Even after 75 years of independence, still, 70 percent of India’s population resides in rural areas and depends mainly on agriculture for their livelihood. Rural development refers to economic and social progress in the lives of the people living in rural areas. A large part of the rural population deprives of education, health facilities, basic amenities, infrastructure facilities, hygiene, sanitation, modern technology and so on. So, the growth and development of India cannot be possible by ignoring the rural population. As Mahatma Gandhi also said that the actual progress of India did not mean simply the growth and expansion of urban industrial centers but mainly the development of the villages. Corporate as a part of society has a responsibility towards them. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is one of the mediums by which a company can do for the betterment of the people. It is the commitment of a corporate to contribute to sustainable development and improve the lives of society. Policymakers and development specialists have recognized “CSR” as a feasible driver for rural development. The present paper attempts to highlight the role of corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in rural development of India as well as to address the various CSR projects and the amount spent on these projects in the financial year 2020-21 by the corporate in India with the help of secondary sources.

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Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Rural Development, CSR Programs, Corporate.