Research brief
CSR in India: where the money goes, FY2015 to FY2025
Indian companies spent ₹34,909 crore on CSR in FY2023-24, about 3.5 times the FY2014-15 figure. Education and health took 55% of it, five states took 43%, and the eight north-eastern states received about 2%. Early private estimates put FY2024-25 near ₹40,800 crore.
Key figures
₹34,909 cr
CSR spent by companies in FY2023-24 (data up to 31 March 2025)
MCA, Lok Sabha reply, August 2025
3.5x
growth in annual CSR spend from FY2014-15 to FY2023-24, about 15% a year (computed)
MCA data
55%
of FY2023-24 CSR went to education and health (computed)
MCA data
42.8%
of FY2023-24 CSR went to five states (computed)
MCA data
2.0%
reached the eight north-eastern states in FY2023-24 (computed)
MCA data
4.7%
reached aspirational districts in FY2022-23 (computed)
Lok Sabha, December 2024
How much do Indian companies spend on CSR?
CSR spend rose from ₹10,065.93 crore in FY2014-15, the first year of mandatory CSR, to ₹34,908.75 crore in FY2023-24, according to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ replies to the Lok Sabha. Official totals keep rising after first release as late filings arrive: FY2022-23 moved from ₹29,988 crore to ₹30,932 crore within a year, so always cite the “data up to” date.
There is no final official figure for FY2024-25 yet. A portal mirror updated in July 2026 shows ₹34,836.92 crore from 29,176 non-PSU companies, before PSU data; a private estimate by Fulcrum puts the year at ₹40,794 crore across 72,233 projects.
| Financial year | CSR spent |
|---|---|
| 2014-15 | ₹10,065.93 crore |
| 2015-16 | ₹14,517.21 crore |
| 2016-17 | ₹14,542.51 crore |
| 2017-18 | ₹17,098.57 crore |
| 2018-19 | ₹20,217.65 crore |
| 2019-20 | ₹24,965.82 crore |
| 2020-21 | ₹26,210.95 crore |
| 2021-22 | ₹27,141.45 crore |
| 2022-23 | ₹30,932.08 crore |
| 2023-24 | ₹34,908.75 crore |
Which causes get CSR money?
Education led with ₹12,134.57 crore in FY2023-24, followed by health at ₹7,150.81 crore. Together they took about 55% of the year’s spend (computed). Environment, rural development and livelihoods each received about ₹2,400 crore.
The pattern is long-standing: about 66% of CSR spent between FY2014-15 and FY2021-22 went to education, health care, rural development and environment, according to a 2024 Lok Sabha reply.
| Sector, FY2023-24 | CSR spent |
|---|---|
| Education | ₹12,134.57 crore |
| Health | ₹7,150.81 crore |
| Environment | ₹2,429.97 crore |
| Rural development | ₹2,408.09 crore |
| Livelihood | ₹2,360.09 crore |
Which states get CSR money?
Maharashtra received ₹6,065.95 crore in FY2023-24, 17.4% of the total. The top five states took 42.8%, and spending recorded as “PAN India” took 19.9% (computed). The eight north-eastern states received ₹713.53 crore, about 2%.
Aspirational districts, the government’s list of the least developed, received ₹1,402.89 crore in FY2022-23, about 4.7% of that year’s spend (computed), and the government told Parliament it has no specific scheme to steer CSR there. Among listed companies, CRISIL found 12% of FY2024 CSR reached aspirational districts. The India Philanthropy Report notes that per-capita CSR skews towards wealthier states.
| State, FY2023-24 | CSR spent |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra | ₹6,065.95 crore |
| Gujarat | ₹2,707.54 crore |
| Karnataka | ₹2,254.88 crore |
| Tamil Nadu | ₹1,968.76 crore |
| Delhi | ₹1,949.95 crore |
| PAN India (no single state) | ₹6,960.21 crore |
Who must spend, and what happens to unspent money?
Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 applies to companies with a net worth of ₹500 crore or more, turnover of ₹1,000 crore or more, or net profit of ₹5 crore or more. They must spend 2% of their average net profit of the previous three years.
