The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) successfully concluded the third batch of its prestigious IICA Certified Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG) Professional-Impact Leader Programme. The programme culminated with a comprehensive workshop on the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) Core framework on September 6, 2024, in New Delhi.

The delegates of Batch III, now alumni of IICA, have joined the National Association of Impact Leaders (NAIL) — a leading community of IICA-trained ESG professionals. NAIL offers a dynamic platform for continuous professional development, fostering an environment of knowledge exchange, ongoing learning, and sharing of best practices in the ESG field across India.

The workshop, a key component of the four-day in-person session for Batch III, began on September 3, 2024, and brought together distinguished speakers and industry leaders to discuss the latest insights and best practices related to the BRSR Core framework.

A notable highlight of the event on September 3 was the Shark Tank-style presentations by the delegates.

In his keynote address, Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey, Director General & CEO of IICA, emphasised on the vital role of ESG leadership in realising the vision of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India). “As we work towards a developed India, the integration of ESG principles is not merely a necessity but a moral imperative. The leaders graduating from this programme are set to be the catalysts for advancing responsible business practices in India,” Dr. Pandey said.

The one-day BRSR Core workshop featured experts from IICA, SEBI, Deloitte, KPMG, and Partners in Change, who highlighted the importance of BRSR Core in advancing sustainable business practices in India. The workshop garnered exceptional participation from over 170 corporate professionals, including sustainability experts, C-suite executives, environmental health and safety officers, CSR professionals, ESG analysts, finance professionals, government officials, industry chamber representatives, multinational companies, international bodies, and policymakers.

ESG leadership advances corporate adoption of BRSR Core practices after IICA's professional impact leader programme and workshop. IICA concluded its third cohort of the IICA Certified ESG Professional Impact Leader Programme with a workshop on the BRSR Core framework, combining expert sessions and participant presentations to build practical capacity for implementing BRSR Core principles. Graduates join the National Association of Impact Leaders (NAIL) to enable ongoing professional development and peer knowledge exchange, targeting sustainability officers, executives, CSR and ESG professionals, finance personnel, and policymakers to advance corporate adoption of BRSR Core-aligned practices.