Wayanad’s CSR experiment: Minister Siddique takes hill district’s needs to Corporate India

In a first, Kerala’s Wayanad district has launched a CSR exchange, bringing together government departments, companies, CSR foundations, NGOs, academic institutions, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, volunteers and communities.

The exchange will list development projects Wayanad needs but that are aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals on its BHOOMI portal and reach out to corporate houses and CSR foundations for funding.

Kalpetta MLA and Agriculture Minister T Siddique, who is driving the initiative, said the idea grew out of his efforts to raise around Rs 20 crore for higher education students affected by the Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslide.

But the initiative comes against the backdrop of Kerala receiving only about 1% of India’s CSR spending. If BHOOMI can bring more CSR funding into Wayanad, could CSR-starved Kerala replicate the model across the state?