ARTICLE AD BOX
Rs. 26.70 Crore Spent on Agriculture, Water, Education and Social Innovation
MUMBAI (India CSR): Marico Limited spent Rs. 26.70 crore on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities during FY 2025-26, marginally exceeding its statutory CSR obligation of Rs. 26.67 crore under Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013. The company reported an excess CSR spend of Rs. 0.03 crore, with Rs. 0.02 crore available for set-off in succeeding financial years after adjusting surplus from CSR projects.
CSR Spending Snapshot
| Statutory CSR obligation, 2% of average net profit | ₹26.67 crore |
| Total CSR amount spent in FY26 | ₹26.70 crore |
| Excess amount spent | ₹0.03 crore |
| Surplus from CSR projects | ₹0.01 crore |
| Amount available for set-off | ₹0.02 crore |
| Unspent CSR amount | Nil |
| Capital assets created through CSR | No |
Marico confirmed that there was no unspent CSR amount for the preceding three financial years and no capital asset was created or acquired through CSR funds during FY26. The company also stated that it did not fail to spend the required two percent of average net profit.
CSR Philosophy
Marico’s CSR approach is anchored in its stated purpose of “Make a Difference.” The company views economic value and social value as interlinked, with CSR positioned as a way to create long-term benefits for communities, consumers, employees, associates, government, environment and society at large.
The CSR policy covers philosophy, thrust areas, implementation, governance, annual action plans, expenditure mechanisms, budget planning, monitoring and impact assessment. Marico’s CSR efforts are primarily concentrated around sustainable agriculture and livelihood improvement, education, social innovation and community development.
Key CSR Themes
| Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihood Improvement | Parachute Kalpavriksha Foundation |
| Water Stewardship | Jalashay |
| Community Development | Community Sustenance Initiatives |
| Education | Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala |
| Social Innovation | Marico Innovation Foundation |
Governance Framework
Marico has adopted a structured CSR governance model. The CSR framework includes the CSR Team, the CSR Committee and Board, and independent agencies for impact assessment, benchmarking, baseline studies, feasibility assessment and audits.
The CSR Committee as of March 31, 2026 consisted of Ananth S, Independent Director and Chairman of the CSR Committee; Harsh Mariwala, Chairman and Non-Executive Director; Saugata Gupta, Managing Director and CEO; Milind Barve, Independent Director; and Nayantara Bali, Independent Director. The committee held three meetings during the year.
The company stated that the CFO certified that CSR spends for FY26 were used for the purpose and in the manner approved by the Board.
Programme One: Parachute Kalpavriksha Foundation
The Parachute Kalpavriksha Foundation (PKF) is Marico’s flagship sustainable agriculture and farmer empowerment programme. It focuses on coconut farmers and seeks to improve farm productivity, farmer income and long-term agricultural resilience.
By FY26, the programme had enrolled 2.05 lakh farmers and covered 4.97 lakh acres of farmland. The intervention supports farmers with scientific farming practices, soil health improvement, water management and pest control. Marico reported a 15% improvement in differential productivity under the programme.
The programme is strategically important because Marico’s Parachute brand is closely linked to coconut-based sourcing. PKF therefore connects CSR with sustainable sourcing, farmer welfare and supply-chain resilience.
Programme Two: Jalashay Water Stewardship
The Jalashay programme is Marico’s water stewardship initiative. It aims to create water security for communities and farming households in water-stressed regions. The initiative includes watershed development, farm ponds, borewell recharging, rainwater harvesting and local water governance.
In FY26 alone, Jalashay created 103 crore litres of water conservation potential. Cumulatively, the programme generated 547 crore litres of water potential. It is active across Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Puducherry.
The programme works through demand-side and supply-side interventions. Demand-side measures include efficient irrigation, crop selection, capacity building and responsible water use. Supply-side measures include groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting, storage tanks, ponds and check dams.
Programme Three: Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala
The Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala programme focuses on education, foundational literacy, numeracy and English literacy among children with limited access to advanced educational systems.
In FY26, the programme reached 12.69 lakh students, trained 1.26 lakh teachers and refurbished 40 Anganwadis. The broader brand-purpose programme also reported quality education support to 2.12 lakh students with coverage of 63,498 active teachers in FY26.
The programme aligns with Marico’s education and social inclusion priorities. It supports children from underserved communities and helps strengthen learning outcomes through accessible educational content and teacher engagement.
Programme Four: Marico Innovation Foundation
The Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF) supports high-potential ventures and social innovations. It works across areas such as circular economy, agri-tech and climate solutions. During FY26, the foundation successfully closed 15 new challenges under its Scale-Up Programme.
MIF reflects Marico’s belief that innovation can deliver social and environmental impact at scale. It supports startups and innovators not only through capital but also through mentorship and institutional guidance.
Programme Five: Community Sustenance
Marico’s community sustenance initiatives are conducted in and around manufacturing locations. These initiatives address local needs across health, education, infrastructure and livelihood development.
The company reported that community sustenance efforts had cumulatively reached 3.86 lakh beneficiaries. Marico also conducts community need assessments and incorporates feedback from local communities into annual CSR planning.
Health And Nutrition Outreach
Marico’s health-related CSR outreach included the Eat Right programme, which reached more than 42 lakh beneficiaries across campuses, street food hubs, places of worship, schools, railway stations and capacity development sessions in FY26.
This intervention is aligned with public health awareness, safe food practices and community well-being.
Impact Assessment
Marico said Social Impact Assessment under applicable laws was not mandatory for the company. However, all CSR programmes with annual spend exceeding ₹1 crore are subjected to third-party impact assessments.
For FY26, Marico engaged BDO India Services Private Limited for impact assessment of Jalashay, Parachute Kalpavriksha Foundation and Nihar Shanti Pathshala Funwala. Protiviti India Member Private Limited assessed the Marico Innovation Foundation programme.
CSR In Aspirational Districts
Marico also disclosed CSR projects in designated aspirational districts. The reported amount under this disclosure stood at Rs. 4.89 crore, covering sustainable agriculture, education and social innovation across districts in states including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Kerala, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and others.
Key CSR Impact Indicators
| Total CSR spend | ₹26.70 crore |
| Farmers enrolled under PKF | 2.05 lakh |
| Farmland under PKF | 4.97 lakh acres |
| Water potential created by Jalashay | 547 crore litres cumulative |
| Water potential created in FY26 | 103 crore litres |
| Students reached under NSPF | 12.69 lakh |
| Teachers trained | 1.26 lakh |
| Anganwadis refurbished | 40 |
| Eat Right beneficiaries | 42 lakh |
| Community sustenance beneficiaries | 3.86 lakh cumulative |
| MIF challenges closed | 15 |
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