By Ujjwal Roy
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 24 : The Rotary India National CSR Awards Eastern Region 2025, held on Wednesday, October 23, celebrated not only corporate excellence but also strong messages of social change and women's empowerment.
The event was held in Kolkata to honour companies for their impactful work in environmental protection, healthcare, education, and community development.
Padma Bhushan awardee and celebrated singer Usha Uthup praised the initiative, calling it "an amazing effort" by Rotary India to inspire others to "give back to society". Speaking passionately about equality and shared responsibility, she said every "woman's issue should also be a man's."
"It's an amazing initiative taken by Rotary India and National CSR Awards Eastern Region. This whole thing will give inspiration to other people and other corporations to give back to society what they've taken. There's nothing as powerful as an organisation or an institution like Rotary because they're not just in one area, they're in all sorts of areas and not just within the borders of India, but outside the borders of India as well...," Usha Uthup told ANI.
"Every woman's issue is a man's issue. Security, safety, and justice have to be handled by men and women. It's not just one person... I feel very sad about things that have happened. We all have to get together. We have to fight it instead of blaming everybody else. We have to get together, citizens together have to get together and do something...," Usha added.
Actress Rituparna Sengupta, who was part of the jury, also shared her thoughts on the importance of collective action and women's literacy. Calling the initiative "very important", she said that joining hands for good causes creates a larger impact.
"This is something very important, and when people join together and make the best efforts to support the community and the cause, that makes a bigger movement. This CSR activity, which has been done, and the awards which have gone to the people have been very noble and kind to contribute and believe in the cause," Sengupta told ANI.
"I also believe in the cause, and hence I'm here. I should pledge everyone to be a part of the causes so that we can give some people a better tomorrow... Women's empowerment is very much necessary. Literacy of women is very necessary so that women can empower women," she added.
Among the winners were L&T Finance Ltd., Emami Paper Mills Ltd., Jindal Steel Ltd., Patton International Ltd., CESC Ltd., ITC Ltd., and Eastern Coalfields Ltd., recognised for their outstanding contributions to corporate social responsibility and measurable community impact.