These are India’s Most Sustainable Companies align with SDGs

Hyderabad: Today, Capri Global Capital and Hurun India debuted 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50, a list of the top 50 companies headquartered in India, ranked based on their alignment with the United Nations’ 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). 

Hurun Research started with the 2021 Hurun India 500 most valuable companies, producing a scorecard using publicly available data, including annual financial reports, ESG, CSR, sustainability reports and media.

A five-member advisory panel consisting of subject matter experts ranging from professionals to academicians helped in shaping the scoring methodology.

Key Highlights

India’s most sustainable company

With a cumulative sustainability score of 47, Grasim Industries ranked number one in the 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50. Last year, Grasim Industries contributed towards 17 sustainable development goals. Of which, four goals have measurable time-bound targets. Tech Mahindra ranked second with a sustainability score of 46, followed by Tata Power Company and Wipro.

Not all Sustainable Development Goals pursued equally

Only 14 companies featured in 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50 reported their sustainability goals against all 17 UN SDG pillars. The SDGs most prioritized by companies featured in 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50 are Climate Action (SDG13), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12). Life below water (SDG14) is the least prioritized UN SDG goal by Indian companies; only Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone have a documented measurable goal against the same.

Measurable Goals

In the 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50, the highest measured pillar was Climate Action with 37 companies measuring it. This was followed by the Responsible Consumption and Production pillar with 31 companies measuring it. With eight goals, Hindustan Unilever has the highest number of measurable Sustainable Development Goals with time-bound targets, followed by ITC, and Tech Mahindra with seven measurable goals each. Interestingly, three companies in the list have no documented measurable goals against any pillars.

Going green

A time-bound journey towards net-zero emission of greenhouse gasses: Only 29 companies featured in the 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50 have time-bound targets to achieve carbon neutrality. ITC and Infosys are the two companies that achieved carbon neutrality in 2006 and 2020 respectively. Cipla and Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. Mahindra & Mahindra, UltraTech Cement, Hindustan Zinc and Tech Mahindra implemented an internal carbon pricing policy to reduce emissions.

Key geographies and industries

2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50 came from 13 cities across India. Led by Mumbai with 27 companies and followed by New Delhi with four companies. Financial services led the way with eight companies, followed by software & services with 6 Companies. With an average score of 36, manufacturing companies in 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50 scored higher than service companies which registered an average score of 34.

Jinisha Sharma, Social Impact & Strategy, Executive, Capri Global Capital said, “We hope that this report challenges and inspires more companies, both big and small, to start their own journey on better understanding the impact of their business functions on society and environment at large. Beyond just Corporate Social Responsibility, there is a strong business case for companies that are innovating to benefit stakeholders and not just shareholders. This list is only a starting point, and we hope that more companies participate over the years.”

Anas Rahman Junaid, MD and Chief Researcher, Hurun India said: “2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50 List is targeted at stakeholders of corporations on how to adhere to 17 UN SDGs. The stories of these corporations, tell the story of sustainable development in modern India. The list indicates that India Inc. are actively pursuing structural updates to systematically measure and report sustainability goals. We hope that the list will inspire more companies to further align their business operations with UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

The Top 10 in the 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50

The priority sustainable development goals for the top 10 companies featured in 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50 are Responsible Consumption & Production, followed by Zero Hunger and Gender Equality.

2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50 –Top 10

Source: Hurun Research Institute, 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50

Measurable and time-bound targets

94% of companies featured in 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50 have a measurable time-bound target for at least one Sustainable Development Goal. 62% of companies featured in the 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50 have time-bound targets to achieve carbon neutrality.

Pillars with the highest number of measurable and time-bound targets

Source: Hurun Research Institute, 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50

Companies with the highest number of measurable time-bound targets

Source: Hurun Research Institute, 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50