India Inc’s CSR now includes cow service and upkeep

As per the Companies Act 2013, firms with net worth of Rs 500 crore, turnover of Rs 1,000 crore or net profit of Rs 5 crore need to spend at least 2% of average net profit for the preceding three financial years on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. With the rising importance being given to cows in the country, India Inc has found a new way to fulfil its CSR.

"We are interested in any kind of gau seva. Our primary objective is to save the cows from butchers and slaughter houses," aid Vinit Agrawal told ET. Agrawal is the MD of Delwis Healthcare, the company that is said to protect the highest number of cows under one roof at Anandvan Pathmeda, a gaushala home to 122,000 cows.

However, Agrawal’s love for cows is not new. He had included gaushala maintenance as part of the company's CSR mandate when he had founded the pharmaceutical company six years ago.

Delwis is not alone in this race for maximum ‘gau seva,’ given that at least half a dozen companies, including Tata Power, Fullerton India Credit Co. and Alembic Pharmaceuticals willingly spend a portion of their CSR budget on maintaining cow shelters.

Other than cow protection, it also provides livelihood support to rural population engaged in cattle welfare.

Along with maintaining cow shelters, companies also organise medical camps for cattle, providing replicable models for establishing fodder supply centres, constructing drinking waterlines for cattle troughs, constructing overhead tanks for cattle, weighbridges and fodder storage yards.

(Image source Topsy)