Sustainable Firms

Power dressing redux: Premium menswear goes down a different path

From fit to fabric, the modern executive's wardrobe is all about precision, comfort, and quiet confidence

Khetika bets big on clean-label food chain, looks to expand to 40 cities

The company has raised $18 million to expand tech-enabled farming platform that connects smallholders directly to consumers seeking chemical-free staples

Delhi govt working on long-term solution for sustainable transportation: CM

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday said her government is working on long-term solutions for clean and sustainable transportation, after the government urged the Centre's air quality panel to immediately suspend the fuel ban on overage vehicles. In his letter to Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) chairman Rajesh Verma, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the fuel ban is not feasible and that it cannot be implemented due to technological challenges. The move came three days after the ban came into effect in the national capital. "In view of the hardships being faced by the citizens of Delhi, our government has written to the CAQM, requesting a reconsideration of the decision to stop supplying fuel to end-of-life (EOL) vehicles. This decision is adversely affecting the daily lives and livelihoods of millions of families," Gupta said in a post on X in Hindi. She said her government is fully committed to controlling air pollution and is working on long-te

UP govt plans green aviation fuel policy to link farming with clean energy

India's top agricultural producer is developing a plan to increase its portfolio of clean energy such as compressed biogas

Sharmistha Panoli's accuser booked for hate speech, missing: Kolkata Police

Kolkata Police have filed an FIR against Wajahat Khan Qadri, who filed a case against influencer Sharmistha Panoli. Qadri is now absconding over allegations of posting hate content online

Scents & Sensibilities: The right perfume can be a game-changer for you

From mass-market mists to niche luxury blends, India's perfume market is booming. As spending on fragrances soars, a new olfactory culture is taking shape - a bottle at a time

Byju's fallout lingers but edtech ecosystem bets on long-term benefits

Following Byju's crash-and-burn, both industry players and investors are moving away from a valuations game to larger issues of governance and sustainable growth

UFlex to invest over Rs 750 cr on new Mexico unit, recycling plant at Noida

Flexible packaging and solutions firm UFlex Ltd is investing over Rs 750 crore to set up a woven polypropylene bags manufacturing plant in Mexico and a new recycling facility at Noida, to be operational in 2025-26, according to its Chairman and Managing Director Ashok Chaturvedi. The company's board had approved setting up of the woven polypropylene bags (WPP) manufacturing plant in Mexico at an investment of USD 50 million (nearly Rs 435 crore) to cater to North and South American pet food market, along with the recycling unit at Noida a an investment of Rs 317.11 crore last week. "With an estimated investment of USD 50 million, this plant will be the first WPP packaging plant in Mexico catering to the lucrative North and South American pet food (bags) market, estimated at approximately USD 90 billion USD in 2025 and expected to reach approximately USD 135 billion by 2030," Chaturvedi said. The plant in Mexico will have a capacity of 80 million bags per annum and the capacity will

Ola marks 4,000-store milestone with tier-3 town EV network expansion

The electric vehicle company said it is committed to driving large-scale EV adoption enabling deeper penetration beyond tier-1 and tier-2 cities to almost every town and tehsil across India

Sebi defers ESG disclosure deadline under BRSR framework by 1 yr to FY26

Markets regulator Sebi has decided to defer the ESG disclosure deadline for value chain partners of listed companies by one year until FY26, giving more time to them to comply with the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) requirements. Until then, environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting will remain voluntary instead of the current "comply-and-explain" approach. The proposal, approved by Sebi's board on Wednesday, is aimed at enhancing ease of doing business for listed companies and their value chain partners in meeting BRSR requirement. The Sebi's board approved several relaxations and updates for ESG disclosures. These include "deferring ESG disclosures for value chain", as well as "assessment or assurance" thereof, by one year. Hence, ESG disclosures for value chain shall apply from FY26 (as against the current requirement of FY 2024-25) and "assessment or assurance" thereof shall be applicable from FY 2026-27 (as against the current requiremen

Over 90% Indian businesses raised sustainability funds over last yr: Report

There has been a notable rise in investment in sustainability over the last one year with 91 per cent CXOs interviewed reporting an increase, indicating that climate action drives value creation and is central to the company's overall business strategy, according to a report released on Wednesday. Indian CXOs have significantly ramped up sustainability investments, with 91 per cent reporting an increase over the last year despite challenges such as a lack of sustainable solutions, senior leadership buy-in and difficulty measuring environmental impact, according to the Deloitte CXO Sustainability Report. This increase is driven by growing concerns over climate change, with 87 per cent of Indian CXOs feeling concerned about it most of the time, it added. Deloitte's 2024 CXO Sustainability Report (India) surveyed over 157 executives nationwide on their views and strategies related to sustainability and climate change. The report further revealed that climate change is the top priority

