Mumbai: The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has decided to earmark 10 per cent of its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) corpus for deployment through projects listed on the NSE Social Stock Exchange (NSE-SSE), marking a significant step towards strengthening India’s social impact financing ecosystem.
The exchange said the move reflects its commitment to promoting transparent, accountable and outcome-oriented philanthropy through regulated social sector funding mechanisms.
It said, “National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) announced its decision to earmark 10 per cent of its annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) corpus for deployment through projects listed on the NSE Social Stock Exchange (NSE-SSE)”.
According to NSE, its CSR Committee had agreed in principle in March 2026 to deploy 10 per cent of the exchange’s annual CSR corpus through the NSE Social Stock Exchange platform, subject to the necessary regulatory approvals.
The decision has now been operationalised following the Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ Gazette Notifications issued on May 27, 2026, which permit companies to undertake CSR expenditure through subscription to Zero Coupon Zero Principal (ZCZP) Instruments listed on Social Stock Exchanges.
NSE said the latest regulatory changes have created an enabling framework for companies to channel a portion of their CSR spending through the Social Stock Exchange, allowing greater transparency and accountability in social impact funding. The exchange believes that the Social Stock Exchange can serve as an effective market-based platform for directing capital towards credible social sector organisations through a regulated and transparent structure. The exchange said the initiative is intended to support innovative social financing mechanisms and contribute to India’s broader developmental goals at scale.
Commenting on the development, NSE Chairperson Injeti Srinivas welcomed the Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ decision to allow CSR spending through the Social Stock Exchange framework. He said the move would improve transparency, visibility and the overall impact of CSR contributions.
“In support of this move, the NSE has decided to earmark 10% of its CSR spending for selected projects listed on the NSE Social Stock Exchange,” Srinivas said. He also expressed hope that other major corporate CSR contributors would adopt similar approaches for their social impact spending.
According to Srinivas, wider participation by companies could strengthen the Social Stock Exchange ecosystem and position India as a global example in the area of corporate social responsibility.
The NSE said its decision shows its confidence in the transformative potential of the Social Stock Exchange and its ability to channel capital towards organisations working on social development initiatives in a transparent and regulated manner.
The exchange added that the move is expected to contribute to the growth of innovative social financing models while helping scale social impact projects across the country.
(With inputs from ANI)
