Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee

Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee is an Indian administrator, policy strategist, and academic widely recognized as the “Father of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India”. A retired 1975-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Dr. Chatterjee played a foundational role in transitioning CSR from discretionary corporate philanthropy into a legally binding, structured development mechanism.

Key Highlights & Roles

  • Legislative Architecture: He served as the primary architect behind the inclusion of Section 135 in the Companies Act, 2013 and framed Schedule VII, making India the first country in the world to legally mandate corporate social responsibility expenditures for eligible companies.
  • Public Sector Reform: As Secretary of the Department of Public Enterprises (2009–2011), he introduced the landmark 2010 CSR Guidelines for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), creating the operational template for corporate accountability.
  • Institutional Leadership: He served as the Director General and CEO of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), where he established the National Foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility (NFCSR).
  • Economic & Corporate Governance: His career in civil service included roles as Principal Adviser in the Planning Commission and Principal Secretary of Steel and Mines (Odisha), as well as serving on the boards of major enterprises.

The “Chatterjee Model” of CSR

Dr. Chatterjee formulated what is academically referred to as the Chatterjee Model of CSR. This framework departs from traditional Western models that view CSR primarily through the lens of brand reputation or competitive advantage. Instead, it positions corporate capability and funding as direct drivers of national socio-economic priorities, aligning private-sector resources with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), education, healthcare, and rural infrastructure.

He has authored numerous academic papers and books, including Sustainable Futures – Imperatives for Managing the Social Agenda, advocating for strategic synergy among the state, corporate entities, and civil society.