Times Are ‘Changin’: Government & Corporate Foundations Align for Impact
India’s CSR landscape is entering a decisive new chapter.
At the National CSR Summit 2026, convened by the Times Foundation, leaders from government, corporate India, and civil society gathered to align strategy, policy, and investment for measurable social impact.
Among those present was Ms. Snigdha Verma, Co-Chair of WHIS India - ****CEO, Peepal Tree, Global Peepal Policy League, representing the growing influence of the World Health Innovation Summit (WHIS) within India’s health and CSR ecosystem.
Collective Responsibility: A National Imperative
The Summit brought together senior leadership across ministries and sectors, including:
- Smriti Zubin Irani – advocating for the inclusion of women as central to a Viksit Bharat
- Bharati Pravin Pawar – emphasizing the need to strengthen healthcare through CSR
- Sarbananda Sonowal – highlighting equitable development, particularly in the North-East
- PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry leadership – reinforcing structured CSR planning and accountability The message was clear: CSR must move beyond compliance to become transformational.
Health at the Core of CSR Strategy
Healthcare emerged as a critical pillar aligned directly with WHIS’s mission of advancing prevention, precision health, and community wellbeing.
With rising non-communicable diseases, growing rural health gaps, and increasing demand for equitable access, CSR investment in health is no longer optional — it is strategic.
Ms. Verma’s presence at the Summit signals WHIS India’s commitment to:
- Driving prevention-focused health models
- Strengthening grassroots impact
- Supporting women’s leadership in health innovation
- Encouraging measurable outcomes over fragmented funding
Women Leading the Change
A central theme of the Summit was the inclusion of women in shaping India’s development trajectory.
This aligns closely with WHIS’s global commitment to inclusive leadership and equitable health ecosystems. India’s progress toward a developed nation — Viksit Bharat — will depend on empowered female leaders across policy, corporate governance, and health innovation.
From Compliance to Collaboration
The Summit emphasized:
- Equitable distribution of CSR funds
- Heritage and development alignment
- Rural inclusion
- Technology-enabled access
- Youth and skill development These themes resonate with WHIS’s expanding global work across cities, governments, investors, and innovators.
WHIS India: Building the Next Chapter
As India strengthens the bridge between public policy and private capital, WHIS India stands ready to:
- Convene cross-sector health roundtables
- Support CSR-aligned health innovation
- Enable measurable community health impact
- Position India as a global leader in prevention and sustainable health investment The alignment between Government leadership and corporate foundations marks a pivotal moment.
Times are indeed ‘Changin’ — and WHIS India is part of that change.