India’s rapid economic growth in last several years has made us aware of two stark realities: it has lifted millions out of poverty; and that this economic growth has been accompanied by accelerated depletion of natural resources and rapid deterioration in environment quality. Even after six decades of effort to support development and growth, the dimensions of poverty in India is staggering. India is ranked 127th in the Human Development Index. As such poverty and destitution affects the well being of us all.
India is not endowed with sufficient natural capital in comparison to the population it supports. Though India is home to 18% of the world’s population, it only has 2.4% of the planet’s landmass, 4% of the fresh water resources and about a percent of the world’s forest. India’s ecosystems are already highly degraded. Most Indian rivers have water quality unfit for direct human use. Air quality in Indian cities is degrading despite significant improvements in emissions from vehicles and industries. The country however continues to remain on the threshold of a grave ecological crisis.
The current paradigm of rapid economic growth along with the need of conserving the natural and ecological resources, challenges the very foundation of the manner in which business is done today. It challenges the traditional business management theory, which echoes Milton Friedman’s famous statement that there is ’only one responsibility of business: to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.’
The fact that rapid economic growth is the only realistic means to lift the poor out of extreme poverty and the fact that most economic activities depend on product and services provided by the ecosystems, necessitates the ushering of a new business paradigm which enables rapid economic growth without compromising the capacity of the ecosystem to sustain, nurture and fuel economic development and human well-being. For the business fraternity, this calls for a sustainability approach of doing business, wherein business success is measured not only in terms of its financial bottom line, but also in terms of its performance in social and environmental areas. The integration of triple bottom line in the mainstream business practices is what is often referred as Corporate Sustainability.
Key Initiatives / Information
The Small Grant Programme will support small-scale coastal restoration and management efforts, prioritised, designed and where possible implemented by local communities, small-scale business or research organisations. Funding will be primarily provided for projects according to the geographical selection defined in the MFF India National Strategy and Action Plan (NSAP), including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. SGP will support projects which:
Corporate responsibility and governance need to be based on principles rather than over-regulation. Companies are subjected to a complex and challenging regulatory environment. This article by Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General (CII) was published in the Business Standard on 13 June, 2012.
The problems in the power sector are multifarious, relating to fuel shortages, lack of adequate finance, poor financial health of distribution utilities, absence of cost-reflective tariffs and peaking power shortages. In addition, land acquisition, environmental clearances, and administrative delays too discourage investments. CII recommends multiple interventions to reform the sector and ensure 24/7 power supply to the nation.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) announce the Fulbright-Nehru-CII Fellowships for Leadership in Management Program for the academic year 2012-2013. Indian business managers, whose employers would be willing to bear 50% (US$ 18,400) of the total cost (US$ 36,800), may compete to attend this specially designed management program at the Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business in Pittsburgh from May 23 to July 31, 2012. Aimed to broaden overall perspectives and to strengthen strategic, functional and leadership skills in global business, this program combines classes with group work, industry visits, and networking.
Complete announcement matter and application materials are available at USIEF website www.usief.org.in.
November 15, 2011 is the application deadline.
Through the Economic Times article the author, Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General (CII), makes a case for the fortification of the mining sector through governmental interventions such as corporatisation, support for exploration and catalysing exports.
The author believes that a strong mining sector would not only contribute more significantly to the country’s GDP but could also help focus on livelihood for displaced persons, safety for miners, use of the best-in-class technology, sustainability and a more judicious use of the natural resources.
In the Financial Express article, the author, Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General (CII) stresses the need for the new manufacturing policy to address the two key issues of increasing the sector’s share in GDP from 15% to 25% by 2022 and improving its employability.
The author feels that the government’s enacting such a policy shall enhance the global competitiveness of the manufacturing sector, restoring it to it’s pre global economic crisis stature as being one of the growth drivers of the Indian economy.
First communication from the CII President to all members after assuming the office of CII, President.
The travails of the global economy appear to be still not behind us, despite gradual recovery during 2010 from the worst global
economic conditions since World War II. Continued fiscal and debt burdens vitiate the recovery process, imparting a degree of
fragility and uncertainty to global economic conditions. The world needs a new source of growth and stability, and India, a
rapidly growing economy with strong internal demand, offers a new opportunity.
India remained relatively untrammeled by the developments in the Eurozone and reverted to close to 9% GDP growth rates in
2010. Growth was broad-based across all sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing and services. Public commitment to
calibrated exit from expansionary fiscal policy and continued corporate and household confidence have helped sustain a
virtuous growth cycle. The resurgence of the rural economy and intensified infrastructure mission further strengthened the
foundations for medium-term growth propensities.
