Business Today 22 June 2025

Sustainability has moved beyond buzzwords and boardroom pledges, with India Inc. proving it with action. For three consecutive years, Business Today has spotlighted sustainability efforts in corporate India. But 2025 marks a turning point. This year, for the first time, we have released an entire edition dedicated exclusively to sustainability, accompanied by a flagship event that celebrates those leading the charge. At the heart of this effort is the BT India’s Most Sustainable Companies 2025 initiative, an effort to recognise companies that have demonstrated exemplary commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. These are businesses that are not merely complying with regulatory mandates but are embedding sustainability into the very core of their strategies. The evaluation process for the awards was rigorous and transparent. CareEdge ESG Ratings, the knowledge…

LEADERS & THE ENVIRONMENT BIG CORPORATES ACROSS THE GLOBE HAVE BEEN SHOWING INTEREST IN ESG NOTE THE SURVEY SHOWS RESPONSES FROM LARGEST 100 COMPANIES EACH IN 58 COUNTRIES, TERRITORIES AND JURISDICTIONS; SOURCE KPMG, THE MOVE TO MANDATORY REPORTING SURVEY OF SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING 2024 ON THE RISE CSR SPENDING IN INDIA HAS RISEN MORE THAN TWO TIMES IN THE PAST DECADE SOURCE PRIMEINFOBASE.COM PRIORITY SEGMENTS FIRMS SPENDING HEAVILY ON EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENT AND ERADICATING HUNGER TO FULFIL SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES NOTE AS MANY AS 1,394 COMPANIES SPENT ON CSR IN FY24 SOURCE PRIMEINFOBASE.COM TOP CSR PLAYERS HDFC BANK TOPS THE LIST OF COMPANIES IN TERMS OF AMOUNT SPENT ON CSR IN FY24 SOURCE PRIMEINFOBASE.COM PER CAPITA EMISSION AMONG THE MAJOR CARBON PRODUCING COUNTRIES, INDIA GENERATES THE LOWEST PER CAPITA EMISSION SOURCE WORLDOMETER ₹…

Sustainability is no longer a buzzword—it is a necessity for businesses today. Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director of Nestlé India, talks to Karishma Asoodani about the FMCG major’s commitment to the environment. From its centuryold relationship with Indian farmers to ambitious net-zero targets and cutting-edge eco-initiatives, Narayanan highlights how sustainability is embedded in Nestlé India’s DNA. Edited excerpts: Q: How do you envision the role of leadership in driving sustainability in a country like India? A: I think the role of leadership is more than just guiding the fortunes of a corporation. The role of leadership is also to instil a sense of hope, action and sustainability for corporate operations. And, in so - far as it impacts the environment, it is an important role. Nestlé is blessed across…

PUBLIC SECTOR giant Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has been focused on sustainability for years. It first started using wind power as far back as 2006. But the real thrust was a while away. P. S. Murty, Executive Director (Health, Safety & Environment) and a company veteran, admits that the focus on sustainability took off on the back of poor ESG (environmental, social and governance) ratings. That was in 2020-21. “It has been an eventful period since then and we have covered a lot of distance,” he says. Today, ESG moves all aspects of the organisation’s strategy. For instance, for the field staff, 2% weight in key performance indicators is given to their green contribution. “The thinking must continuously evolve,” he says. The change over the last few years has been…

TATA STEEL’S COMMITMENT to sustainability is not a reaction to recent environmental pressures, it’s a legacy embedded in its corporate DNA. Decades before sustainability became a corporate mandate, the company was laying the groundwork for responsible industrial development. As early as 1927, Tata Steel established Tata Pigments to repurpose steelmaking waste, showcasing a vision for circularity long before the term entered mainstream discourse. In the 1940s, the construction of Dimna Lake to supply water to Jamshedpur, the industrial township it helped build, signalled an integrated approach to infrastructure, community, and the environment. In 2020, this philosophy took structured form through the launch of Project Aalingana, derived from the Sanskrit word for “embrace.” The initiative formalised Tata Steel’s sustainability goals around three pillars: emissions reduction, circularity, and biodiversity. With a bold target…

AT A TIME when sustainability has become a boardroom priority requiring urgent decision-making and transparency, Mahindra & Mahindra has set the benchmark for corporate accountability. In recognition of these efforts, Mahindra & Mahindra has been selected as the winner in the ‘Best Disclosures and Transparency’ and ‘Best Auto OEM’ categories in Business Today’s inaugural Most Sustainable Companies Awards. The jury recognised the company’s commitment to clear, consistent, and comprehensive ESG (environmental, social and governance) reporting. “In FY24, we implemented several sustainability-focused projects across our manufacturing facilities, with a strong emphasis on energy conservation,” says Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director, Auto and Farm Business, at Mahindra & Mahindra. Jejurikar highlights some of the initiatives taken by the company as an automobile manufacturer. The company replaced traditional air circulators with BLDC technology air circulators.…