From Philanthropy to Partnership: A Historical Analysis of Corporate Involvement in Child Education in Maharashtra (1947-2020)

This paper traces the evolution of corporate involvement in child education in Maharashtra from India’s independence in 1947 to the advent of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It argues that this involvement has transitioned through three distinct phases:a post-independence era of charitable philanthropy (1947-1990), a period of liberalisation-driven strategic community investment (1991-2012), and the contemporary phase of mandated, structured Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as partnership (2013-2020). Through historical analysis, the paper examines the shifting motivations, scales, modalities, and impacts of corporate interventions. It highlights how the locus of activity shifted from isolated charity by industrial houses to compliance-driven projects, and further towards aligning with state priorities, culminating in the NEP 2020’s explicit call for collaborative partnerships. The study concludes that while the scale and professionalism of corporate engagement have increased, challenges in equity, sustainability, and genuine integration with public systems persist. The paper suggests that the post-NEP 2020 future requires moving beyond project-based CSR to systemic, outcome-focused co-creation with government and communities.