The Emergence of Impact Assessment in India
Impact assessment, particularly in the realm of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), gained renewed impetus when India's Companies (CSR) Amendment Rules of 2021 made it mandatory for corporations to conduct impact assessments for CSR projects that meet certain thresholds—namely, CSR spending exceeding ₹10 crore in a fiscal year or project outlays over ₹1 crore. This legislative requirement has not only strengthened accountability but also nurtured a burgeoning market for third-party impact assessment firms offering structured evaluation services. Key Players in the Indian Impact Assessment Ecosystem A number of established consultancies and NGOs now lead the space, providing both CSR-focused and environmental-social evaluation services: SoulAce stands out as a leading CSR consulting and monitoring & evaluation firm, with over 3,000 projects across 28 states, serving major corporates like Tata, P&G, IBM, HUL, and others. CSRBOX offers a mu...