Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 23 : Iconic singer Usha Uthup hailed Rotary's CSR Awards 2025 as a "fantastic initiative" that will inspire more corporates to give back to society.
The awards, hosted by Rotary in Kolkata, recognised outstanding corporate contributions toward social development and community upliftment.
"I think it's a fantastic initiative taken by Rotary India and the National CSR Awards Eastern Region. This will give inspiration to other people and corporates to give back to society what they've taken. There's nothing as powerful as an organisation like Rotary, because they're not limited to one area -- they work across all sectors and even beyond the borders of India," Uthup said while speaking at the event.
The jury panel had convened on October 8 to evaluate entries and identify the most impactful CSR initiatives across sectors.
The awards covered key categories including Environment Protection, Community and Economic Development, Education and Literacy, Healthcare, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). Special recognitions were also presented for Innovation, Women Empowerment, and Community Engagement, underscoring Rotary's commitment to inclusive and sustainable development.
Entries were received from several leading organisations, including Emami Paper Mills, Emami Ltd., Jindal Steel, ITC Ltd., Vedanta Ltd., Tata AIA, Graphite India Ltd., and Coal Mines Associated Traders Pvt. Ltd., reflecting the growing alignment of corporate India with sustainable and inclusive growth goals, according to a release.
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, it added.
Actor Rituparna Sengupta, who also served on the jury, lauded the effort.
"This is something very important. When people join together and make efforts to support the community and the cause, it creates a bigger movement. The CSR activities and the awards have been noble and inspiring. I urge everyone to be part of such causes so that we can give people a better tomorrow."
She further underlined the importance of women's empowerment and education. "Women's literacy is necessary so that women can empower other women," she added.
Flt. Lt. Rtn KP Nagesh, Director, Rotary International, described the initiative as more than an awards platform. "The Rotary CSR Awards is not merely a recognition platform--it's a movement to integrate purpose with profit and inspire organisations to embed social good at the heart of their business," he said.