Corporate Storytelling through CSR Disclosures During and After COVID-19: Evidence from Indian Pharmaceutical Firms

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the priorities of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and communication practices, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. This paper explores the ways in which major Indian pharmaceutical firms used CSR disclosures as strategic narrative in the midst of the pandemic and after it. CSR parts of Annual Reports, Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reports (BRSR), and other disclosures of eleven companies (2020-2023) were content analysed, using thematic analysis, sentiment analysis, and word frequency, with the help of a mixed-method content analysis. Findings show that there is a distinct shift in the narrative of pandemic relief and healthcare support to sustainability, ESG integration, digital health, and long-term development programs in the post-pandemic era. Mostly positive sentiment indicates the attempts to preserve legitimacy and confidence of stakeholders. The results underscore CSR reporting as a strategic communication tool that is not necessarily related to regulatory compliance.