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Established in 1979, the Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS) is involved in various social development programmes aimed at helping the rural communities living around Tata Steel's operational units. Prior to the setting up of TSRDS, Tata Steel's community initiatives were conducted through its rural and community services division. However, the fundamental differences between the imperatives of rural and urban development prompted the company to reclassify its community initiatives programmes under three units: Community Development and Social Welfare, TSRDS and Adivasi and Harijan Welfare Cell, now known as the Tribal Cultural Society.

TSRDS covered 32 villages around Jamshedpur (in the state of Jharkhand in eastern India) in its first year of operation. Today, the Society has seven separate units, six in Tata Steel's operational areas, and covers 600 villages in the states of Jharkhand and Orissa (also in eastern India). TSRDS is actively involved in the spheres of livelihood generation, health and hygiene, and people empowerment. TSRDS has expanded its agenda and identified the advancement of education, sports and self-reliance as tools to ensure a better quality of life for the people it works with.