[Letter to Mr Minoo Masani]

Summary

This two-page letter from Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Shri Minoo Masani, dated November 16, 1969, responds to Masani’s letter about the social responsibilities of business. Gandhi recalls the Delhi Seminar of March 1965 and expresses disappointment that it had made little positive impact on the business community. She suggests that her Madras speech could serve as a catalyst for renewed action. Gandhi proposes a practical programme through which enlightened sections of business could demonstrate their obligations to society. The measures she identifies include avoiding tax evasion and conspicuous consumption, rigorously enforcing proper quality standards—especially for food and drugs—and pursuing these goals through voluntary action. She argues that concerted efforts of this kind would improve business’s public image and serve its long-term interests.

Key points

• The letter acknowledges Minoo Masani’s October 9, 1969, communication on the social responsibilities of business. Indira Gandhi refers to the limited impact of the Delhi Seminar of March 1965 on the business community. She hopes her Madras speech will catalyse practical action by business leaders. She identifies avoidance of tax evasion and conspicuous consumption as examples of responsible conduct. She calls for rigorous enforcement of proper quality standards, particularly for food and drugs. She presents voluntary, concerted action as a minimum feasible programme for the business community.
• She links socially responsible business conduct to both public reputation and long-term business interests.