BT India’s most sustainable companies: Bhupender Yadav honours winners; M&M conferred Special Jury Award

Business Today's India's Most Sustainable Companies Summit and Awards concluded in New Delhi today, with Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, presenting awards to leading companies for their sustainability performance across sectors.

A total of 13 Sustainability Leadership Awards were conferred on companies spanning industries from automobiles, capital goods to cement, chemicals, FMCG, infrastructure, etc. In addition, the event recognised companies through the Best ESG Performer of the Year, Best Disclosures & Transparency Leader of the Year, and Special Jury Award categories.

The awards were based on a rigorous evaluation process that incorporated both quantitative and qualitative parameters drawn from CARE Edge ESG Ratings.

The jury was chaired by Ramesh Chand, an Indian agricultural economist and policymaker who also served as Member, Policy and Strategy for Agri-Food and Allied Sectors at NITI Aayog.

The Sustainability Leadership Awards recognised companies across a wide spectrum of industries for their performance on sustainability metrics. The award in the automobiles category was presented to Hero MotoCorp, while ABB India Limited won in capital goods. ACC Limited was recognised in cement, Tata Chemicals in chemicals, and Dabur India Ltd in FMCG.

Larsen & Toubro received the award in infrastructure, while Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd was honoured in logistics and ports. Tata Steel emerged as the winner in metals and mining, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in oil and gas, and JSW Energy in power generation. Oberoi Realty won in the realty category, while Yes Bank and L&T Finance Ltd were recognised in the BFSI-Banks and BFSI-NBFC categories, respectively.

In the special award categories, L&T Finance Ltd was named Best ESG Performer of the Year, ONGC received the Best Disclosures & Transparency Leader of the Year award, and Mahindra & Mahindra was conferred the Special Jury Award for Sustainability Leadership.

The summit brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability experts to examine some of the most pressing challenges shaping India's sustainability journey. Discussions ranged from bridging the climate finance gap and mobilising capital to support India's multi-trillion-dollar growth ambitions, to the evolving role of sustainability as a core business growth strategy rather than merely a compliance requirement.

The event also explored India's energy security challenge, focusing on how the country can balance rapid economic growth with the need for a cleaner and more resilient energy future. Another key theme was the sustainability of artificial intelligence, with experts debating AI's environmental footprint, including energy, water, and infrastructure demands, while highlighting its potential to drive efficiency and climate solutions across sectors.

The event also saw the unveiling of a special edition of Business Today magazine by Minister Bhupender Yadav, alongside India Today Group CEO, Dinesh Bhatia; Group Editor Business Today, Siddharth Zarabi; and Alok Nair, COO, Business Today.