Kolkata, October 15, 2025: For the first time, the Eastern Region of the Rotary Club is hosting the prestigious Rotary CSR Awards, an initiative to honour corporates that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to social responsibility and community development. The jury meet, held on October 8, 2025 at The Saturday Club, brought together an eminent panel of experts from government, academia, and social development sectors to evaluate the nominees. Each application was assessed transparently and on merit, within its respective category, to ensure fairness and equal recognition across large enterprises, MSMEs, and startups.
The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 23, 2025 at Hyatt Regency, Kolkata, bringing together corporate leaders, CSR professionals, development experts, and senior Rotary members on one platform. The event aims to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and celebrate the spirit of social impact.
Eminent singer Usha Uthup, one of the distinguished jury members, expressed her appreciation for the initiative, saying, “What impresses me the most is that corporates are coming forward and engaging more deeply in CSR activities. It’s heartening to see the positive work being done and the meaningful change it is creating.”
Highlighting the purpose and process of the awards, District Governor 2025-2026 Dr. Ramanendu Homchaudhari noted,“This initiative has enabled corporate houses and the Rotary Club to liaise effectively, fostering optimism that it will lead to even greater social impact in the future.”
Reinforcing the significance of recognizing structured social responsibility efforts, Dr. Kunal Sarkar added, “There are many awards we are familiar with, but very few that acknowledge CSR activities in such a methodical and impactful manner. Healthcare, innovation, education, and environment — these are critical areas where change truly begins.”
Ravi Sehgal, chairman of the Rotary CSR Awards 2025, highlighted the significant role of small and medium-sized enterprises in driving impactful initiatives. He noted that these businesses are implementing effective projects on a smaller scale, yet reaching a wide range of beneficiaries, particularly among tribal communities, rural populations, and underserved sections of society. Key focus areas include water and sanitation, education and literacy, and healthcare, demonstrating how even smaller organizations can create meaningful, far-reaching social impact.
Debasis Sen, chairman of the jury, lauded the pioneering use of AI by major companies to teach English, describing it as a remarkable effort in harnessing technology to create real-world learning opportunities.
With evaluation criteria spanning community need, execution, stakeholder involvement, innovation, impact, and sustainability, the Rotary CSR Awards aim to become a benchmark for excellence and inspiration in corporate social responsibility across Eastern India. There have been around 100 entries, including prominent names such as Emami Paper Mills, Emami Ltd, Jindal Steel, ITC Ltd, Vedanta Ltd, Tata AIA, and Graphite India Ltd., out of which over 24 companies will be felicitated.
