Exploring Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited | CSR |ONGC

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) is a Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. Established in 1956, ONGC is the country’s premier oil and gas exploration and production company, playing a pivotal role in meeting India’s energy needs.

Headquartered in New Delhi, ONGC is responsible for producing about 70% of India’s crude oil and over 60% of its natural gas, making it the backbone of the nation’s hydrocarbon sector.

With operations spanning across onshore and offshore oilfields in India and abroad (via its subsidiary ONGC Videsh), the company integrates cutting-edge technologies in exploration, drilling, production, and energy research. It also owns significant stakes in downstream sectors through companies like Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and MRPL.

Beyond its commercial operations, ONGC is also known for its strong commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), investing in health, education, skill development, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment through its dedicated arm, the ONGC Foundation.

As a globally respected energy major, ONGC continues to align its growth with India’s broader vision of energy security, sustainable development, and socio-economic inclusion.

This blog article provides comprehensive information about CSR initiatives at ONGC, the application process for CSR support, and available CSR funding opportunities.

ONGC’s Approach to CSR

ONGC follows a comprehensive and strategic approach to CSR, closely aligning its initiatives with national priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The organization believes that corporate success is deeply connected to social welfare.

ONGC's CSR Vision and Mission

• Vision : To support responsible and sustainable initiatives, while taking care of the concern for People, Planet and Profit.

• Mission : Continually enhance the triple bottom line benchmarks of economic, environmental and social performance through committed involvement of the employees.To develop social wealth for the communities we engage with. Promote efficient usage of scarce resources, encourage green energy initiatives and develop innovative solutions to fulfil the vision by stepping beyond the mandatory provisions.

• Objective:

  • To understand the stakeholder expectations through structured engagement process and communication strategy and leverage this understanding to develop and implement outcome based and impact oriented projects in the select areas.

  • To adopt Environmentally Sustainable business practices in ONGC’s normal operations with a view to gradually reduce our carbon and water footprint, innovative management of waste, prudent energy management and biodiversity conservation.

  • To envision, execute and manage long enduring projects with a wide geographical spread and larger social impact with focus on inclusive growth of marginalized and deprived sections of the society.

  • To create adequately empowered organizational structure and a system of management oversight, review and control.

  • To persuade our business partners for adopting similar practices for CSR and Sustainable development.

Financial Allocation for CSR Initiatives

ONGC allocates a significant portion of its profits to CSR, ensuring accountability by regularly publishing updates on fund utilization. In the last financial year, they allocated approximately 2% of their net profit—around INR 1,500 crores—to CSR activities. This commitment ensures that resources are used effectively for immediate community needs, as well as for long-term objectives like education and health.

Permissible Categories for CSR Projects

Following focus sectors have been covered under Schedule VII of the Companies Act 2013:

1. Eradicating hunger, poverty and malnutrition, promoting preventive health care and sanitation and making available safe drinking water, Swachh Bharat Kosh and Ganga Action Plan.

2. Promoting education, including special education and employment    enhancing vocation skills especially among children, women, elderly and the differently abled and livelihood enhancement projects.

3. Promoting gender equality, empowering women, setting up homes and hostels for women and orphans, setting up age homes , day care centres and such other facilities for senior citizens and measure for reducing inequalities faced by socially and economically backward groups.

4. Ensuring environmental sustainability, ecological balance, protection of flora and fauna, animal welfare, agroforestry, conservation of natural resources and maintaining quality of soil, air and water.

5. Protection of national heritage, art and culture including restoration of buildings and sites of historical importance and works of art, setting up public libraries, promotion and development of traditional and handicrafts.

6. Measures for the benefit of armed forces veterans, war widows and their dependents.

7. Training to promote rural sports, nationality recognized sports, Paralympic sports and Olympic Sports.

8. Contribution to the Prime Minister’s national relief fund or any other fund set up by the Central Government for Socio-economic development and relief and welfare of the Scheduled Castes, the scheduled tribes, other backward classes, minorities and women.

