Healthcare is the second-largest CSR spending category in India, typically accounting for a notable share of total CSR expenditure. The COVID-19 pandemic further elevated healthcare as a CSR priority, and spending has remained elevated since. For healthcare NGOs, this represents a significant and growing funding pool.
Healthcare CSR by the numbers
In FY 2023-24, companies reported ₹6,671 crore of CSR spending filed as "Health Care", number 2 of 27 categories: 20.5% of all CSR spending that year. That is up from ₹1,786 crore in FY 2014-15, growth of about 16% a year. Its share rose, from 17.8% in the first three years to 23.6% in the last three. 8,506 companies filed under health care.
| Year | Healthcare CSR spend | Share of all CSR |
|---|---|---|
| FY 2014-15 | ₹1,786 crore | 18.7% |
| FY 2015-16 | ₹2,401 crore | 17.7% |
| FY 2016-17 | ₹2,358 crore | 17.2% |
| FY 2017-18 | ₹2,633 crore | 16.2% |
| FY 2018-19 | ₹3,473 crore | 18.1% |
| FY 2019-20 | ₹4,631 crore | 19.4% |
| FY 2020-21 | ₹6,951 crore | 27.8% |
| FY 2021-22 | ₹7,499 crore | 29.2% |
| FY 2022-23 | ₹6,491 crore | 22.3% |
| FY 2023-24 | ₹6,671 crore | 20.5% |
Source: company-reported CSR filings published by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (National CSR Portal), FY 2014-15 to FY 2023-24, totalled by Sampoorna; updated 4 October 2026. Amounts are as companies reported them, in the categories they chose. "Share" is the share of all CSR spending, including spending filed as PAN India.
Sub-Themes Within Healthcare CSR
| Sub-theme | What It Covers | Typical Funders |
|---|---|---|
| Primary healthcare | Mobile clinics, health camps, community health centers, rural health infrastructure | Pharma, hospitals, conglomerates, PSUs |
| Maternal and child health | ANC/PNC, immunization, nutrition, safe delivery, child health screening | FMCG, pharma, foundations, conglomerates |
| Telemedicine and digital health | Tele-consultation platforms, remote diagnostics, health tech infrastructure | Tech companies, telecom, IT services, pharma |
| Mental health | Counseling services, awareness programs, school mental health, helplines | Tech companies, banks, select foundations |
| Disease-specific programs | TB, HIV, diabetes, cancer screening, cardiovascular health | Pharma, hospitals, global health foundations |
| Sanitation and WASH | Toilets, clean water, hygiene education, waste management | FMCG, manufacturing, conglomerates |
| Preventive health | Screening camps, awareness campaigns, lifestyle disease prevention | Insurance, pharma, hospitals, BFSI |
Which Companies Fund Healthcare CSR
Pharmaceutical Companies
Pharma companies are natural healthcare CSR funders. They fund disease awareness programs, mobile clinics, drug donation programs, and health infrastructure. They prefer projects aligned with their therapeutic areas — a company making diabetes drugs is more likely to fund diabetes screening and management programs.
Hospital and Healthcare Chains
Hospital chains fund community health programs, free camps, mobile clinics, and subsidized treatment. They often implement directly through their own facilities and staff, but partner with NGOs for community outreach and last-mile delivery.
Insurance and Financial Services
Insurance companies fund preventive health, awareness campaigns, and health literacy programs. They're interested in reducing the disease burden (which reduces claims) and improving health outcomes in communities.
FMCG Companies
FMCG companies fund WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene), maternal and child health, and nutrition programs. Their CSR is often aligned with their product categories — a hygiene products company funds sanitation, a food company funds nutrition.
PSUs
Public sector companies, especially oil and gas and mining PSUs, fund healthcare infrastructure near their operations — hospitals, mobile clinics, health camps in their local areas.
The Growing Focus on Mental Health
Mental health has emerged as a CSR priority in recent years, driven by growing awareness of India's mental health crisis and the impact of pandemic-related stress. Tech companies and banks have been early adopters, funding counseling helplines, school mental health programs, and workplace mental health initiatives. If your NGO works in mental health, this is a growing funding pool with relatively less competition than traditional healthcare CSR.
How to Position Your Healthcare NGO
- Be specific about your health sub-theme: "We work in healthcare" is too broad. "We reduce maternal mortality in tribal Jharkhand through mobile clinics and community health worker training" is specific and compelling.
- Show health outcomes, not just activities: "Conducted many health camps" is an activity. "Reduced maternal mortality significantly in target blocks" is an outcome.
- Align with national health missions: Reference alignment with Ayushman Bharat, National Health Mission, or relevant disease elimination programs.
- Demonstrate last-mile reach: Companies value NGOs that reach populations they can't reach through their own CSR infrastructure. If you work in remote or underserved areas, highlight this.
- Have a robust data system: Health CSR increasingly requires health outcome data — not just beneficiary counts. Invest in a health information system before approaching large funders.
What CSR Funders Look For in Health Proposals
- Baseline health indicators: What are the current health metrics in your target area?
- Beneficiary numbers with demographics: Who specifically will benefit (age, gender, income level)?
- Health outcome targets: What health indicators will you improve, and by how much?
- Government health system integration: Are you working with government health facilities and workers?
- Sustainability: Will the community health system sustain after CSR funding ends?
- Cost per beneficiary: What's the cost per person served, and how does it compare to alternatives?
Finding Healthcare CSR Funders
Use public records to find companies funding healthcare in your state. Filter by sector (health) and geography. Review past projects to identify companies funding your specific health sub-theme. For a systematic approach, see our funder research guide.