India, April 1 -- At a municipal school in Mumbai, a corporate house has donated computers for the computer lab. In a public hospital, new equipment carries a discreet CSR tag. In a neighbourhood park, upkeep is done by an MNC that has executed the work under its name.

Scattered CSR initiatives like these - as well as new ones - have been brought onto a single platform, the 'Participate Mumbai' initiative, being launched by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on April 1.

A single-window system (see box for details on how to join the initiative) the initiative attempts to bridge the gap between resources and civic needs, and positions corporates, citizens and NGOs as active stakeholders in the city's betterment.

The BMC will cr...