For organisers outside India
International keynotes
Raghu Vamsi Kadiri speaks to international audiences on India’s CSR law, volunteer-led development and youth leadership, online across time zones or in person. He brings a ground-level view of how India’s mandatory CSR system, one of the first in the world, works in practice.
Why audiences abroad invite him
India’s CSR law, from the inside
India’s Companies Act has required qualifying companies to spend on CSR since 2014, and the rules have tightened since. Raghu works inside that system every day, through 250+ partner companies, and can explain what it gets right and where it struggles.
Volunteers at national scale
Marpu Foundation reports a community of more than a million volunteers across 23+ states, built without foreign funding. That is a useful case for anyone designing volunteering programmes.
A Global South youth voice
He registered a nonprofit at 18. He is a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum’s Hyderabad Hub, selected for the American Express Leadership Academy, and has travelled across all seven continents: with the United Nations in Laos, on the WYSE International Leadership Programme in Italy and on an expedition to Antarctica. See his journeys.
Research behind the talk
His working paper on Volunteer-First CSR and SDG localisation is on SSRN, with a DOI, so audiences can follow up.
Seven continents, one question
Where the international perspective comes from: fellowships, programmes and solo travel across all seven continents.
- Asia and Oceania. the Himalayas, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand Himalayan villages, the United Nations in Laos, where the country keeps an eighteenth goal of its own, and long stretches across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
- Europe and Africa. the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Namibia, Nigeria, Mauritius and W. Sahara An international leadership programme in Italy, journeys through Europe, and Africa from the Namib to Mauritius.
- The Americas and Antarctica. the United States, Canada, Greenland, Brazil and Antarctica North and South America, the ice of Greenland, and the seventh continent, where climate change stops being abstract.
Talks for international audiences
What the world can learn from India’s mandatory CSR
A decade of mandated CSR: the results, the side effects, and what other countries considering a mandate should copy or avoid.
Volunteer-First CSR for global volunteering programmes
How multinationals can turn employee volunteering from a yearly event into part of how programmes are delivered, with lessons from Indian teams.
Youth-led development in the Global South
What young people can build when institutions give them structure instead of slogans.
Localising the SDGs with volunteers
Turning the 17 goals into district-level work that communities own, with evidence from India.
Running a nonprofit without foreign funding
How Marpu built a national footprint on domestic CSR, donations and volunteer time, and what that means for independence.
Time zones for virtual sessions
India runs on IST (UTC+5:30) all year, with no daylight saving.
| When it is 9:00 a.m. in | It is this time in India |
|---|---|
| London (GMT, winter) | 2:30 p.m. |
| London (BST, summer) | 1:30 p.m. |
| Berlin or Paris (CET, winter) | 1:30 p.m. |
| Nairobi (EAT) | 11:30 a.m. |
| Dubai (GST) | 10:30 a.m. |
| Singapore (SGT) | 6:30 a.m. |
| Sydney (AEST, winter) | 4:30 a.m. |
| New York (EST, winter) | 7:30 p.m. |
| New York (EDT, summer) | 6:30 p.m. |
| San Francisco (PST, winter) | 10:30 p.m. |
Travelling to you
- Share the date early. Some countries need a visa, and a formal invitation letter from the organiser speeds that up.
- For long-haul events, arriving a day early keeps the talk sharp.
- Travel, stay and the fee are agreed in writing before anything is announced.
- If the budget does not stretch to travel, a live virtual keynote, with a local host on stage, works well.
Good to know
Can Raghu speak at our conference outside India?
Yes. He speaks in person abroad and online. Share the date early: some countries need a visa, and an invitation letter from the organiser helps.
Does he give virtual keynotes across time zones?
Yes. Morning sessions in Europe and Africa fall in India’s afternoon, and morning sessions in North America fall in India’s evening, which works well.
Can he brief our board on India’s CSR law?
Yes. If your company has an Indian subsidiary, or a branch or project office in India, the CSR rules may apply to it. Raghu can explain how the law works in practice and what strong programmes look like; formal legal advice should come from your counsel. See advisory.
Which languages does he present in abroad?
English. For Indian diaspora audiences, sessions can include Telugu or Hindi.
How are fees quoted?
In US dollars, or in your currency on request, along with travel and stay where the event is in person.
India runs one of the world’s first mandatory CSR systems, and most audiences abroad have only read about it. I can show them how it works on the ground, and what volunteers add to it.
Tell me the date, the time zone, the audience and the format.
Raghu