Abstract
This study analyzes the potential role of CSR-based skill development programs in improving financial resilience among MSMEs of Uttarakhand in the post-COVID era. This study is premised upon the growing literature suggesting that MSMEs in India are prone to shocks in terms of business continuity, finances, skill development, and asymmetry in recovery efforts post-pandemic where resilience is expected to be contingent upon managerial competency, digitalization, and ecosystems. At the same time, there has been a marked transition in the Indian CSR space in terms of moving from expenditures to developmental activities.
For empirical analysis, a well-organized database of 312 MSMEs is employed using a quantitative approach in terms of submission that can be done using SPSS 28 or R/RStudio 4.2. The analysis has involved the use of a new resilience index, a newly created descriptive index, a comparison between high and low means of CSR, and a simplified regression analysis with a focus on six independent variables, including the level of corporate social responsibility, quality of skill development, digitization, financial literacy, government support, and leadership agility. Regression analysis shows a predictive power of 42.2% on financial resilience where enterprises in the high CSR group display better financial resilience compared to the low CSR group.