Edelweiss Financial Services bags National CSR Award

Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd was conferred with the National CSR Award 2018 for excellence in corporate social responsibility by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on Tuesday.

Chairman and CEO of Edelweiss Group Rashesh Shah and CEO of EdelGive Foundation Vidya Shah received the award from President Ram Nath Kovind.

"Given the complexity of issues today, it is extremely critical for corporates across India to look at philanthropy through a strategic lens," said Shah.

"We have to go beyond traditional giving to look at the needs of the programmes we are supporting and how we are enabling change across communities," he said in a statement.

Edelweiss Group set up its philanthropic initiative EdelGive Foundation in 2008, much before the legislation mandating CSR by companies was passed in 2014. Over the last decade, it has undertaken several programmes in its key priority areas of education, women empowerment and livelihood.

The foundation has supported over 150 partners, across 14 states in India, impacting 25 lakh beneficiaries. "This desire to help communities is also embedded deep within the organisation, demonstrated by employees pro bono volunteering for over 32,500 hours," said the company in a statement.