A paradox on corporate social responsibility - Case study on Coca Cola

World Business Council for Sustainable Development defines Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as "The continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large." CSR, not only implies fulfillment of legal expectations, but also going beyond compliance and investing more into human capital, the environment and relations with stakeholders The relationship between industry, society and the state compels the corporate to maintain and develop their brand image and operations through service to the society and also be highly responsible and responsive to its commitments. There are some inconsistencies noted here as PARADOX with the giant beverage manufacturer and MNC, the Coca Cola. Coca-Cola India being one of the largest beverage companies in India, realized that CSR had to be an integral part of its corporate agenda. According to the company, it was aware of the environmental, social, and economic impact caused by a business of its scale and therefore it had decided to implement a wide range of initiatives to improve the quality of life of its customers, the workforce, and society at large. This case is about Coca-Cola's corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in India. It details the activities taken up by Coca-Cola India's management and employees to contribute to the society and community in which the company operates. This paper analyses the various paradox that are surrounding the beverage giant and its response to the brickbats and bouquets that will be useful for the knowledge society to understand and react.