When Khurram Naayaab was in Class 8, a seemingly ordinary summer visit to his family’s ancestral village in Maharashtra left him with a question that would shape his career. He had watched an agricultural labourer work from dawn to dusk and receive ₹20 a day. Coming from a feudal family that owned considerable agricultural land, Khurram asked his father why the worker could not be paid more. His father explained that increasing the wage could upset the prevailing rates among other landlords in the village. For Khurram, however, the explanation revealed what he later understood as a “vicious circle”. The question stayed with him: “I have to do something for these guys, the vulnerable and marginalized community.”
Today, Khurram works with Vedanta Limited as General Manager, CSR, and Head Governance for Vedanta’s CSR arm Anil Agarwal Foundation. His nearly three-decade journey has taken him from grassroots development work and refugee support to micro-entrepreneurship, social auditing and large-scale corporate social responsibility initiatives. Along the way, the question he carried from that village remained central to his work.
Finding His Way into Social Work
Khurram was born and brought up in Delhi. His father wanted him to become a doctor, and he initially pursued science before being unable to clear the medical entrance examinations. He eventually enrolled in Psychology Honours at Jamia Millia Islamia around 1990-91.
While studying psychology, he discovered the Master of Social Work programme and became interested in its focus on poverty, vulnerability and the causes that keep communities trapped in poverty. He applied, cleared the selection process and completed his Master of Social Work in 1996.
His decision was not simply about choosing a career. During his admission interview, when asked why he preferred social work over Human Resource Management, Khurram told the interviewers about the experience that had stayed with him since childhood. He was admitted to the Master of Social Work programme and soon began working in the development sector.
From the Ground to Larger Systems
Khurram’s first job after completing his Master of Social Work, was with a development project in Noida focused on family welfare. As a young professional, he conducted training sessions for factory workers on healthy families and family planning methods. Initially, some workers questioned what someone so young could teach them.
The experience taught him an important lesson about community engagement. “Basically, what I have learned is that the more time you spend with the community, sit with them, share a cup of tea, and visit or stay in their homes in the villages, the stronger the rapport you build. It is only then that you begin to feel welcomed and accepted by the community, and that is when the work truly becomes successful.”
He later worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, supporting Afghan refugees in India with issues involving their families, children’s education and work visas. The experience exposed him to the human consequences of conflict and geopolitics.
At the Confederation of Indian Industry, he worked with micro-entrepreneurs who received loans of ₹50,000 to start businesses. His role involved mentoring them on bookkeeping, working capital, financial planning and accessing further credit. Khurram says he helped create around 400 to 500 micro-entrepreneurs during this period. Some have since grown their businesses substantially and now employ others.
For him, seeing these entrepreneurs grow brought a sense of fulfilment. “At the moment at the moment, “They have employed people like me. Today, they are generating turnovers of ₹10 crore₹15 crore , and ₹20 crore
He subsequently worked with Partners in Change, gaining experience in CSR, labour laws, stakeholder mapping and IFC performance standards. His expertise in social auditing eventually led to an opportunity with Cairn Oil & Gas.
Scaling Impact in Barmer
In December 2010, Khurram joined the CSR team of Cairn Oil & Gas in Barmer, Rajasthan, which later became part of Vedanta. His work in Barmer gave him the opportunity to move from smaller development projects to programmes operating at a much larger scale.
One of the major areas of work was natural resource management. The team worked with around 10,000 farmers on water resource management, helping farmers increase their income and improve access to water. Community ponds were recharged, wells that had dried up began holding water, and traditional structures such as khadins were used to retain rainwater. According to Khurram, farmers who earlier managed one crop began taking two or three crops.
Barmer also became personally significant to him. When he first arrived there, he felt disappointed by the harsh landscape and desert conditions. But a colleague told him that although he might want to leave when he arrived, he would not want to leave when the time came. Years later, when Khurram was transferred back to Delhi in 2015, he says he literally cried because he did not want to leave the community he had grown close to.
From Philanthropy to Structured CSR
Khurram has also witnessed the transformation of CSR in India. He was part of the committee involved in developing the National Voluntary Guidelines in 2009, after which work on the CSR framework began, eventually leading to the CSR provisions introduced in 2013.
