On April 1, 2014, India became the first country to legally mandate corporate social responsibility. The new rules in Section 135 of India's Companies Act make it mandatory for companies of a certain turnover and profitability to spend two percent of their average net profit for the past three years on CSR. Brands Impact CSR Awards aim to identify and recognize the efforts of companies in integrating and internalizing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Every year, a number of companies are recognised by Brands Impact for their exemplary work in the area of CSR.

There are many organizations that have announced CSR awards in India for the current year by the names of National CSR Awards 2020, CSR Summit & Awards 2020, India CSR Awards 2020 & International CSR Awards 2020, etc. Brands Impact launched 'Pratigya - Stand for a cause!', an Oath Taking Ceremony and Social Impact Awards with an objective to encourage NGOs, corporate and individuals to commit themselves to making a positive and beneficial impact in their community, society and the country at large. The first edition was conducted at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi, and the oath was administered by Mrs. Kirron Kher (Member of Parliament).

The ceremony was graced by several eminent personalities including Mr. Manoj Tiwari (Delhi BJP Chief), Mr. Shyam Jaju (National Vice President, BJP), Ms. Namrata Goel (Philanthropist& Heiress of Jet Airways), Poonam Dhillon (Veteran Bollywood Actor) & Laxmi Agarwal (Acid Attack Survivor & Social Activist) Among the winners of the Pratigya Social Impact Awards 2018 were Dr. Kiran Bedi's NGO- Navjyoti Foundation and India Vision Foundation, which were awarded For Excellent Contribution in areas of Crime Prevention and Women Empowerment. Bollywood actor, Dia Mirza was recognised with the "Responsible Celebrity Citizen of the Year" award. Laxmi Agarwal was awarded for "Outstanding contribution for Women Empowerment." Mrs. Poonam Dhillon's NGO, Maddad- The Helping Hands was recognised for Significant Contribution to Farmers' Welfare.

A total of Rs. 5.5 lakhs (Rs. Five Lakh Fifty Thousand) of donations were made during the event for the participating NGOs. The list of donatees included Lakshmi Agarwal (acid attack survivor), Ramagya Foundation, Mijwan (NGO run by Shabana Azmi and Namrata Goyal), Helpage India, Inner wheelers club of Ludhiana, Madad (NGO by Poonam Dhillon), Mridul Foundation (NGO run by Manoj Tiwari), Samadhan (NGO run by CA Mukesh Shukla) and Daksh Welfare Society. The ceremony was preceded by the panel discussion on Indian Education System. The panelists were Ms. Namrata Goyal, Mrs. Poonam Dhillon, Mr. Rajesh Singh, Dr. Tushar Vinod Deoras, Ms. Lakshmi Agarwal & Dr. Rajeev Gupta who discussed whether our education system was responsible for increasing social disparity. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Gulraj Singh Shahpuri.

The second edition of Pratigya Awards was successfully executed on 30th June, 2019 at Radisson Blu, Pashim Vihar, New Delhi and the chief guest for the event was Ms. Dia Mirza (Bollywood Actress/ Social Activist). The event saw participation from some of the better known NGOs, social activists and eminent personalities, who came together to stand up for a cause, help uplift the weaker sections of the society and empower them with access to their basic fundamental rights. Among the winners of the second edition of Brands Impact Social Impact Awards were Laxmi Agarwal, who was awarded For Outstanding Support to Acid Attack Survivors. Dr. Sohini Sastri, was recognised with the "Most Celebrated Professional Supporting Social Causes in India" award. Sambhav Hai Foundation was awarded for "Excellent Contribution to the Society through Quality Education, Healthcare and Employment Opportunities for Women." HOPE Foundation was recognised for Significant Contribution in Social Work and towards women and children.

Donations were also made towards Laxmi Aggarwal's Campaign against acid sales by Dr. Sohini Shastri and Geetaa Paul who was also one of the awardees. The ceremony was preceded by a panel discussion on Indian Education System. The panelists were the Chief Guest, Dia Mirza, Dr. Shahnaz Ahmed (Principal), Yukti Belwal (Educationist and Entrepreneur) and Dr. Abhishek Yadav (Educationist) who discussed on the topic Indian Education System Versus the Western Education System. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Naresh Soni, a former news anchor and journalist. Brands Impact has been organization such awards for NGOs in India. These also include awards for social activists and social workers. There are CSR awards for Corporate and separate awards for social initiatives by organizations, individuals and professionals.

Some of the categories of 'Brands Impact Social Impact Awards 2020' are:

CSR Award for Women Empowerment, CSR Award for Skill Development and Livelihood, CSR Award for Education, CSR Award for Environment Sustainability, CSR Award for Health, Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, CSR Award for Small & Medium Enterprises, Social Impact Award for Exemplary Innovation, Social Impact Award for social activists, NGOs and individuals.

Assessment Process & Criteria for Brands Impact CSR Awards 2020:

The assessment will be based on Issue, target population, Scale, Location, Replicability, Sustainability, Innovation, Scalability, Participation/involvement, Finances and Impact. Identification of the issue and importance to the company, Identification of key communities and target beneficiaries, Identification of community needs, Action plan, expected output, monitoring framework or indicators for assessing the program's progress, Implementation structure, budget, sustainability, evaluation by external evaluator, etc.