How Innovative Business Strategies Shape the Corporate Social Responsibility–Performance Nexus: Evidence From the Indian Tech Sector

ABSTRACT The study inspects the association between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) disclosures, business strategy, and firm performance in the Indian technology sector, operating under a mandatory CSR spending and disclosure regime. CSR disclosure is measured using the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) ESG assessment framework for 100 Indian tech‐firms listed on the BSE. The analysis uses the Fixed Effects regression, the Hayes PROCESS model, System GMM, and the Heckman two‐step method. The findings indicate that in isolation, CSR does not enhance performance. However, CSR can be value‐adding when it is combined in a strategic way with innovation and market expansion strategies. The findings confirm that strategic alignment is necessary to reap the advantages of CSR. Additionally, the study emphasizes that in a regulated CSR setting, technology firms should integrate CSR practices with their business strategy to achieve specific objectives, rather than implementing them separately.