CSR Activities Snapdeal

By: Eshan Bhatt, Roll No: 19

CSR Initiatives Snapdeal

By: Eshan Bhatt, Roll No: 19

1

INTRODUCTION

The corporate social responsibility at Snapdeal.com a Gurgaon based e-commerce firm run by
Jasper InfoTech Private Limited, is a multi-disciplinary program that seeks to enhance public
contribution by conducting various activities.
With a vision of being socially conscious towards the society and business, Snapdeal has always
displayed the highest Standards of corporate citizenry. The Company believes in a wellstructured corporate social responsibility (CSR) culture apart from following the government
norms
in
the
country.

SNAPDEALS CSR POLICY

The corporate social responsibility is a concept whereby companies integrate social,

environmental and economic concerns in their business operational and in their interaction with
their stakeholders and in particular the communities in which they work.
The Companys corporate social responsibility policy takes account of its economic, social and
environmental impact in the way it operates as a business by demonstrating its commitment to
corporate social responsibility, the company aims to align its business values, purpose and
strategy with the needs of our customers and various other stakeholders, whilst embedding such
reasonable
and
ethical
principles.
Snapdeal CSR policy is broadly framed taking into account the following measures:1. Welfare measures for the community at large, so as to ensure the poorer section of the
society derives the maximum benefits.
2. Contribution to the society at large by way of society development, imparting education
training social awareness especially with regard to economically backward class for their
development and distribution of necessary clothes/foods item to the poor society in rural
areas of the country.

Ethical

Philanthro
pic

There for by definition the policy covers all the aspects of the
ethical model

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Economic

Legal

CSR Activities Snapdeal

3

By: Eshan Bhatt, Roll No: 19

OBJECTIVE

The company has set guidelines to conduct business process in conjunction with the sustainable
development of the society. It aims to enhance and implement the society welfare measures in a
well-structured manner on short as well as long term basis with a vision of making Company a
Good Corporate Citizen.

AREAS FOR CSR ACTIVITIES

The poor and needy section of the society, living in different parts of India broadly areas like
small town /village/rural area would be covered. The company has come up with following
budget division for the activities

For CSR activities 80% budgeted amount should be spent on activities within the radius
of 50 KM of the office/outlets/fulfilment centers etc.; of the Company and the remaining
20% should be spent in other areas/ locations, as per the directions of the Board of
Directors/CSR Committee of the Company.

Following are the activities mentioned in the charter of the company:

1

2
3
4

Providing education in rural areas and carrying out other activities for education in the
local areas, awareness program on girls education, providing school bus/cycle facilities to
needy girl student of the school in the operational area of the company/company outlet,
support to technical/vocational institutions, support for education for their selfdevelopment;
Water supply including providing drinking water in rural area near to company
operational area, installation/repair of hand pumps, rain water harvesting scheme;
Generation of employment in rural areas/small town, cities;
Grant/donation/financial assistance to hospitals, charitable institutions, sponsorships to
reputed NGOs of the society/locality doing or involved in upliftment of the standard of
living of the society;
Providing clothes, food and other necessary items to poor, underprivileged and needy
section of the society living in different parts of the country, specifically the section of the
society in vicinity of offices/ premises of the Company;
Adoption of any village for carrying out the activities like infrastructure development,
education development, community development, providing employment opportunity for
the villagers;
Empowerment of woman for education, health and self-employment;

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CSR Activities Snapdeal

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By: Eshan Bhatt, Roll No: 19

Health care by providing indoor medical facilities and medicines, organizing health
awareness camps;
Activities relating to environment protection including plantation, green belt
development;
Activities relating to social empowerment including training of rural youth for selfemployment on welding, fabrication and electronic appliances, construction of hostels for
girl care and for senior citizens, organizing training programs for women on tailoring,
fabrication, designs, home foods, painting and other vocational courses;

9
10

Above all this list is not exhaustive and the company has given power in the hands of the CSR
team to look for new ways and methods that the organization can serve the society better.

CSR COMMITEE AT SNAPDEAL

The CSR Committee has been set up to look after the CSR activities, it may nominate the
internal employees of the Company or external agencies to undertake the activities as it may
think appropriate.
The Chief Financial Officer of the Company under the consultation of Chief Executive Officer of
the Company is responsible to prepare an annual proposal in the first quarter of every financial
year with regard to various CSR activities to be undertaken by the Company during the entire
financial year. The proposals under CSR activities shall be referred to CSR Committee; the CSR
Committee will evaluate the proposals and may recommend for the modification and/or
implementation accordingly.
1

The CSR Committee allocates the budget for CSR activities to be undertaken during
the year subject to financial performance, operations of the Company and statutory
requirement/limits.

