Coal India’s CSR journey expands from community welfare to inclusive growth
Coal India has spent ₹7,276 crore on CSR against a statutory requirement of ₹5,795 crore over 12 years, with annual spending now approaching ₹1,000 crore and an estimated 3.56 crore
CIL estimates that its CSR initiatives have touched around 3.56 crore people directly and indirectly, with SC/ST communities, women and persons with disabilities among significant beneficiary groups.
NEW DELHI: Coal India Limited (CIL) has expanded its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme from community welfare around mining areas into a broad-based development framework spanning healthcare, education, livelihoods, skilling, sports, sanitation and social inclusion, according to an official release on Tuesday.
The company and its subsidiaries had been undertaking community development activities even before the Companies Act, 2013 made CSR a statutory requirement. Under the Community Development Policy introduced in 2005, interventions were focused on villages within an 8-km radius of mining operations and included drinking water facilities, health camps and basic infrastructure.
In the three years preceding the Companies Act, CIL’s consolidated community development expenditure rose from ₹82 crore in FY2011-12 to ₹409 crore in FY2013-14.
CSR spending rises steadily
The Companies Act, 2013 and Section 135 provided a formal framework for CSR spending, linking it to companies’ average net profits and Schedule VII priorities.
CIL subsequently developed its own CSR policy, under which at least 80% of annual CSR expenditure is directed towards areas within a 25-km radius of mines and establishments, with priority given to Project Affected Areas. More than 90% of CIL’s CSR expenditure continues to be incurred in coal-bearing States.
From FY2014-15 to FY2025-26, CIL spent ₹7,276 crore on CSR against a statutory requirement of ₹5,795 crore. Annual expenditure has grown from levels closer to ₹500 crore to nearly ₹1,000 crore.
Focus on health and education
CIL’s CSR initiatives have increasingly aligned with national development priorities. The company was the largest CPSE contributor to the Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan, completing more than 50,000 toilets in government schools.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CIL supported relief measures including dedicated hospitals in Odisha and Chhattisgarh and oxygen plants under Mission Praana Vayu. It was also among the early major contributors to the PM-CARES Fund.
Several flagship programmes have expanded the reach of its CSR interventions. The NIRMAN scheme has supported more than 1,300 UPSC aspirants from mining districts, while the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana has enabled more than 1,000 bone marrow transplants.
Through Nanha Sa Dil, more than two lakh children have been screened for congenital heart disease, with over 1,700 children receiving treatment. Scholarship schemes implemented with the Supreme Court of India have reached more than 2,500 children.
CIL has also invested in major healthcare and education infrastructure, including a 500-bed medical college and hospital at Angul and a cardiac care centre at Jharsuguda, together involving ₹596 crore. Digital Vidya has commissioned more than 2,300 smart classrooms and 500 ICT/STEM laboratories in government schools, while a 5,000-seater state library is under construction in Ranchi.
Skilling, livelihoods and sports
CIL’s CSR footprint extends to skill development and livelihood generation. Programmes such as Project PRAGATI, tribal women’s poultry initiatives and plastic engineering and multi-skill training have benefited more than 48,000 people during the last four financial years.
The Khelgaon Sports Academy, operated in partnership with the Government of Jharkhand, has produced more than 1,800 medals, including 15 at the international level.
Other initiatives have extended CIL’s CSR presence to institutions and public landmarks, including the centenary building at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and illumination of Kolkata’s Howrah Bridge.
Focus on inclusion and accountability
CIL estimates that its CSR initiatives have touched around 3.56 crore people directly and indirectly, with SC/ST communities, women and persons with disabilities among significant beneficiary groups.
The programmes also contribute to development goals covering poverty alleviation, health, education, gender equality, and clean water and sanitation.
CIL follows an output-outcome methodology involving Annual Action Plans based on community needs, MoUs with defined deliverables and timelines, milestone-linked fund releases and Utilisation Certificates. Impact Assessment Guidelines provide for third-party evaluation of larger projects, alongside internal, statutory and CAG audit mechanisms.
The CSR framework is also undergoing a wider sectoral transition. On September 8, the Ministry of Coal became the first Union ministry to launch a sector-wide CSR framework, aimed at bringing greater consistency, convergence and accountability to CSR initiatives across coal public sector undertakings.
