Of all the reasons rationalising Ratan Tata’s decision to donate $50 million to Harvard Business School, building its brand equity in the developed economies seems to be the foremost, since there is little philanthropy involved in giving money to cash cows like Harvard (“CSR goes ‘glocal’”, October 20). If the Tata Trust felt it has made sufficient contributions in India, it could have thought of any of the poor countries in the world to show generosity. But, then, it would have won gratitude, not international image.
At a time when India, with a gloss of economic progress, continues to fare badly on the global human development index, Tata’s act of corporate social responsibility outside the country is bound to be perceived with mixed feelings.
Y G Chouksey, Pune
