Mumbai,Feb 26 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has urged corporations to channel Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds toward the holistic development of tribal areas. Speaking at the conference ‘CSR for Change: Accelerating Scheduled Tribes Development through CSR Partnership’ at Sahyadri Guest House, he emphasized the need for education, healthcare, and skill development to integrate tribal communities into the mainstream. The event saw participation from 82 companies, including PSUs, banks, and major corporate entities like TCS and Tata Sons.

Jointly organized by UNDP and the State Tribal Development Department (TDD), the conference witnessed over 20 companies expressing immediate interest in supporting initiatives related to livelihoods, education, and skill training in tribal areas. Under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, businesses are mandated to allocate 2% of their net profits to CSR activities, including education, healthcare, environmental sustainability, and rural development. Mr. Fadnavis reiterated the government’s commitment to tribal welfare, urging companies to extend CSR efforts beyond metropolitan areas like Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and focus on balanced development across the state.

Maharashtra has India’s second-largest Scheduled Tribe population, with 9.5% of its total population belonging to tribal communities. Vijay Waghmare, Secretary of TDD, highlighted that corporate interest has been particularly strong in tribal regions such as Palghar, Nandurbar, Dhule, Raigad, Chandrapur, and Nagpur. “We have received an overwhelming response, with companies eager to collaborate on projects enhancing tribal livelihoods, education, and skill development,” he stated.