Corporations in India have a powerful opportunity to positively impact the country’s social landscape and tackle one of the most pressing issues in the country: lack of access to sanitation and hand hygiene. Since 2014, when the Indian government mandated companies with a net worth of five billion rupees or more (among other criteria) to dedicate 2% of their profits to CSR activities, a huge opportunity opened up for meaningful corporate contributions.

Many companies recognise the value of the WASH sector in achieving maximum impact for their investments; the sector receives 20-30% of all CSR spending in India. Water, sanitation, and hygiene are fundamental to people’s quality of life, and leveraging CSR investments in this sector has a significant and long-term impact on families and communities across India. WASH, represented in SDG 6, is also foundational to achieving other SDGs, from Good Health and Wellbeing to Quality Education and Gender Equality.

As companies are increasingly expected to report on the impact of their CSR spending, many are looking to their current NGO partners and wondering how they can improve their impact. This is where SATO, as a private-sector partner, can strengthen corporate CSR spending through its safe and effective sanitation and hygiene products that have empowered communities in underserviced areas all over the world to achieve decent and dignified sanitation.

SATO is therefore perfectly placed to work with NGOs to enhance their impact and demonstrate that their CSR investments have a foundational impact on society. In turn, these companies can demonstrate to their stakeholders that they take their CSR spending seriously and are always looking to achieve maximum returns as they would in any other business investment.

An extensive supply network across India means SATO products are accessible wherever they are needed. This flexibility is crucial for large-scale projects, such as sanitation for large religious congregations or community toilets for villages and schools. These are just a few examples that highlight the urgent need for effective, easily deployable and sustainable sanitation and hygiene solutions that also save water. SATO’s products, designed for exactly these environments, offer quick, affordable, water-saving, safe sanitation and hygiene that can be readily installed and maintained.

SATO’s approach goes beyond simply providing products; it’s about delivering impactful, lasting solutions. We have demonstrated this through our extensive list of previous collaborations, like our partnership with Indorama in Nigeria, in which Indorama financed the initial installation of over 18,000 toilets in the factory’s surrounding community and committed to adding 25,000 more units annually for four years, impacting more than 400,000 lives, These toilet were provided free of charge to communities and over 400 masons were trained to manage their long-term maintenance.

The collaboration is not only addressing sanitation access but is also empowering local economies, contributing to Nigeria’s health and economic development goals. This partnership model underscores SATO’s commitment to enhancing the reach of NGOs’ efforts and achieving long-term change through a collaborative, ground-up approach. Working with SATO as a partner means stretching the impact of funding to reach communities efficiently and sustainably.

While India’s CSR landscape is driven largely by private corporations (their spending accounts for 86% of all CSR spending in India), Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) also contribute meaningfully. SATO’s position as a key supplier and facilitator helps PSUs be able to leverage their CSR spending to enhance sanitation in the areas in which they work.

For example, enormous infrastructure projects in India often struggle to meet the sanitation needs of their large workforces. SATO’s water-saving sanitation and hygiene solutions address this need in a cost-effective and environmentally conscious way, providing solutions for large groups while conserving resources. By offering this versatility, SATO empowers PSUs to address sanitation needs across diverse settings, whether in community-focused CSR projects or corporate workforce initiatives.

SATO’s impact also comes from our ability to facilitate connections between corporations and local NGOs. SATO has established a network of trusted execution partners to implement sanitation projects on the ground, ensuring corporations don’t need to manage complex logistics directly. SATO helps guide companies toward NGOs that align with our mission of sustainable sanitation, ensuring CSR funds are put to the best possible use and that products are valued and maintained over time. This collaboration extends beyond product supply, supporting NGOs in building robust programs that translate funding into sustainable progress.

As Indian corporations and NGOs look to create meaningful change through CSR spending, SATO stands as a committed partner, offering expertise and products that multiply the impact of every rupee spent. Working with SATO, corporations gain a trusted facilitator who ensures that CSR funds yield tangible benefits, creating healthier, happier communities. SATO’s role as a catalyst for effective CSR spending allows companies to meet both their regulatory and social obligations, creating a path toward long-term social progress in sanitation and hygiene for a better India.