In the early 2000s, a young officer in the Indian Air Force spent his days working with machines and systems, making sure everything ran smoothly with precision and care. That officer was Flight Lieutenant (Retired) Rajesh Ayapilla. Little did he know that the discipline he learned in uniform would one day help him make a very different kind of impact—one focused not on machinery, but on people and the planet.
Today, Rajesh Ayapilla is the Senior Director of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at The Coca-Cola Company, leading sustainability efforts across India and SouthWest Asia. His journey from the defense sector to driving social and environmental change in the corporate world is nothing short of inspiring.
A Career Shift with a Purpose
After his time in the Air Force, Rajesh moved into the private sector, taking on technical and environmental roles. He quickly stood out for his ability to combine operational expertise with a strong desire to create positive change. But something didn’t sit right with him.
“At that time, CSR was often treated like a side activity—something done for compliance or image,” Rajesh recalls. “That never felt enough to me.”
He knew CSR needed to be more than a checkbox. So, he made it his mission to bring CSR from the sidelines into the core of how companies operate. Over time, Rajesh became a respected sustainability strategist, helping businesses understand that real responsibility means tackling their biggest social and environmental challenges head-on.
Focusing on What Truly Matters
Rajesh Ayapilla believes that the most important thing in CSR is focusing on what really matters for each industry.
“Every industry leaves its own mark,” he says. “The real question is—are we working on the most important issues?”
For agriculture-based sectors, that might mean water conservation. For packaging companies, it could mean optimize resources and improving recycling. Rajesh encourages businesses to focus their efforts on these “material” issues—the ones that truly make a difference. His advice to those starting in CSR is simple and powerful:
“Don’t just do good. Do good that matters.”
Listening Before Acting
Rajesh Ayapilla is also a strong believer in listening. He shares a story from a village project where his team planned to build a water tank. But after talking with the local people, they learned that what was really needed were check dams to catch and store rainwater.
That small shift in approach made a big difference—and it taught a big lesson.
“You can’t just show up with solutions,” he says. “You have to listen first. Real impact comes from working with communities, not for them.”
Working Together for Bigger Impact
While many companies work on CSR projects alone, Rajesh sees more value in collaboration. He’s known for building partnerships with governments, NGOs, academic institutions—even competitors—if it helps achieve better results.
“Progress doesn’t care who gets the credit,” he says with a smile. “It only cares that real change happens.”
By connecting different players—from grassroots organizations to international agencies—he creates strong ecosystems that last, instead of one-off projects that fade.
Measuring Change—and Telling Stories That Matter
For Rajesh Ayapilla, measurement is essential.
“It’s not just about having a dashboard,” he explains. “It’s about being accountable.”
He makes sure every project has clear goals and measurable results—whether it’s water conserved, waste reduced, or jobs created. But what sets his approach apart is how he brings those numbers to life through human stories.
A water project isn’t just about liters saved—it’s about the farmer who can now grow multiple crops. A waste center isn’t just about recycling rates—it’s about women earning a steady income.
“When you mix data with real stories,” Rajesh says, “you create something powerful and believable.”
Making CSR a Company-Wide Culture
One of Rajesh’s biggest achievements isn’t just the projects he’s led—it’s the culture he’s built. He believes CSR should be a part of everyone’s job, not just one department.
He promotes employee volunteering, storytelling, and leadership that treats CSR as a strategic priority. “If you want real impact,” he says, “your people have to feel like they’re part of it.”
To make this happen, he supports things like paid volunteer days, internal awareness campaigns, and hands-on field visits. “You can’t care about the world from behind a desk,” he says warmly.
In his view, employees are not just workers—they are potential changemakers. When staff across departments see the value of their work reflected in real-world outcomes, it naturally boosts engagement, innovation, and a shared sense of purpose.
Leading with Purpose
Rajesh Ayapilla also believes that today’s CSR leaders must embrace adaptability. As global challenges evolve—climate change, resource scarcity, social inequality—the need for dynamic, forward-looking strategies has never been greater. He emphasizes that CSR cannot be a fixed blueprint; instead, it should remain agile, responding to real-time data, local insights, and global shifts.
His approach also includes a strong focus on capacity building—not just within communities, but inside organizations. Rajesh advocates for training internal teams to think through a sustainability lens, equipping them with the tools to evaluate decisions not only by short-term returns but by long-term impact. This, he says, creates a ripple effect where sustainability becomes second nature, embedded into everyday operations.
Moreover, Rajesh Ayapilla pushes for a more inclusive CSR model, where stakeholders across the value chain—suppliers, contractors, and even customers—are invited into the dialogue. He believes shared accountability deepens impact and spreads awareness. “When you widen the circle of responsibility, you widen the circle of impact,” he often notes.
He also champions transparency, encouraging organizations to openly share both successes and lessons learned. In his view, honest reflection not only builds credibility but fosters a learning culture—one where progress is constant, and the path to meaningful change is never walked alone.
Looking Ahead: Purposeful Leadership for the Future
As ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards become more important, Rajesh Ayapilla believes the future of CSR leadership lies in purpose—not just process.
He mentors young professionals to be bold, curious, and grounded. “CSR isn’t a checklist,” he reminds them. “It’s a chance to change how business works.”
He envisions a world where sustainability isn’t a strategy layered on top of profit-making, but rather a natural part of it. In his eyes, truly great businesses will be the ones that succeed by serving people and the planet—not in spite of them.
Rajesh Ayapilla’s journey is far from over. With every project, partnership, and community impact, he continues to shape a future where business success and social responsibility go hand in hand.
His story reminds us that true leadership listens, collaborates, and acts with purpose—always keeping people at the heart of the mission.
Rajesh Ayapilla’s 5 Guiding Principles for CSR Leaders
- Solve What Matters Most: Focus on material issues aligned with your business and community needs.
- Design with, Not for: Always involve the community in shaping the intervention.
- Partner for Power: Strategic collaborations amplify impact.
- Measure and Share: KPIs matter—but so do the stories behind them.
- Build a CSR Culture: Make sustainability everyone’s job, not just the CSR team’s.
