B20 Summit: Uday Kotak urges companies to earmark 0.2% of profits to meet social development goals

B20 Summit: Uday Kotak urges companies to earmark 0.2% of profits to meet social development goals

This is a key recommendation of the B20 India Task Force on Financing for Global Economic Recovery that Kotak chairs. The recommendations of the B20 taskforces would be submitted to the G20.

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Pic: Hardik ChhabraPic: Hardik Chhabra
Surabhi
  • Aug 25, 2023,
  • Updated Aug 25, 2023 1:59 PM IST

Veteran banker Uday Kotak has called for companies across the globe to contribute 0.2 per cent of their annual profits to meet social development goals into a Global Acceleration Fund. The funds are required by countries over the next seven to 10 years to finance their development goals.

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This is a key recommendation of the B20 India Task Force on Financing for Global Economic Recovery that Kotak chairs. The recommendations of the B20 taskforces would be submitted to the G20.

Addressing the B20 Summit India 2023 on Friday, Kotak outlined that about $4.5 trillion is required for this objective and said that this can come from the private sector. Noting that companies in India already contribute 2 per cent of their annual profits to corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, he said that this can be emulated on a global scale as well.

For Indian companies, he recommended that 0.2 per cent of the 2 per cent which they contribute to CSR can be diverted for fulfilling this agenda.

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“This could be a game changer. I would recommend G20 nations to find out ways by which businesses can contribute, voluntarily or through regulation, 0.2 per cent of profit to these important transformation goals,” he said. 

Kotak said the taskforce has also narrowed down priorities on which these funds can be spent. These include climate change, energy, biodiversity and ocean pollution.  

The B20 is the official G20 dialogue forum with global business community, and brings together business leaders and organisations from G20 countries to deliberate on issues pertaining to global economic growth and development.

Addressing the conference earlier, N Chandrasekaran, Chair, B20 India and Tata Sons Chair said that the B20 has come up with 54 recommendations across its various themes, which comprise of a total of 172 policy actions.

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Also Watch | India stands as a beacon of growth to achieve 7% growth: Tata Sons' N Chandrasekaran at B20 Summit India 2023

Veteran banker Uday Kotak has called for companies across the globe to contribute 0.2 per cent of their annual profits to meet social development goals into a Global Acceleration Fund. The funds are required by countries over the next seven to 10 years to finance their development goals.

Advertisement

This is a key recommendation of the B20 India Task Force on Financing for Global Economic Recovery that Kotak chairs. The recommendations of the B20 taskforces would be submitted to the G20.

Addressing the B20 Summit India 2023 on Friday, Kotak outlined that about $4.5 trillion is required for this objective and said that this can come from the private sector. Noting that companies in India already contribute 2 per cent of their annual profits to corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, he said that this can be emulated on a global scale as well.

For Indian companies, he recommended that 0.2 per cent of the 2 per cent which they contribute to CSR can be diverted for fulfilling this agenda.

Advertisement

“This could be a game changer. I would recommend G20 nations to find out ways by which businesses can contribute, voluntarily or through regulation, 0.2 per cent of profit to these important transformation goals,” he said. 

Kotak said the taskforce has also narrowed down priorities on which these funds can be spent. These include climate change, energy, biodiversity and ocean pollution.  

The B20 is the official G20 dialogue forum with global business community, and brings together business leaders and organisations from G20 countries to deliberate on issues pertaining to global economic growth and development.

Addressing the conference earlier, N Chandrasekaran, Chair, B20 India and Tata Sons Chair said that the B20 has come up with 54 recommendations across its various themes, which comprise of a total of 172 policy actions.

Advertisement

Also Watch | India stands as a beacon of growth to achieve 7% growth: Tata Sons' N Chandrasekaran at B20 Summit India 2023

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Surabhi

Economy Editor at Business Today. A journalist for nearly two decades, I write on government policy and economy on a wide array of issues ranging from taxation and economic affairs, commerce and industry, statistics and labour markets. A large part of the focus of my reporting is on breaking down complex government policies and jargon into simple concepts that everyone can understand. How these policies, whether they are tax cuts or hikes, changes in PF formalities or interest rate announcements by the RBI, impact citizens is another core area of my reporting. I have worked in newspapers including BusinessLine, Indian Express, Financial Express and Economic Times in the past. debut novel, The Girls From Patna, was well received. When not looking for my next big story, I read murder mysteries and bake.

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