In conversation with The Logical Indian, he recalled that corporate social work was earlier often philanthropic and ad hoc, including activities such as building community facilities or supporting local causes. The introduction of the CSR law brought greater structure, with dedicated CSR budgets, professionals and programmes.
Over time, companies also began working beyond their operational areas, including in aspirational districts and blocks. Yet Khurram believes CSR remains concentrated around a handful of themes such as education, healthcare, sanitation, nutrition, women’s empowerment and skill development.
Building Nand Ghar
Among the initiatives closest to Khurram is Project Nand Ghar, which he describes himself as a founding member of. The idea emerged after research into women and child development showed an opportunity to focus on preschool education and maternal and child development.
The initiative sought to improve Anganwadi centres, many of which Khurram says had structural problems. Nand Ghars were designed as improved spaces for children, incorporating features such as BaLAla paintings, where walls are used as learning aids. The programme also includes teacher training, children’s nutrition and health support, women’s skill development and mobile health vans.
According to the figures shared by Khurram during the interview, more than 15,000 Nand Ghars have been created across 17 states, reaching around 600,000 children and 450,000 women. He also said the initiative’s approach has informed a significant portion of the guidelines under Saksham Anganwadi which is a government initiative.
He now wants other corporates to adopt and replicate the model, offering the blueprint and support needed to work on Anganwadi infrastructure in their operational areas.
Looking Ahead: CSR, ESG and AI
Khurram sees CSR gradually moving towards sustainability and ESG. He describes CSR as part of the broader social component of ESG and believes companies will increasingly have to consider environmental and social outcomes alongside business objectives. He also sees carbon credits and sustainability-linked models becoming increasingly important.
He sees AI as another major change for the sector. AI can help professionals quickly research global best practices and develop concept papers that previously required extensive manual research. But he also cautions that technology has its own environmental costs, including water use in AI systems.
For Khurram, development itself involves trade-offs that need to be examined carefully. Whether discussing AI or electric vehicles, he believes environmental consequences must be considered alongside technological progress.
A Message to the Next Generation
Khurram’s advice to young professionals is straightforward: keep learning, gain grassroots experience and understand communities before moving into corporate CSR and keep a hobby.
Beyond his professional commitments, Khurram is an avid runner and has completed numerous half marathons. He believes that marathon running cultivates qualities that are equally valuable in professional and personal life. As he puts it,“Marathon running gives focus, discipline and perseverance.” The sport has reinforced his belief that meaningful impact, much like a long-distance race, requires consistency, resilience and commitment over time.
“Never stop learning. So, that is the key,” he says. He believes young professionals should first work in the development sector and understand poverty and community realities before moving into corporate roles.
His own career reflects that approach. The lessons he learnt in villages, refugee communities and among small entrepreneurs continue to shape the way he approaches large-scale CSR programmes.
Looking ahead, Khurram wants more Indian corporates to adopt Nand Ghar and hopes the model receives wider policy-level attention. He also wants to continue working on women and child development beyond his corporate career, whether through the project itself or through consultancy.
And even as he speaks about sustainability, he tries to practise it personally. He says he chooses the Delhi Metro over his car despite owning one, believing that individual choices matter too.
For Khurram Naayaab, the journey from that ₹20 wage question to large-scale CSR has ultimately been about one consistent idea: understanding people’s realities first, and then finding ways to create change at scale.
The Logical Indian Perspective
Khurram Naayaab’s experience shows that meaningful social impact can go beyond providing financial assistance. By supporting micro-entrepreneurs with loans, mentorship and guidance on managing their businesses, development initiatives can help people build sustainable livelihoods and create employment for others.
The fact that some of the entrepreneurs he worked with have gone on to build businesses with turnovers running into ₹10 crore, ₹15 crore and ₹20 crore reflects the potential of long-term community-focused interventions. For The Logical Indian, this is an important reminder that development is not only about immediate support, but also about creating opportunities that enable people to become economically independent and contribute to their communities.
What does it take to turn grassroots experiences into lasting social impact?
If you’d like us to feature your story, please write to us at csr@5w1h.media