The CSR Committee decides the priority of the activities to be undertaken under CSR
activities as per proposal.

The CSR Committee periodically interacts with CSR implementing agency or with
the employees of the Company undertaking the CSR activities.

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CSR Activities Snapdeal

By: Eshan Bhatt, Roll No: 19

CSR ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE COMPANY

1. Snapdeal installed 15 hand pumps in the village Shiv Nagar located in Muzaffarnagar
district in Uttar Pradesh State, India. There was no source of potable water in the village
before and they had to walk for miles to fetch drinking water. The villagers voted to name
their village Snapdeal.com Nagar to show their gratitude towards the organization.
This was a pure philanthropic activity performed by the CEO of the organization, looking
at the state of the village. It cost the organization not more than $5000 however they went
ahead to do good for the people.
Philanthropi
c
Yes

Legal

Ethical

Economic

NA

Yes

A very small amount invested, can

be considered economic

2. At the time of Jammu & Kashmir floods in 2014 and the Uttarakhand floods in 2013,
Snapdeal urged its employees to donate clothes, money and medicines for the people. It
also promised to donate twice the amount of money donated by its employees.
Philanthropic
Legal
Yes, catering to the need of NA
the people

Ethical
Yes

Economic
No, a large amount was donated.

3. Snapdeal Care, launched by Snapdeal to allow the partners to donate to an NGO of their
choice. Snapdeal Care has currently partnered with three NGOs Akshay Patra, Magic
Bus Foundation and Prayas Juvenile Aid Centre. These NGOs are established
organizations that have been working for the children from underprivileged backgrounds.
For example, customers can purchase sports goods to be donated to a home for
underprivileged children in Andhra Pradesh, buy blankets, lamplights, tents to be shipped
by Snapdeal to a region struck by a natural calamity, purchase notebooks, blackboards,
markers to be shipped to a school in Assam or rehabilitation assistance products to be
shipped to a senior citizen home.
Philanthropic
Yes

Legal
Yes, the
registered

NGO

Ethical
is Yes

Economic
No, the NGO is non value adding
to the profit.

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CSR Activities Snapdeal

By: Eshan Bhatt, Roll No: 19

4. Snapdeal was originally located in Okhla Industrial Area, New Delhi, the area was not
well lit and this concern had been ignored by the MCD people. It became unsafe to travel
during the night hours especially for the female employees. This problem was not just
being faced by employees of Snapdeal but by employees of other organizations too.
Snapdeal however took the initiative and set up lights in the area.
Philanthropic
Legal
Yes, The activity helped the NA
employees.

Ethical
Yes

Economic
No, this cannot be done for ever
and everywhere.

5. Establishment of funds to help people start up their own business by becoming sellers at
Snapdeal. A corporate fund had been set up by Snapdeal that provides low interest loans
to people who want to become sellers on Snapdeal however they have low capital to fund
their business. This has helped many small sellers grow their domain and become
entrepreneurs themselves. [source provided in endnote]
Philanthropic
Legal
Ethical
Maybe, however this Yes,
this
is Yes
helps more people to communicated to
become
sellers
at the government.
Snapdeal.
7

Economic
No, this cannot be
done for ever and
everywhere.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Snapeals CSR activities appear to be sustainable as they are catering to all the four requirements
of the Ethical Models. The activities are intended to be
1. Philanthropic: All 5 activities mentioned above have this element embedded in them, i.e.
the organization is looking for the overall good of the society.
2. Ethical: It is only ethical to set up funds and help the people who are supporting your
business.
3. Legal: A CSR body had been formed in the organization responsible to perform such
activities related to CSR. Corpus had been set up to divide the funds into various
activities. There by following the legal domain.
4. Economical: Even though some activities have been capital intensive, the amount of
invested capital has been small and does not hurt the shareholders. The overall returns
like publicity and business that have been achieved have been exceptional. The CEO
however claimed that none of the activities was a publicity stunt and the company wanted
to do the right thing.

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CSR Activities Snapdeal

By: Eshan Bhatt, Roll No: 19

In my opinion all the activities done by the company are for the greater good of the people, and
even if there may have been an element of publicity gain in the activities the overall good had
reached the people.

SOURCES

Following are the sources of the facts used in the write-up

1. http://blog.snapdeal.com/18-year-old-makes-crores-with-snapdeal/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapdeal.com_Nagar

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