IICA and MCA Hosts Inter-Ministerial Workshop on Responsible Business Conduct

In her special address, Ms. Anuradha Thakur, Additional Secretary, MCA, highlighted IICA's efforts in promoting responsible business conduct across the country.

The School of Business Environment at the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), organized an inter-ministerial workshop on "Responsible Business Conduct in India" on Monday in New Delhi. The workshop aimed to align policies of various ministries with responsible business practices, share progress on relevant policies and schemes, discuss the need for collaborative action, and gather inputs for documenting initiatives that contribute to Viksit Bharat.

In her special address, Ms. Anuradha Thakur, Additional Secretary, MCA, highlighted IICA's efforts in promoting responsible business conduct across the country. She emphasized the importance of Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) in achieving the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and detailed the evolution of the RBC ecosystem in India, providing key insights for advancing sector initiatives in this area.

Shri Amit Kumar Ghosh, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, underscored the government's role in safeguarding the rights of disadvantaged groups, including people with disabilities and transgender individuals. He particularly emphasized the NAMASTE scheme, which aims to empower sanitation workers.

Shri Shyam S. Dubey, Controller General of Accounts, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, highlighted the Ministry of Finance's role in promoting responsible financial practices. He informed the dignitaries about the ministry's efforts to enhance transparency and accountability in financial disbursement through initiatives like the Public Financial Management System (PFMS).

Ms. Nusrat Khan, Business and Human Rights National Specialist at UNDP, discussed the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and various international regulations and standards that support responsible business conduct. She shared best practices from around the world, compared the evolution of global and Indian RBC initiatives, and emphasized the importance of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights in achieving the UN Agenda 2030, noting that 90% of the Sustainable Development Goals are linked to human rights. Ms. Khan also highlighted the legal initiatives in India promoting RBC and their business benefits.

Dr. Garima Dadhich, Associate Professor and Head of the School of Business Environment at IICA, outlined the nine principles of the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct. She presented various schemes and initiatives from different ministries that align with these principles and moderated the inter-ministerial discussions, stressing the importance of collaboration among ministries and agencies in promoting responsible business practices among Indian companies.

In her vote of thanks, Dr. Dadhich expressed gratitude to all speakers and participants for their valuable contributions, stating that the workshop would pave the way for further dialogue and collaboration on RBC among relevant stakeholders.

Key outcomes of the workshop included the decision to compile a compendium of relevant initiatives from different ministries and agencies related to responsible business conduct.

The workshop was attended by approximately 30 senior officers from various ministries, including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Department of Public Enterprises, Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Mines, and Ministry of Women & Child Development. This was the second inter-ministerial workshop on the subject, following the first one held in January 2024 in New Delhi.