UN Global Compact to host event of 300 Indian leaders

Next week the United Nations Global Compact will bring together over 300 leaders from business, finance, civil society, Government and the UN in New Delhi for its flagship regional event Making Global Goals Local Business - India. Taking place on 26 - 27 April at the Le Meridien Hotel, the forum will focus on advancing responsible business practices and catalyzing innovative business models to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in India and across the world.

Organized in collaboration with Global Compact Network India, the two-day event will feature interactive plenary and breakout sessions designed to mobilize business actions, drive breakthrough innovation and create new market opportunities that advance the Global Goals.

"Achieving the SDGs in India opens up at least US$ 1 trillion in market opportunities and can generate 72 million new jobs by 2030," says UN Global Compact, CEO and Executive Director Lise Kingo. "To achieve the SDGs by 2030, we need companies of all sizes to urgently invent, develop and launch countless new ideas and solutions. The solutions and innovative new business models explored at our event in India can be scaled globally to create the world we all want."

Making Global Goals Local Business - India will include the launch of the UN Global Compact's 2017 SDG Pioneers campaign and the unveiling of the new Global Opportunity Explorer - a digital platform that provides the global business community with direct access to the most innovative business solutions around the SDGs. Findings from the Better Business, Better World India country report will be released by the Business & Sustainable Development Commission at the event.

A full agenda for the forum can be found here. A list of distinguished speakers can be found here and include:

Lise Kingo, Chief Executive Officer & Executive, UN Global Compact

Tanya Accone, Senior Advisor, UNICEF Global Innovation Centre

Nisha Agrawal, Chief Executive Officer, Oxfam India

Anita Arjundas, Chief Executive Officer, Mahindra Lifespaces

Vibha Bakshi, National Film Award-Winning Director & Producer

Rishi Chawla, Director of Public Affairs and CSR, Philips Lighting

Kanika Dewan, Founder, Ka Design Atelier

John Elkington, Chairman and Chief Pollinator, VOLANS

Marianne Haahr - Director, Global Opportunity Initiative at Sustainia

Safeena Husain, Founder and Executive Director, Educate Girls

Rana Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer, YES Bank

Sandeep Karanwal, Director, GSMA India

Rekha M. Menon, Chairman & Senior Managing Director, Accenture in India

Morten Nielsen, Chief Operations Officer, Sustainia

Vineet Rai, Founder & Chairman, Aavishkaar - Intellecap Group

Dinesh K Sarraf, President, Global Compact Network India

Mahendra Singhi, Chief Executive Officer, Dalmia Cement

Zenia Tata, Executive Director, Global Expansion, X PRIZE

Making Global Goals Local Business - India is part of the UN Global Compact's multi-year Making Global Goals Local Business campaign. Launched in 2016, the campaign aims to help companies see both their responsibilities and opportunities around the SDGs globally and on the ground through the 70+ Global Compact Local Networks.