HCLFoundation expands CSR program budget to Rs 24 crore

HCLFoundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of HCLTech, has increased the annual outlay of its Grant initiative by 45% to Rs 24 crore, it said on Thursday.

This enhancement aims to support rural development projects by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across India, with a renewed focus on water sustainability and biodiversity conservation.

Starting from the fiscal year 2026, the HCLTech Grant will introduce a new category dedicated to Water. Additionally, the existing Environment category will be redefined as Biodiversity to better align with global conservation priorities. The Education and Healthcare categories will continue as before, the company said.

Under the revised structure, each winning NGO in these categories will receive Rs 5 crore for four-year projects, while eight runner-up NGOs will be awarded Rs 50 lakh for two-year projects.

"By scaling the HCLTech Grant and introducing a dedicated Water category, we aim to address the pressing challenges of water scarcity and biodiversity loss in rural India,” said Nidhi Pundhir, senior vice president and global CSR head at HCLFoundation.

Since its inception, the HCLTech Grant has been instrumental in supporting NGOs that drive transformative change in education, healthcare, and environmental conservation. To date, the initiative has awarded over Rs 152.8 crore, funding 59 projects across 142 districts in 22 states and two union territories.

These projects have collectively rejuvenated 245 water bodies, treated approximately 128,102 hectares of land, and reduced carbon emissions by 67,095 tons (CO₂ equivalent).