Hyderabad, May 17: The Council for Green Revolution (CGR), a Hyderabad-based environmental non-profit, has achieved a milestone by becoming India’s first environmental NGO to float an issue on the National Stock Exchange (NSE)’s Social Stock Exchange (SSE).

The issue, valued at ₹85 lakh, will support Phase 2 of CGR’s flagship initiative, the Young Earth Leadership Program (YELP-2)—an environmental education and action program aimed at empowering students to lead sustainable change in their communities.

Speaking to PTI, G. Narayan Rao, CEO of CGR, shared that their organisation is the 14th NGO in the country to be listed on the SSE, after undergoing a stringent eligibility and verification process.

“Although the SSE was introduced in 2019, only around 100 of India’s 33 lakh registered NGOs have qualified for registration so far,” said Rao, a former Chairman and Managing Director of Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (a CPSU under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment).

Rao further explained that even after SSE registration, NGOs must clear several regulatory protocols before being listed on the NSE or BSE.

The first NGO to list on the SSE was Bengaluru-based SGBS Unnati Foundation, which raised close to ₹2 crore from high net-worth individuals (HNIs) in December 2022.

CGR’s issue opened on May 7 and will close on May 27, using a novel SEBI-approved financial instrument called Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) bonds.

“These bonds do not offer interest or principal repayment but qualify for 80G income tax benefits, making them attractive for donors,” Rao said.

Initially treated as pure donations, ZCZP bonds have evolved as a formal mechanism to promote social sector funding, thanks to SEBI’s recommendation for tax incentives to corporate donors.

Funds raised through the ₹85 lakh issue will be channeled into the implementation of YELP-2 across government schools. Planned activities include:

• Planting 16,000 saplings

• Establishing 60 kitchen gardens and compost pits

• Installing 80 water harvesting units

• Setting up 5 dry waste collection centres

• Conducting 30 climate education sessions with experts

• Engaging over 45,000 students as “Earth Leaders”

“We had to jump through numerous hoops to reach this point,” Rao noted. “While it’s a proud moment, the real impact will unfold over time. We’re optimistic that this move will boost our visibility both nationally and internationally.”

Founded on Earth Day in April 2010, the Council for Green Revolution is committed to environmental stewardship, biodiversity conservation, and the promotion of sustainable practices across India.