At a time when words such as “climate change” and “global warming” are being widely used by the common man, one wonders if these terms make sense to the lay person, especially school children. In an attempt at simplifying the complexities of “Global warming,” CII had released an e-module on Environment titled Stop! In the Name of Earth, both in English and Tamil.
CII Jharkhand Council has been making concerted efforts in the direction of bringing growth and development in the State right from its inception in the year 2000. The Council facilitated Department of Industries, Govt. of Jharkhand in coming up with an Industrial Policy of Jharkhand in the year 2001. The Council also partnered Govt. in successfully organizing Udyog Mela 2007 in Ranchi & facilitating Jharkhand pavilion in IITF 2008(India international Trade Fair) at New Delhi. In order to enhance the competitiveness of industry members, CII Jharkhand Council continues to organise number of training programmes, major Conferences, seminars, workshops on Manufacturing, Agro & Food Processing, Environment, Mining & Coal, Social Development & Community Affairs, Behavioral Skills & Information Technology, as well as interactions with key Govt. Officials at Ranchi ,Jamshedpur and also at Bokaro. The Council recently called on the Hon’ble Chief Minister & Deputy Chief Minister of Jharkhand and presented them with CII Vision document : Jharkhand @ 2022, a Sustainable Vision document encompassing hope & aspiration of the people of Jharkhand. The insight of the document is aimed at enabling the key decision makers to plan and implement findings at the grass root level, leading to sustained growth and development of the State.
CII activities ensure bringing climate change discussions from back room to board room. CII Services include: Advocacy, Advisory Services,
Research, Training/Capacity Building and Publications
The present policy instruments of Government of India to various low carbon technologies and strategies constitute one of the strongest responses to global climate change by any developing country. The present policy framework to combat climate change includes:
The CII’s Climate Change Council is chaired by Mr Jamshyd Godrej, Chairman and Managing Director of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co. Ltd. The Council has been formed to strategize on implementation of the National Action Plan on Climate Change and to engage industry, policy makers and R&D institutes to formulate strategies to commit to accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies, build capacity to access and internalize cutting edge technologies.
Sustainable Development has become a priority for businesses across the globe. Since corporations are vital organs of society, corporate interests must serve societal concerns.
Climate Change has become one of the most serious threats, humanity faces today. The social and environmental responsibilities of business extend much beyond its own operations and require it to play a leading role in the fight against climate change. One of the key roles for business in a carbon c
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CII News Update
Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has launched the first-of-its-kind Rating System to address sustainability aspects in existing buildings.
The rating programme was launched during the Conference on Green Cities & Townships held in Mumbai on .....
CII with the support of UKFCO took up a project to develop fiscal instruments for low carbon industrial development in the state of West Bengal, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. The activities involved - a review of the state existing policies, developing a report on national and international best practices.....
The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, today launched the India Backbone Implementation Network (IBIN). The purpose of IBIN is to improve implementation of policies, programs, and projects, which the 12th Five Year Plan has located as the critical necessity for a.....
More than 500 delegates will convene for the Business for Environment (B4E) Global Summit on 15-16 April in New Delhi, India to find solutions for a sustainable future. The event, being co-hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Global Initiatives and the Club of Rome, will cover topi.....
Continuous Change and Improvement is the key driver for overall growth of the Organisation said by Dr Krishan Kumar, Former Director, Maruti Centre of Excellence (MACE) in his special address at the 4th Lean Six Sigma Summit organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII ) NR in New Delhi, toda.....
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Consulting / Advisory Services
Spearheading the Green Building movement in India is the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) part of the Confederation of Indian Industry.
IGBC has launched rating programmes to conceive, design & construct buildings as green buildings. In light of this, IGBC has launched green building rating system for New Construction (Government, Commercial, Institutional buildings, etc), Core & Shell (IT Parks, Malls, etc), Homes and Factory Buildings.
Sustainability Performance Assessment aims to examine how effectively businesses have succeeded in integrating factors for their social, economic and environmental performance at the decision-making and management levels. It also serves as the Secretariat for the Sustainability Awards.
Facilitating in Design, Implementation and Updation of various management systems such as Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems as per OHSAS 18001:2007; Environmental Management Systems as per ISO 14001:2004; Social Accountability as per SA 8000:2008; Integration of Management Systems (IMS
The CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development is pioneering Corporate Sustainability Management (CSM) for Indian industry in the belief that future competitiveness requires internalization of sustainability management through a clear, practical, integrated framework.
