Harmony of profit and planet: A study on ESG practices of Indian companies

Corporate sustainability, which considers environmental, social, and governance aspects in business activities, is crucial in attaining SDGs. Corporates across the world recognise the importance of sustainability and incorporate such practices into their business. India, a leading developing country, also considered the issue seriously, adopted various rules, and issued guidelines to inculcate sustainability practices among Indian companies. This study analyses the corporate sustainability practices among Indian companies. Based on the ESG data obtained from the Bloomberg database, the study analysed the 12-year time-span sustainability practices data of 113 non-financial companies included in Nifty200. The analysis indicates that the combined ESG score and the individual environmental and social scores suggest that these areas are not meeting expectations and require further attention. However, governance practices are comparatively outperforming the environmental and social aspects. Regulators have to ensure corporate sustainability, and additional strategies are essential to ensure better sustainability practices beyond mandating sustainability reporting.