New Delhi: HCL Foundation (HCLF) organized a high-level symposium in the national capital to drive awareness around HCLTech Grant Edition IX, bringing together NGOs, civil society organizations, and social impact start-ups.
Aligned with G20 Presidency of India 2023, the symposium was themed “India’s G20 Presidency – What it Means for Rural Development”, highlighting the intersection of global collaboration and grassroots transformation.
Driving Dialogue on CSR and Nation-Building
The New Delhi event marked the eighth in a nationwide series of symposiums conducted by HCL Foundation across cities including Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Guwahati, and Raipur.
The platform enabled stakeholders to engage in discussions around the evolving role of CSR in nation-building, particularly in rural India.
The session opened with a welcome address by Sudhir Mahajan of the National Cooperative Union of India, followed by a keynote from Raj Walia, Executive Vice President at HCLTech.
Multi-Stakeholder Perspectives on Rural Development
A panel discussion brought together experts from healthcare, policy, skilling, and governance, including representatives from:
- Lok Nayak Hospital
- Skill Council for Persons with Disability
- Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
- National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
The symposium also featured a masterclass on CSR regulations and amendments led by Nikhil Pant and Bhomik Shah, Founder & CEO of CSRBOX.
HCLTech Grant: Scaling Grassroots Impact
The symposium series is designed to deepen awareness about the HCLTech Grant, one of India’s most prominent institutional CSR grant platforms focused on rural development.
Key highlights of the grant framework:
- ₹5 crore each awarded to three winners annually across Education, Health, and Environment for four-year projects
- ₹25 lakh each for two additional finalists per category for one-year projects
- ₹16.5 crore total outlay for the ninth edition
In 2022, winning organizations included:
- Planatearth
- Innovators in Health India
- Meghshala Trust
Track Record of Impact
Since its inception in 2016, the HCLTech Grant has demonstrated significant scale and reach:
- ₹130+ crore committed to NGOs
- 1.8 million+ beneficiaries reached
- 25,000+ villages impacted across 22 states and 2 union territories
- Partnerships with 49 NGOs, including:
- 21 organizations receiving ₹5 crore grants
- 28 organizations receiving ₹25 lakh grants
The programme has also witnessed strong participation, with 49,450+ registrations and 8,630+ applications to date.