Rapido reports 2.5x increase in gross order value to Rs 2,461 cr in Q2FY25

Low-cost mobility platform reports more than two-fold increase in gross order value of Rs 2,461 cr in Q2 FY25

Textile hub Tiruppur weaves a comeback as exports spring back to life

Exports stitch together 13% rise, with 22% jump in August, as Bangladesh crisis leads to growth

Sustainability summit: Six water sanitation startups win Rs 25 lakh each

For 29-year-old Shilpa K Nayana, nothing, not even her four-month-old baby son, Rio aka Rayan Nayana Arjun, could come in the way, as she pitches her already award-winning project Jalam, at Karnataka Water and Sanitation Sustainability Summit held in Bengaluru. She was among the 20 startup social entrepreneurs shortlisted from 119 applications to pitch their project at the summit on October 29. As the summit wound up late in the evening, six of the 20 were announced as winners of a grant of Rs 25 lakh and a chance to pilot their innovations in collaboration with the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR). Nayana's project Jalam, a low-cost water filtration technology that can be used at household level as well as community level, was among the six chosen projects. "The working cost for decontamination of water with my filter that uses nanotechnology is as low as Rs 2 per litre," said the social entrepreneur who envisioned Jalam as her final year project when she w

Tata Power, Keppel team up for sustainable cooling solutions in India

The collaboration, the company added, will focus on high-demand environments such as airports, IT parks, Special Economic Zones, data centres, and other industrial and commercial properties

Will drive sustainable growth with focused initiatives in FY25: CII K'taka

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Karnataka on Wednesday said it aims to drive sustainable, competitive and inclusive growth through focused initiatives for 2024-25. CII Karnataka will be taking forward the initiatives for the year 2024-25 aligned to the theme Globally Competitive Karnataka Partnerships for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, its Chairman N Venu said at a press conference here. The focus will be on policy advocacy, thought leadership, inclusiveness, ecosystem competitiveness, growth, sustainability, global linkages, and international partnerships, he said. Collaborating closely with the government, CII Karnataka aims to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, Venu said, adding, key areas include technology and innovation, clean and alternative energy, MSME (Micro, Small, & Medium Enterprises) growth, and emerging sectors such as semiconductors, solar and mobile phones (electronic). According to him, CII will continue to work closely with ..

Sustainable Gastronomy Day 2024: Definition, significance, impact on nature

Sustainable gastronomy is connected with sustainable development since it promotes agricultural development, food security, sustainable food creation, nutrition, and preservation of biodiversity

Lenders seek better terms to increase green and sustainable financing

According to current norms, for Rs 10,000 crore of loans, banks have to ensure Rs 4,000 crore of priority sector lending target

Army collaborates with IOCL for green, sustainable transport solutions

The Indian Army has collaborated with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for incorporating green and sustainable transport solutions in the force. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Army and the IOCL in presence of Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande and Indian Oil Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya on Monday to take forward the initiative. At an event, one hydrogen fuel cell bus was received by the Indian Army under the framework of the collaboration. "This marks the commencement of mutually beneficial partnership between Indian Army and IOCL. The MoU emphasised the commitment to fostering innovation and advancing sustainable transport solutions for the future," the defence ministry said. Hydrogen fuel cell technology offers a clean and efficient alternative by converting hydrogen gas into electricity through an electro-chemical process. The process leaves water vapour as the only by-product, thus ensuring zero emission, the ministry said. The hydrogen fuel ce

DCM Shriram gets Rs 100 cr sustainable finance from Standard Chartered Bank

DCM Shriram Ltd on Wednesday said it has secured Rs 100 crore sustainable finance from the Standard Chartered Bank to fund the upcoming compressed bio-gas plant in Uttar Pradesh. The compressed bio-gas plant with 12 tonne per day capacity at the Ajbapur Sugar Unit will produce compressed bio-gas using 'pressmud' as feed stock, a waste generated in the sugar manufacturing process, the company said in a statement. DCM Executive Director and Group CFO Amit Agarwal said this is the company's second sustainable finance transaction in the last six months. Standard Chartered Bank Executive Director (Sustainable Finance) Shobana Chawla said sustainable financing continues to be one of the strategic priorities at the bank. "We have been assisting our clients transition to net zero, and at a group level have committed to mobilise USD 300 billion in sustainable finance by 2030. This facility to DCM Shriram is one such initiative," she added. DCM Shriram is in the diversified business of ...