Nikhil Pant is widely recognized as one of the principal thought leaders on the subject of CSR in India, having played a key roll in its rollout from Government side in 2013-14. With CSR completing a decade in 2024, he has remained deeply engaged over the last 10 years with governments, corporates, civil society and community to bring about CSR Impact with Compliance.He is actively engaged in the development sector since 1992, implementing CSR projects through the NGO REACHA as its CEO, doing grant management with Tech Mahindra Foundation (2010-2012); CSR Policy and Strategy with Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA; 2012-2017) and advising & training corporates and advisory firms through LAKSHYAA he founded in 2018, in alignment with CSR legislation and the Companies (Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Amendment Rules 2021 and 2022. In individual capacity Nikhil advises HCL Foundation on CSR since October 2019.As former Chief Programme Executive, National Foundation for CSR, IICA, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, GoI, Nikhil played a key role from government side in formulation and nation-wide rollout of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as per Section 135, Companies Act 2013 - Legislation, Rules, Policy, Strategy, Compliance (Accounting, Audit, Taxation, Reporting); he also specializes in CSR Grant Management, Monitoring & Evaluation Frameworks, Impact Assessment, Project Management etc., and is currently involved in “Compliance to Impact with Sustainability” advising to governments, corporates, NGOs and Academia on CSR and Sustainable Development. Currently as visiting faculty for the Certificate Course on Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact Assessment organised by Corporate Laws & Corporate Governance Committee of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Nikhil actively guides and trains Chartered Accountants on CSR. As Course Director, Corporate Social Responsibility & its Applied Aspects with HCL Foundation Academy, he trains development sector professionals and government functionaries on CSR – from Policy to Implementation to Tax & Audit Compliances. He engages with clients like HCL Foundation, ONGC, IIFL Foundation, Genpact, IBM, WNS Global, Sattva, Liveguard Business, Bosconet etc. to name a few. His work with Indian Army in Kashmir as CEO, REACHA has been much appreciated by the Army from time to time.