporates and Implementing Agencies (IAs), allowing the latter to showcase their active projects and enabling businesses to identify CSR initiatives aligned with their social impact goals.
The concept for this portal was first recommended by the High-Level Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility in 2018. To guide its development, an Advisory and Technical Committee was constituted, bringing together CSR professionals, technical experts, and civil society organizations. One of the initiatives related to this development was the BSE Sammaan project, which involved the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, the Confederation of Indian Industry, and the Bombay Stock Exchange. Elements from this initiative were incorporated into the current Exchange Portal.
Corporate Social Responsibility in India was institutionalized with the enactment of the Companies Act, 2013, which made it mandatory for qualifying companies to allocate a portion of their profits toward social development.
Historically, Indian businesses have engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly through religious and charitable institutions aimed at poverty alleviation. Over time, these evolved into more organized efforts directed toward education, healthcare, and community development.
Many corporations face challenges in identifying qualified Implementing Agencies for executing CSR projects due to their limited expertise in social development. The National CSR Exchange Portal addresses this issue by acting as a bridge between corporates and implementing partners. It reduces transaction costs, increases visibility for ongoing projects, and facilitates easier selection of relevant initiatives.
The platform also serves NGOs and other IAs looking for CSR funding, enabling them to present their proposals to a wide range of corporate donors. This collaborative model promotes efficiency, transparency, and accountability in CSR spending, ultimately aiming to contribute to national development goals.
Only registered corporates and Implementing Agencies are permitted to join the platform:
The registration process involves verification through OTP, creation of login credentials, and profile completion, which includes uploading essential documents like the CSR policy and providing CSR budget details.
The portal incorporates tools like Request for Proposal (RFP) and Request for Fund (RFF):
These features create a structured mechanism for initiating and responding to CSR opportunities.
Corporates and IAs are required to maintain up-to-date profiles, which include key contact persons, addresses, email IDs, CSR committee members, and previous awards or recognitions. Edits to core information must be routed through the MCA21 portal.
The portal includes functionality to display proximate projects, implementing agencies, and corporates based on the geographic location of the user. This facilitates local collaboration and encourages region-specific development work.
The portal offers robust analytics tools:
These analytics help stakeholders track the scale, scope, and impact of their CSR engagements.
Corporates can use the portal to:
IAs can:
The MCA does not conduct independent verification of the information submitted on the portal. Therefore, corporates are advised to perform due diligence before entering into agreements with IAs. Similarly, IAs must ensure accuracy in their submissions and should be prepared to provide further details when approached by corporates.
The platform includes user authentication via OTP and follows secure login protocols. A dedicated support team can be reached via the MCA helpline at 1800112310 for queries related to registration, navigation, or technical issues.
The National CSR Exchange Portal is a milestone initiative in India’s CSR landscape. It provides a centralized, transparent, and user-friendly digital space for corporates and implementing agencies to collaborate efficiently. With its integrated features for project listing, proposal management, analytics, and proximity-based searches, the portal not only streamlines CSR processes but also maximizes the impact of corporate contributions toward sustainable development across the country.