Sundar (founder and first executive director of Sampradaan Indian Centre for Philanthropy, India) describes the history and current practices of corporate social responsibility (＂a catch-all
term to indicate business-community social engagement for mutual benefit＂) in India from the beginnings of Indian industry to the present. She describes four significant periods of
business-community engagement: 1850-1914, when there was a shift from merchant charity towards the more Western form of philanthropy; 1914-1960, when there was a maturing of philanthropic
practice, with businesses contributing to nationalist political, educational, and cultural causes; 1960-1990 in which business constraints and government social programs initially led to a
decline in business philanthropy, although true corporate philanthropy first began to emerge in the 1970s; and the 1990s onwards, when economic liberalization increased business ability to
give, as well as public and government expectations of business, and which saw a shift away from traditional philanthropy towards more direct engagement with development concerns and
disadvantaged groups. Following this discussion of history, she examines current practices and ongoing challenges. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