CII Awards & Recognitions
The Sustainability Awards, instituted by the CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development in 2006, are for (a) Identifying and recognising exemplary performance in economic, social and environmental dimensions of Indian business (b) Promoting role models in Indian industry and recognising excellence achieved by businesses in mainstreaming Sustainability with business practices and (c) Imparting knowledge by which the Centre builds capacity in Indian businesses to adopt sustainability practices.
The CII Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) Awards were constituted towards acknowledging the Vision and Exemplary Commitment of the CEO and his team for environmental responsibility, their concerns for occupational Health and Safety of employees and society as a whole. Today with growing awareness among people, companies are prompted to address the needs and requirements of all its employees first and society through initiation of various policies and programmes to build goodwill and confidence among all members of society.
The objective of the awards is to recognise and Award “Excellence” in Water Management in Industries and to facilitate sharing of information by excellent Water efficient companies.
With an objective of seeding green ideas in the minds of young budding professionals and also to encourage new thoughts and innovation in green design, IGBC organises the ‘Green Design Competition’ every year.
The objective of the competition is to create awareness and instill environmental responsibility among school children of today and future leaders of tomorrow.
Greening in Uttaranchal may seem to be a redundant activity, but there are alarming reports on how forests are fast disappearing in many areas.
CII and Export Import Bank of India have, in 1994, jointly established the CII-EXIM Bank Award for Business Excellence, with the aim of enhancing the Competitiveness of India Inc. The Award is based on the internationally recognized EFQM Excellence Model.
Confederation of Indian Industry (Southern Region) has launched the Eighth edition of the "Leadership and Excellence Award in Environment Health & Safety (EHS) for the year 2009" in cooperation with SHRIRAM EPC Limited.
The EHS Award was instituted in the year 2002 and it has been grand success every year and has received tremendous response from the industries in the Southern Region.
CII (ER) has an annual award scheme to recognize the excellence of its members in the spheres of safety sector during the year. The excellence in Safety Health & environment (SHE) Award is to acknowledge the vision and exemplary commitment the CEO and his team has for Environmental Responsibility, concern for occupational Health and Safety of employees and society as a whole. The objective of this Award is to evaluate an Organization’s interest towards the well being of its employees through adequate measures, not only for the Regulatory requirements, but also as a part of the Management’s Commitment towards ensuring that the workforce is adequately protected through effective Safety, Health & Environment measures. The Award is presented during the occasion of the Annual Regional Meeting of CII (ER).
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Forthcoming Events
- New Member Induction Meet
Chennai Tamil Nadu India May 20, 2013
- Product Design and Development Management
Mumbai Maharashtra India May 20, 2013 To May 24, 2013
- Four day training programme on Laboratory Management & Internal Audit as per ISO / IEC 17025:2005 for NABL accreditation
India May 21, 2013 To May 24, 2013
- Workshop on e-waste (management & handling) rules 2011
Chennai Tami Nadu India May 23, 2013
- Workshop on e-Waste (Management & Handling) Rules 2011
Chennai Tamil Nadu India May 23, 2013
- Advanced Training Programme on Green Building Rating Systems - 30 & 31 May 2013; Gurgaon
Gurgaon Haryana India May 30, 2013 To May 31, 2013
- CII- IGBC 2nd Conference on 'Sustainable Development for a Green Goa’
Campal-Panaji Goa India May 30, 2013 To May 31, 2013
- CII-Certified Lead Auditor Training on Environmental, Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems (EHSMS)
Chennai Tamil Nadu India Jun 03, 2013 To Jun 07, 2013
- Awareness Session on Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
India Jun 07, 2013
- ISO 9001:2008 Lead Auditor Training Course
India Jun 10, 2013 To Jun 14, 2013
- Conference on Green Homes 2013
Bangalore Karnataka India Jun 15, 2013
- CII WORKSHOP ON HARD GOALS
Chandigarh UT India Jun 18, 2013
- 5th edition of MADURAI RUBBER 2013
Madurai Tamil Nadu India Jun 21, 2013
- Manufacturing Innovation Conclave
Lodhi Road New Delhi - 110003 India Jun 21, 2013
- WMG Module on "Industrial Engineering"
Mumbai Maharashtra India Jul 01, 2013 To Jul 05, 2013
- GreenCo Summit 2013
Pune Maharashtra India Jul 11, 2013 To Jul 12, 2013
- Conference on Green Apartments
India Jul 12, 2013 To Jul 13, 2013
- 7th PaperTech 2013
Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh India Jul 18, 2013 To Jul 19, 2013
- 9th India Innovation Summit 2013
Bangalore Karnataka India Aug 07, 2013 To Aug 08, 2013
- Green Building Congress 2013
India Oct 22, 2013 To Oct 26, 2013
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