9. Contribution to incubators funded by Central Government or State Government or any agency or Public Sector Undertaking of Central Government or State Government, and contributions to public funded Universities, Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), National Laboratories and Autonomous Bodies (established under the auspices of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) engaged in conducting research in science, technology, engineering and medicine aimed at promoting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

10. Rural Development projects

11. Slum Area Development

12. Disaster management, including relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction activities.

Indicative List of Projects/Programs

1. Promoting Healthcare & Poverty Eradication Includes healthcare services such as preventive care, mobile clinics, health camps, maternal and child health improvement, sanitation, safe drinking water, and support for the elderly (including old age homes and geriatric care). It also includes infrastructure and vocational support for differently-abled persons and collaborations with government and NGOs for poverty alleviation.

2. Promoting Education & Livelihood Enhancement Covers education access, especially for girls and marginalized groups, school infrastructure, computer literacy, scholarships, mid-day meals, and skill development. It also includes livelihood training, vocational courses, RSETI support, and rural self-employment promotion.

3. Promoting Gender Equality & Socio-economic Empowerment Focuses on empowering women and vulnerable groups through training, hostels, shelter homes, day-care centers, maternal care, and education initiatives to improve female literacy and social inclusion.

4. Environmental Sustainability Supports tree plantation, water conservation, renewable energy, clean technologies, recycling, wildlife protection, and sustainable water solutions—especially in drought-prone or water-scarce regions.

5. Preservation of National Heritage, Art & Culture Involves restoration of historical buildings, promoting traditional arts and crafts, supporting artisans (especially tribal and rural), and building infrastructure or financial support for cultural preservation.

6. Welfare of Armed Forces Veterans and Dependents Includes welfare programs, support, and financial assistance for war veterans, widows, and dependents.

7. Promotion of Sports Supports training, equipment, and facilities for rural and national-level sports, including assistance for underprivileged and differently-abled athletes.

8. Contributions to Government Relief Funds Involves donations to the PM National Relief Fund or other government-sanctioned funds for socio-economic and welfare initiatives targeting SC/ST/OBC, minorities, and women.

9. Support for Technology Incubators Funding or contributions to technology incubators located in academic institutions recognized by the Government of India.

10. Rural Development Projects Covers holistic rural development such as village adoption, health and school infrastructure, water access, sanitation, solar energy, and rural information centers.

11. Slum Area Development Focuses on improving living standards in slums through education, healthcare, skill development, infrastructure, housing, sanitation, and support services for women and children.

ONGC Launches Dedicated CSR Portal: A Step Towards Digital Transparency : FOR CSR Program / Projects

As part of its commitment to transparent, efficient, and inclusive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has launched a dedicated online platform—https://ongccsr.co.in/—to streamline the end-to-end CSR proposal and project management process.

What Is the ONGC CSR Portal?

The ONGC CSR Portal is a centralized digital interface developed to:

• Digitize CSR proposal submission and tracking

• Ensure greater transparency and efficiency in the evaluation and execution of CSR projects

• Enable registered NGOs and implementing agencies to apply for project consideration at their respective ONGC work centers

This initiative reflects ONGC’s broader vision to use technology as a tool for responsible governance and stakeholder engagement in social development.

Important Guidelines for NGOs & Implementing Agencies

If you are an NGO or a civil society organization seeking to submit a CSR proposal to ONGC, here are key things to keep in mind:

• Work Center-Specific Registration: Agencies must register under the ONGC work center relevant to the geographic location where the CSR project is (or will be) implemented. Registration under an incorrect or unrelated center may lead to disqualification or non-processing of the proposal.

• Registration ≠ Approval: Mere registration of your agency on the portal does not guarantee that ONGC will approve or fund your CSR proposal. Each proposal submitted through the portal is evaluated independently based on its merit, feasibility, alignment with Schedule VII of the Companies Act, and ONGC’s CSR priorities.

Required Documents for Registration & Proposal Submission

ONGC has also listed a set of mandatory documents that agencies must upload as part of the registration and proposal submission process. This ensures proper due diligence and compliance verification

You can download the complete list of required documents: Click here

Disclaimer

This article is for reference only and provides general information about the organization’s initiatives and impact. It aims to support development professionals, MSW/BSW students, and NGO leaders with insights into its work. Information is based on public sources and does not represent an official endorsement. For accurate and updated details, please visit the organization’s official website or contact them directly.

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