Since 22 January 2021, unspent money on an ongoing project must move to an Unspent CSR Account within 30 days of the year’s end and be spent within three financial years; other unspent money goes to a Schedule VII fund within six months. Default is now a civil matter with a penalty of twice the amount, capped at ₹1 crore, and one-tenth of that, up to ₹2 lakh, for officers. Before 2021, prosecution was sanctioned in 366 cases.
What may change in 2026
The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduced on 23 March 2026, would raise the net profit trigger to ₹10 crore, give companies 90 days instead of 30 to move unspent money, and raise the exemption from forming a CSR committee from ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore of obligation. A Joint Parliamentary Committee reported on 3 August 2026, recommending, among other things, a negative list of ineligible entities and a look at CSR in kind. The Bill had not been passed as of 28 October 2026.
What this means: reach is the next frontier
CSR money has grown fast, but it pools in the same causes and the same states. The next decade of Indian CSR will be judged less on how much is spent than on where it reaches: north-eastern states, aspirational districts and the causes that sit outside education and health.
Reach is where volunteers change the arithmetic. A programme that uses trained local volunteers for outreach, delivery and follow-up can work in more districts on the same budget, which is the case Raghu Vamsi Kadiri makes for Volunteer-First CSR. Marpu Foundation runs programmes across 23+ states with 250+ partner companies on this model.
Questions people ask about CSR spending in India
How much do Indian companies spend on CSR?
₹34,908.75 crore in FY2023-24, according to MCA data up to 31 March 2025. Spend has grown about 3.5 times since FY2014-15 (₹10,065.93 crore). There is no final official figure for FY2024-25 yet; a private estimate puts it at ₹40,794 crore.
Which sectors get the most CSR money in India?
Education (₹12,134.57 crore in FY2023-24) and health (₹7,150.81 crore), followed by environment, rural development and livelihoods. Education and health together took about 55% of FY2023-24 spend (computed).
Which states receive the most CSR funds?
Maharashtra (₹6,065.95 crore in FY2023-24), Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi. These five took about 42.8% of the year’s spend (computed), while the eight north-eastern states received about 2%.
Which companies must spend on CSR?
Under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, companies with a net worth of ₹500 crore or more, turnover of ₹1,000 crore or more, or net profit of ₹5 crore or more must spend 2% of their average net profit of the previous three years.
What happens to unspent CSR money?
Unspent money on an ongoing project must move to an Unspent CSR Account within 30 days of the financial year’s end and be spent within three years. Other unspent money goes to a Schedule VII fund within six months. Default carries a penalty of twice the amount, capped at ₹1 crore.
Is the CSR law changing?
The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 proposes a ₹10 crore net profit threshold, 90 days instead of 30 to move unspent money and a higher exemption from forming a CSR committee. A Joint Parliamentary Committee reported on 3 August 2026; the Bill had not been passed as of 28 October 2026.
Sources
- MCA reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1091, 10 February 2025 (via TaxGuru). taxguru.in
- MCA reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 2501, 4 August 2025 (via TaxGuru). taxguru.in
- Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1385, 9 February 2026. eparlib.sansad.in
- Dataful (Factly), CSR spending dataset, updated 15 July 2026. dataful.in
- UNI, India Inc’s spending on CSR hits ₹40,794 crore in FY2024-25, 18 July 2026. www.uniindia.com
- Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 402, 5 February 2024. eparlib.nic.in
- Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3368, 16 December 2024 (aspirational districts). eparlib.sansad.in
- Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 3406, 16 December 2024. eparlib.sansad.in
- CRISIL CSR Yearbook press release, 26 March 2026. www.crisil.com
- Income Tax Department, Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013. www.incometaxindia.gov.in
- Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 1373, 11 December 2023 (prosecutions). eparlib.nic.in
- PRS Legislative Research, The Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. prsindia.org
How to cite this brief
Kadiri, R. V. (2026, October). CSR in India: where the money goes, FY2015 to FY2025 [Research brief]. https://kadiriraghuvamsi.com/research/csr-spending-india/
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