Muddenahalli, Karnataka, November 13, 2025 Under the vast, spiritual canopy of Sathya Sai Grama, the One World One Family World Cultural Festival resounded with messages of unity, service, and leadership in its final fortnight.
The festival, which began on August 16 and continues until November 23, honours the centenary celebration of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, blending cultural performances, humanitarian showcases, and global effervescence.
In this vibrant backdrop, the CSR Circle of Honour 2025 spotlighted an exceptional group of corporate leaders and organizations driving transformative change across India’s social fabric.
From advancing digital skills in marginalised communities to strengthening healthcare infrastructure and eradicating child hunger, these torchbearers exemplify a new era of compassion-driven commerce one where business success walks hand-in-hand with societal well-being.
A Global Festival for Human Values
The grand One World One Family World Cultural Festival serves as more than just a convergence of cultures; it stands as a reminder of the deep interconnectedness that binds humanity. Drawing participants from over 100 countries, the festival fosters an environment where art, spirituality, and service align seamlessly.
Through workshops, exhibitions, and volunteer-led initiatives, the event offers a living example of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam the ancient Indian thought that “the world is one family.”
This year’s celebration, dedicated to the 100th birth anniversary of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, saw global delegations share their contributions to education, healthcare, and sustainable living. Amidst this atmosphere of togetherness, the CSR Circle of Honour 2025 provided an essential platform to recognize organizations translating these values into tangible community outcomes.
Recognizing Changemakers in Action
The Circle of Honour brought together CSR and ESG champions whose efforts bridge corporate innovation and humanitarian empathy brands and leaders using their institutional strengths for collective good.
- Kishore Kumar Thangavelu of Microsoft was honoured for his work in technology-enabled education. Through Microsoft’s community partnerships, his efforts equip young learners with digital tools and literacy skills, opening pathways to the future workforce. These initiatives are especially impactful in India’s semi-urban and rural belts, where access to quality digital learning remains uneven.
- Subhash Chandra Rai, Senior Lead CSR at the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), was recognized for programs that expand healthcare access in underserved areas. Leveraging NPCI’s nationwide reach, his team channels resources toward medical camps, telemedicine facilities, and rural health awareness campaigns that align public need with corporate capacity.
- From Cipla Foundation, Dr. Prakash Fernandez (Head of National Palliative Care) and Dr. Dhanashree Pradhan (Operations) received honours for their medical outreach and palliative missions. Their teams ensure lifesaving equipment and compassionate care reach the remotest corners, embodying Cipla’s humane philosophy that “none shall be denied.”
- Aparna Pandey, CSR Strategist at Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), was lauded for improving grassroot healthcare infrastructure strengthening primary centers and ensuring clean energy access to rural hospitals.
- Deepak Das, Director at Grant Thornton Indus Pvt Ltd, earned recognition for his contributions in education through the Each One Educate One Foundation, pushing for equitable learning and inclusive classrooms that sustain long-term social transformation.
- Nalini Padmanabhan, Director at Canara Bank, has guided hospital equipment projects that reinforce India’s public health backbone. Her leadership ensures that CSR grants translate into functioning infrastructure rather than symbolic donations.
- Soumya Ningappa (Soumya KM), CSR and ESG Leader at Kempegowda International Airport Foundation, received accolades for a partnership with the Sri Sathya Sai Annapoorna Trust that combats child hunger. Their initiatives deliver balanced meals daily to thousands of schoolchildren across Karnataka, nurturing futures of health and dignity.
- From Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery, Muralidhar Rao (Head of HR) and Yashoda (Senior Manager – Field Administration) were celebrated for livelihood generation and welfare programs that tie industrial skill development with local empowerment.
Compassion as the Guiding Principle of Commerce
Delivering the festival’s keynote message, Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, founder of the One World One Family Mission, observed, “True corporate responsibility is born when compassion becomes the guiding principle of commerce. When enterprises see themselves as custodians of society’s well-being, their actions sow the seeds of a sustainable, harmonious future.”
His message struck a deep chord reminding the gathering that CSR is far more than compliance; it is India’s centuries-old dharmic tradition in modern form. The Circle of Honour, therefore, is not merely an award it is a reaffirmation that social leadership thrives where empathy aligns with enterprise.
Corporates Setting New Benchmarks
Beyond individual honourees, several organizations received collective praise for their long-term commitment to sustainability and equitable growth. The respected cohort included Uniq Group of Companies, Rotary International Bangalore, Volvo Group India Pvt Ltd, Epson India Pvt Ltd, Cipla Foundation, Philips India, Give Foundation, The Hans Foundation, Cisco Systems Inc, Persistent Systems, Analog Devices, Xerox, FANUC India Pvt Ltd, Oracle Corporation, Lloyds Technology Centre India, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), ABB Group, and Sasken Technologies India.
Their programs ranging from workplace inclusion and digital equity to environmental conservation reflect how multi-sector partnerships can multiply social outcomes. Through years of consistent support, these organizations have ingrained social accountability into their strategic vision rather than treating it as an ancillary activity.
Enterprise for Equity: CSR as Shared Mission
Across discussions and citations at the event, one thread was common CSR has evolved from isolated philanthropy to collaborative social entrepreneurship. Leaders now view their companies as nodes in an ecosystem of well-being, where every contribution technological, financial, or human advances a shared mission of global equity.
More than 2,000 delegates, including corporate CSR heads, development foundation representatives, and youth volunteers, deliberated on actionable partnerships for SDG-linked goals in education, water, livelihood, and health. Their dialogue underscored one fact: purpose-driven CSR has the capacity to bridge societal divides faster than public spending alone.
The festival atmosphere amplified this spirit of participation. Musical tributes, cultural showcases, and youth volunteer projects reflected the living essence of “One World, One Family.” Every performance or panel carried the same heartbeat service as the truest expression of humanity.
The Indian Perspective
For India, CSR has never been new. Long before it became a legal mandate under the Companies Act 2013, social responsibility flowed naturally through the Indian idea of seva selfless service without expectation of reward. The CSR Circle of Honour 2025 demonstrates how this timeless ethic has adapted to the 21st century’s global realities.
Corporations today operate not only as economic producers but as moral agents of progress. When Indian companies like BPCL, Cipla, or Tata Hitachi extend their influence into education or health, they carry forward a civilizational commitment to shared welfare.
This uniquely Indian model of CSR merges spiritual stewardship with business pragmatism. It acknowledges that the wellbeing of the shareholder is inseparable from the wellbeing of society. Instead of mimicking the Western philanthropy model, India’s corporate social ecosystem thrives on trust-based collaborations partnerships with temples of service such as the Sathya Sai organisations, grassroots NGOs, and local communities that ensure each rupee spent transforms lives directly.
The “One World, One Family” theme thus resonates strongly in the Indian conscience. It mirrors the national vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” aligning localized impact with global connectedness. As climate displacement, digital divides, and urban inequities grow, corporate India’s actions increasingly illustrate that universal harmony begins with local compassion.
In essence, the Circle of Honour 2025 is not only a recognition it is a call. A call to enterprises across the world to build economies rooted in empathy, to innovate with moral intelligence, and to view success through the prism of inclusion. When compassion steers progress, sustainability ceases to be an annual report section; it becomes the daily rhythm of corporate life.
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