“Launch of the Theme Paper and Best Practice Compendium on ESG and Sustainability Leadership”
New Delhi, August 20, 2025 – The UN Global Compact Network India (UN GCNI) successfully convened the ESG and Sustainability Leadership Summit – Edition 2 at PHD House, New Delhi. The event, themed “Embedding ESG for Sustainable and Resilient Business and Supply Chains,” brought together distinguished leaders from industry, government, academia, and civil society.
The Summit was supported by TVS Motors Pvt Ltd as Title Partner; PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) as Industry Partner; Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad as Knowledge Partner; with contributions from Shikhar – Organization for Development (Memento Partner), CSR Times (Media Partner), and Fitsol (Decarbonization Partner).
Inaugural Session Highlights
The Inaugural Session featured a Welcome Address by Shri Sanjeev Kumar Verma, Vice President, Western Region, UN GCNI & Head – Health, Environment & Safety, Grasim Industries. He emphasized the urgency of embedding ESG into core strategies, citing regulatory frameworks such as SEBI’s BRSR Core and global directives like the EU’s CSDDD and CBAM.
Shri Thakur Pherwani, Chief Sustainability Officer, TVS Motors, in his Opening Remarks, underlined the urgency of tackling climate change, highlighting India’s climate risks and opportunities in green finance, the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, and net-zero pathways.
Dr. Somnath Singh, Deputy Director, UN GCNI, delivered the Summit Overview, emphasizing ESG as a defining framework for resilience and sustainability across supply chains and healthcare systems.
The Theme Address was delivered by Prof. Anjal Prakash, ISB Hyderabad, who stressed that ESG must move beyond compliance to become a cultural and strategic imperative.
Special Addresses were delivered by:
- Shri Ashwini Kumar, Economic Adviser, Ministry of Steel, on decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors.
- Shri Ashwini Saxena, CEO, GMR Varalakshmi Foundation, on ESG in steel, infrastructure, and aviation.
- Shri Ashok Pavadia, Founder Director, Council for Research on Policy and Governance, on governance, integrity, and accountability as the foundation of ESG.
Dr. Jubilee Purkayastha, Scientist F & Joint Director, INMAS, DRDO, Government of India, delivered the Guest of Honour Address, underscoring the role of science and innovation in embedding ESG across business and supply chains.
Plenary Sessions & Dialogues
Plenary Session 1: Explored ESG as a lever for resilience with insights, moderated by Ms. Sanchita Gairola Mishra (Vision360) with experts’ inputs from PwC India, GAIL, and Godrej Properties.
Plenary Session 2: Focused on Digital ESG Transformation, moderated by Mr. Jaganath Sanyal (Kedge Business School, France,) with expert leaders from Fitsol, TCS, and Green Edge Ventures.
Plenary Session 3: Discussed ESG in Healthcare, moderated by Dr. Sunil K. Khetrapal (AHPI), with expert inputs from PCI India, ESG Services, and Global CSR Heads.
The Summit also featured Ignite Talks on ESG & Innovation with perspectives from TVS Motors, PCI India, Bureau Veritas, BSI Group, Carlsberg India and PHDCCI, and a Masterclass on Next-Gen ESG Leaders moderated by Dr. Somnath Singh, with contributions from Consocia Advisory, Bureau Veritas, and Augustalent.
Key Milestone
A major highlight was the launch of Theme Paper & Best Practice Compendium on ESG and Sustainability Leadership and the UN GCNI–IMT Ghaziabad Study: “Creating Effective ESG Action Plans for Businesses and Supply Chains”, providing businesses with a roadmap for ESG integration, sectoral best practices, and supply chain sustainability.
Closing Reflections
Delivering the Valedictory Address, Dr. Manas Paul, IMT Ghaziabad, stressed that ESG is no longer about compliance but about culture, leadership, and resilience. Adding to it Mr. Arya Dev from UN GCNI, shared an overview of UN GCNI–IMT Ghaziabad Study and future Roadmap for ESG integration in Academic curriculum and business model as well.
In closing Remarks, Dr. Somnath Singh, reaffirmed that ESG must be embraced as a transformational lever for responsible growth and collective action.
