The School of Business Environment (SoBE), Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) conducted a one full-day workshop on Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR),  in New Delhi.

The workshop highlighted the impelling elements of BRSR Disclosures and resolution through more than eight technical sessions which were attended by over 150 aspiring Responsible Business practitioners.  These workshop began with an inaugural address by Shri Praveen Kumar, DG & CEO, IICA. He emphasised that the role of ESG and BRSR is not merely on compliance or cost to company, it is actually strategic Investment. He highlighted that this training will go a long way in fulfilling the extreme demand of ESG professionals.

The discussion in first Technical Session centred around the topic of ‘Inter-linking of ESG-NGRBC-BRSR Principles’ was taken by Prof. Garima Dadhich, Associate Professor & Head SoBE, IICA and discussed and explained the various Principles of NGRBC and their relevance with BRSR.  She emphasised that ‘Disclosures’ are opportunities to know, show and improve. The next Session was on BRSR- Industrial Perspective was taken by Mr. Bharat Wakhlu, Founder-President, the Wakhlu Advisory. This highly interactive session brought to the fore the core issues of healthy and joyful living in the present and for future generations underscoring the role and responsibility of Industries.

The next session on ‘Illustrating Top Companies BRSR Database’ was taken by Mr. Dhiraj, Lead-Programmes, PRAXIS exemplified the growth and acceptance by companies acknowledging and learning the journey of BRSR with numbers and statistics. He pointed out that BRSR be treated like a ‘Roadmap’ and not a strict compliance format, it is a mechanism to engage and help corporates. Mr. Pradeep Narayanan, Chief Executive Officer, Partner in Change, in his session on ‘Significance of Human Rights and DE & I (NGRBC Principle 6)’ delved on the social equity and inclusion issues having a bearing on the businesses and explained the ‘materiality approach’ and ‘saliency approach’. 

The Session on ‘Women and Children Friendly Policies (NGRBC Principles 3, 5 and 8)’ by Mr. Shubrajyoti Bhowmik, Public and Private Partnership Officer, UNICEF highlighted the need to protect the rights and create safety measures for women and children.  It should not be done with the intent of fulfilling policy requirement but businesses need to demonstrate their commitment to ethical and socially responsible conduct, aligning with global sustainability goals and creating a positive impact on society.

Dr. Ravi Raj Atrey, Chief Programme Executive, SoBE, IICA, spearheaded the session on ESG as a tool of establishing a Responsible Brand and shared the interlinkages of sustainability with responsible branding. He also explained how the tree model can help in achieving the responsible behaviour of businesses. The final session was on Exploring ‘S’ of ESG by Mr. Dinesh Agrawal, Principal Consultant, Consocia Advisory and highlighted the examination of the social impact and responsibility of businesses and investments. He emphasised that ‘S’ symbolises including fair labour practices, diversity and inclusion and employee wellbeing. Integrating social considerations into ESG frameworks reflects a growing recognition that sustainable business practices must go hand-in-hand with social responsibility for long-term success and positive societal outcomes.

A vote of thanks was extended by Prof. Garima Dadhich.

Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting reframes ESG disclosures as strategic investment and a compliance framework for responsible corporate conduct. BRSR and ESG disclosure obligations are framed as strategic frameworks for corporate transparency and accountability, with disclosures serving as a roadmap to engage stakeholders and integrate sustainability into corporate strategy. The workshop linked ESG with NGRBC principles, emphasizing materiality and saliency approaches, human rights due diligence, DE&I, and women- and children-friendly policies as operative elements for legal compliance and responsible business conduct.