AMCHAM’s CSR Committee convened a meeting virtually on December 11th over Webex. Ms. Valerie Swope, Program Coordinator, AMCHAM welcome participants. In a fireside chat, Mr. Harish Krishnan, Chairman – CSR Committee, AMCHAM and Managing Director and Chief Policy Officer, Cisco Systems, India & Southeast Asia and Mr. Brian TIppens, Senior Vice President and Chief Social Impact & Inclusion Officer, Cisco, shared their perspectives on corporate purpose, and how collaboration and innovation are key to Cisco’s social impact. They discussed Cisco’s ‘40 Communities’ initiative with an aim to engage, support, and invest in 40 communities around the world over the next 10 years.  They also highlighted the necessity to align with government priorities to maximize community impact in India.

Dr. Garima Dadhich, Head – School of Business Environment, Centre for Responsible Business Advisory and Centre for Business and Human Rights, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, emphasized in her address that the government aims to enhance CSR transparency and effectiveness through improved frameworks and partnerships. Dr. Garima shared priority areas for CSR investment as health equity, climate resilience, quality education, and digital inclusion. She talked about how technology and innovation play crucial roles in driving effective and sustainable social interventions. Mr. Rajesh Varghese, Co-Chairman – CSR Committee, AMCHAM and Country Director for India, PYXERA Global moderated a Q&A portion with Dr. Garima. He led a discussion on feedback from the 9^th CSR Conference held in September 2025. Members shared suggestions on focussed sessions and topics for the committee to take forward in 2026. The committee decided to launch a short survey to understand the needs of the members, both NGOs and corporates, which could aid in potential matchmaking.