Corporate social responsibility spending must align with Schedule VII, using project-based activities and excluding routine statutory or one-off expenses. Corporate social responsibility under section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 is to be implemented through activities relatable to Schedule VII, with Schedule VII interpreted liberally to capture the essence of the listed subjects. CSR spending must be undertaken in project or programme mode, and one-off events, advertisements, sponsorships and similar isolated activities do not qualify as CSR expenditure. Expenditure incurred to satisfy obligations under other laws is excluded. The circular also clarifies the treatment of foreign holding company spending routed through an Indian subsidiary, registered trusts, and corpus contributions to trusts, societies and section 8 companies.