The third National Conference on Responsible Business Conduct (NCRBC 2025) began on 2 July at New Delhi’s Taj Palace, convened by the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs under the theme “Integrating ESG for Viksit Bharat”. Inaugurating the two day meeting, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Road Transport & Highways Harsh Malhotra told more than 300 senior corporate leaders, ESG professionals and international delegates that India is moving from “regulatory prosecution to trust based governance”, with responsible conduct now central to business strategy.

Malhotra highlighted milestones such as the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct, mandatory Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting, and the rollout of MCA21 Version 3.0. He urged companies—from start ups to listed entities—to embed conscience alongside compliance.

Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, warned against importing “subjective” foreign ESG metrics, arguing for context specific indicators aligned with Indian priorities. UNICEF India representative Cynthia McCaffrey said ESG frameworks must protect children and families, calling them “the youngest and most vulnerable stakeholders”.

IICA Director General Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh emphasised the need for home grown frameworks, while Prof Garima Dadhich, head of IICA’s School of Business Environment, noted that NCRBC has evolved “from awareness to action”.

Day 1 featured four panels examining ESG in boardrooms, sustainable finance, EU due diligence rules and the future workforce. Regulators and industry leaders from bodies such as SEBI, NABARD, India INX and the Competition Commission of India discussed fiduciary duties, green finance and skills for low carbon jobs.

Day 2 will delve into decarbonising industry, sector specific ESG adoption, aligning BRSR with global standards and building resilient supply chains. Ambassadors from key partner countries will join a diplomatic panel on multilateral co operation. 

Supported by UNICEF, ICAI, ACCA, ILO and others, the conference positions responsible business conduct as vital to India’s ambition of becoming a developed, inclusive and ethically grounded nation by 2047.