MGTM05 MBA DISSERTATION MODULE

MBA DISSERTATION PROPOSAL

Student Name:Simranjit Kaur

Project Title: THE ROLE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) IN BUILDING

Keywords: Ethical sourcing, transparency, and sustainability messaging. Indian food brands
Research
Project Aim (s): The main
Background: purpose
Indian foodof the research like
industries is to understand
Amul andwhether Corporate
Haldiram Social
are one Responsibility
of the largest sectors
helps to create consumer trust in the Indian food brands such as Amul and Haldiram.
contributing to the national economy, which includes packaged foods, dairy, beverages, and processed
agricultural products (Haldiram, 2025; Amul, 2024). As the lifestyle changes, disposable income
increases,
Research and the urbanisation process continuously advances, Indian consumers are proving to have an
Objectives:
increasing preference towards branded food products. At the same time, there has been a growing
 To determine how consumers perceive CSR activities of Indian food brands like Amul and Haldiram.
consumer awareness about food safety, ethical business practices and environmental sustainability (Khan
 To determine the impact of the ethical sourcing practices on consumer trust.
and Fatma, 2023). Cases of food adulteration, deceiving labeling, and unethical procurement have also
 To investigate how transparency can be used to build consumer trust in the Indian food brands.
increased consumertheawareness
 To determine influence ofthus trust is amessages
sustainability very important
on consumeraspect of brand
credibility selection among food
and trust.
consumers.
Research Questions:
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a significant strategic instrument that Amul and
 What
Haldiram food are the perceptions
brands of Indian validity
use to enhance consumersandtowards CSR trust
consumer programmes by Amul
(Haldiram, 2025;and Haldiram
Amul, 2024).food
The
brands?
corporative model of Amul and Haldiram helps to strengthen customer trust by providing transparent
 sourcing
milk How doesdirectly
ethical sourcing
from ruralinfluence the consumer
areas dairy [Link] towards the
Regulatory Indian food
relevance brands?
of CSR in India was realized
 What is the role of transparency in the disclosure of information in consumer trust?
after the enactment of the Companies Act 2013 that requires qualifying firms to use their resources on
 How far do the sustainability messages influence consumer trust in the Indian food industry?
CSR. As a result, the food brands have paid more attention to ethical sourcing of raw materials,
transparent supply chain operation, sustainability efforts, and responsible communication. Such
initiatives are commonly relayed by sustainability reports, packaging details and marketing initiatives
(Fatma and Khan, 2023). Even as there is increased focus on CSR there is uncertainty about the way the
Indian consumers understand and assess these efforts. Although businesses spend much money on their
CSR initiatives,
Literature Review: it isAvailable
not always evidentsuggests
literature whetherthat
these
CSRinitiatives can actually
is important increase
in influencing consumer
consumer trust or
attitudes
and behavioural intentions. Based on the CSR model developed by Carroll, the ethical and philanthropic
responsibility forms a part and parcel of socially responsible business behaviour, especially in social high
impact industries like food production. According to previous research, ethical sourcing practices have a
positive impact on brand credibility because they send positive signals of fairness, quality assurance and
social responsibility in supply chains. As stated by Toshmirzaev et al. (2022), transparency has been a
major issue that has received numerous discussions as a determinant of consumer trust. Scholars
postulate that clear reporting, proper labeling, reporting of sourcing and sincere sustainability reporting
cuts information asymmetry and improves the perceived integrity of the brand. Transparency is
particularly relevant in the food sector since consumers depend on brands to provide them with safety
and nutrition information. It's consistent emphasis on quality control and their fair pricing has been
reflected in a strong commitment to economic as well as social responsibility in both Amul and Haldiram
(Haldiram, 2025; Amul, 2024).
Another significant aspect of CSR is sustainability messaging. Studies have shown that a sustainability-
related communication may enhance the consumer 1trust when considered as genuine and aligned with
what is actually happening in the business. As argued by Yan et al. (2022), nonetheless, a number of
2
References:
Adhikari, S. and Sapkota, A., 2024. The influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on brand Loyalty among FMCG
Consumers in the Kathmandu Valley. Journal of Business and Social Sciences Research, 9(2), pp.17-34.
[Link]
Amul, 2024, Amul Model, Available at: [Link] [Access On: 12/2/2026]
Amul 2025, Gujrat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, Available at: [Link] [Access On:
12/2/2026]
Chavan, M., Gowan, S. and Vogeley, J., 2023. Collaborative corporate social responsibility praxis: case studies from
India. Social Responsibility Journal, 19(2), pp.229-248.
[Link]
Fatma, M. and Khan, I., 2023. Corporate social responsibility and brand advocacy among consumers: The mediating
role of brand trust. Sustainability, 15(3), p.2777. [Link]
Haldiram, 2025, CSR Activities, Available at: [Link] [Access On: 16/4/2026]
Khan, I. and Fatma, M., 2023. CSR influence on brand image and consumer word of mouth: Mediating role of brand
trust. Sustainability, 15(4), p.3409. [Link]