Linking CSR to Heritage Revival: Legal Options and Constraints
Introduction India’s rich built heritage—palaces, forts, colonial mansions, temples, ghats—is under serious stress from neglect, institutional fragmentation and inadequate funding. As you outline, public-private partnerships (PPPs) and adaptive reuse have emerged as a possible route to reviving this heritage. The question arises: can the government mandate that eligible companies direct their statutory CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) obligations under the Companies Act 2013 towards heritage revival projects? This article examines the statutory CSR regime, constitutional and jurisprudential constraints, and the feasibility of directing CSR funds specifically to heritage preservation. The CSR Regime in India – Statute and Rules Applicability and key features Under section 135(1) of the Companies Act 2013, every company which, in the preceding financial year, satisfies any of the following criteria must comply with CSR obligations: net worth of ₹500 crore or more, or turnover ...