Companies that choose voluntary compliance and report thoroughly on their own sustainability build trust among stakeholders. They also strengthen their internal processes and stand a better chance of being globally competitive. How do Indian companies fare? Do they see reporting on themselves as an opportunity or a mere formality? Is sustainability seen across the range of engagements with society? Or is it limited to a handful of factory floor practices? Is it wrongly confused with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?
To find out, Civil Society spoke to Dr. Bimal Arora, chairperson of the Centre for Responsible Business (CRB). Dr. Arora has been interacting with Indian and global companies on questions of sustainability for more two decades. He has been a keen observer of corporate behaviour. In November, CRB organised a conference in New Delhi on ‘India and Sustainability Standards’ to encourage Indian companies to learn and introspect.