Indian Achievers’ Forum in association with CSR Times hosts annual conclave in Goa, CM Sawant calls for greater participation

The occasion was graced by dignitaries including Hon’ble Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, Sadanand Shet Tanavade, Hon’ble Member of Rajya Sabha, Sh. Subhash Uttam Phal Desai, Hon’ble Minister of Social Welfare (Government of Goa), Sh. Sunil Shastri, Chief Patron-Indian Achievers’ Forum, among other distinguished guests including business leaders, CSR professionals, and numerous award winners from across India. CSR Times Awards 2024 Jury Chairman, Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Former Director General and CEO – Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, was also present. Mr. Vijay Saxena, Director – Planning and Joint CEO, Goa CSR Authority, and Dr. M B Gururaj, Principal Advisor, Goa CSR Authority, also marked their presence at the event.

Setting the tone for the summit, Mr. Harish Chandra, Editor, CSR Times, spotlighted the purpose of the occasion: “To harness the potential of CSR across the nation.”

Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, in his address to the vast gathering, said: “I believe this year’s theme, ‘Empowering States Through Sustainable Development,’ resonates deeply with the vision that we have for Goa and indeed for the entire country.”

In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of turning India into the world’s third-largest economy, Goa, in particular, has been leading the way forward, with CSR being the propeller in this direction.

“In Goa, we have embraced CSR as a crucial component of our development strategy. The Goa CSR Authority, which we established with a clear mandate to channel CSR initiatives effectively, has been instrumental in driving various initiatives across the state. From education and healthcare to environmental sustainability and infrastructure development, the Goa CSR Authority has been working relentlessly to ensure that every rupee spent through CSR makes a tangible difference in the lives of our people,” Chief Minister Sawant said, addressing the conglomerate.

Corroborating his statement was Rajya Sabha Member and Goa BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade, who spoke of the immense power that lies in the hands of both corporations and state authorities when they align their goals towards the greater good of society.

“Corporate Social Responsibility is a fundamental pillar of how businesses operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. It is about creating value not only for shareholders but for society at large,” he said.

The event was also graced by Sh. Sadanand Shet Tanawade, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, who emphasized how important CSR is for the states. He outlined, “Corporate Social Responsibility is not just a mandate; it is a commitment to shaping a better future for our communities. By investing in the welfare of society, businesses in Goa can drive sustainable growth and create lasting impact.”

During the course of the event, a panel discussion was also organized on the theme “Empowering States through Sustainable Development.” Dr. Shabnam Asthana, Managing Editor, CSR Times, moderated the panel.

Some of the prominent organizations that won awards for their CSR projects were Vedanta, Grasim Industries, Jindal Steel and Power, Central Coalfields, DLF Foundation, Sir Ness Wadia Foundation, and various others.

A few of the Indian Achievers’ award winners were:

Mr. Amit Kumar Das, Chief Executive Officer, Anjali Export

Bysani Kodanda Harish, Senior Vice President, GenXAI Platform Pvt. Ltd., Jaipur, Rajasthan

Priyanshu Kumar Jain, Software Development Engineer, Productiv Inc.

Abhishek Sharma, IAS District Magistrate Samba, District Administration Samba – eSevak

Mr. Naveesh Garg, CEO-ECS Domain, UNO Minda Limited

Venkata Obula Reddy Puli, SAP Solution Architect

Vimal Sharma, Head of Business Development, Customer Support & Aftersales, BMW Group India

Arnab Bhattacharya, Senior Regional Director, South APAC Region, Marken (A UPS Company)

Sri Bhargav Krishna Adusumilli, Co-Founder, MindQuest Software Solutions Private Limited

Aparna Seksaria, Director, Life Sciences Solutions

Joseph Aaron Tsapa, Vice President, MUFG Bank, Ltd.

Seetharamareddy Mohanareddy Gowda, Analytics Lead/Corporate Financial Systems Advisor

Mrs. Reetu Jain, Co-Founder, Beta Makers Lab Private Limited

Pradeep Raman, Product Leader

Amey Phatale, Continuous Improvement Manager

Manish Ahuja, Co-Founder, Influx Solutions

Arokia Pranesh Kanna, Director, Medical Devices and Healthcare

Kumar Raghvendra, Commercial Director, Veetee Group, UK

Saumil Hukerikar, Senior Software Engineer

Vuthpala Medhams, Vice President of Solutions Engineering (DevOps/SRE)

Manish Reddy Bendhi, Data Engineer

Dr. Sujata Seshadrinathan, Director – IT & Process, Basiz Fund Service Private Limited

Atul Gupta, Salesforce COE Platform & Architecture Leader

Vinay Mallikarjunaradhya, Principal Product Manager

Naveen Chikkanayakanahalli Ramachandrappa, Lead Software Quality Assurance Engineer

Shaik Masood Mohiddin, Head of Services – Cath Lab, Aster Medcity

Swetha Singiri, Data Engineering Manager

Sharique Ali, SAP Techno-Functional Architect

CM Sawant, praising the conduct of the summit, pointed out: “First, it would highlight our CSR work in Goa, which could inspire other states. Second, it would open up doors for you to explore opportunities for expanding your CSR activities in Goa.”

In the vote of thanks, Prashant Das, the Associate Editor of CSR TIMES, acknowledged the contributions of all stakeholders, including the officials of the Goa CSR Authority, the sponsors Bhutani Infra, Canara Bank, Tata Sons, SAIL, RCF, Radico, State Bank of India, and Indian Oil. Das also reiterated CM Sawant’s agreement in principle to organize the next three CSR Summits in Goa.