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Champions of sustainability honoured at much-anticipated ‘ESG India Leadership Awards’ by ESGRisk.ai

Infosys leads India.inc in overall ESG Performance Hindustan Zinc and Godrej Consumers lead the initiatives in Environment and Governance respectively Axis bank leads in Social category and transparency in disclosures & reporting standards MUMBAI, India, Oct. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — ESGRisk.ai, India’s first ESG rating agency and an Acuité Group company, has felicitated companies that have achieved excellence in the sustainability space. The much awaited ‘ESG India Leadership Awards’ ceremony, was held virtually today after months of meticulous screening processes to select the winners from India’s top 500 listed companies across 55 industries.
The ESG winners presented in 21 categories were announced after rigorous research that included collecting and analysing disclosures, stock exchange releases, annual reports, news and controversies.
Mr. Sankar Chakraborti, Chairman, ESGRisk.ai and Group CEO, Acuité, said, “These ESG champions deserve a standing ovation. Not too long ago, ESG was an idea that was expected to take shape sometime in the not-so-near future. And now, ESG is not only here with us, it has reached a tipping point, courtesy the enterprise and vigour shown by these companies to make sustainability a way of businesses. The ESG India Leadership Awards gave us a chance to highlight their uplifting stories and inspire corporates to integrate sustainability consciously and unconditionally into the core of their businesses.”
An award committee was constituted to independently evaluate the effectiveness of the methodology and whether the data and results are consistent. The awardees did not have to nominate themselves or pay a fee to be considered for the awards.
What made the event an overwhelming success was the number of registrations, which stood at 2000. Not to forget the general public interest and the curiosity the awards ceremony created. Of the 2000 registrations, 200-plus were directors from different industries and across wide-ranging sectors. In addition, 50 sustainability and risk officers, 300-plus banking professionals including RBI, World Bank and over 25 international agencies participated to make, what should be, a landmark event in India’s ESG history. 
Thanks to the ESG-driven organisations that made it a momentous occasion. 
Infosys Limited, not only won the Overall ESG Leadership award, it was also crowned winner in Leadership in Equal Opportunities category. The ceremony acknowledged Infosys Limited’s excellent practices in diversity and inclusion based on age, gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, qualification, nationality and ethnicity of employees.
Hindustan Zinc Limited was declared Environment leader for initiatives in reducing carbon footprint, managing waste effectively, minimising air pollution and managing environmental impact. In GHG Emissions Reduction too, Hindustan Zinc Limited was an outright winner for excellent practices in reducing carbon footprint.
The effort of another stalwart of the environment couldn’t have gone unacknowledged. Page Industries Limited won the leadership award in Green Supply Chain.
Among others, Axis Bank scored the most on Social Impact. It stood out in community services, product quality and safety, employee development and data privacy. Not just that, Axis Bank emerged winner in transparency in disclosures and reporting standards.
Keeping up with the group’s rich tradition, Godrej Consumer Products Limited was crowned champion for strong Governance practices.
And if board diversity is strongly being recommended as a tool to enhance corporate governance, Blue Star Limited can be proud of its policies in including board members with different ethnic, educational, and cultural backgrounds. It deservingly won the award in Board Diversity. Kudos to Mindtree too for winning the leadership award in Board Independence.
Many such outstanding achievements were honoured like that of Vedanta Limited that won the Waste Management award and ACC Limited, a worthy winner in the Water Efficiency category. 
Proactive measures to tackle pollution is the key to achieve progress in sustainable living. In this regard, NTPC Limited demonstrated excellent practices in monitoring air pollutant emissions to win the award in the Air Pollution Management category.
And at a time when homes are increasingly going green, Brigade Enterprises Limited was acclaimed for its energy-efficient real estate portfolio and was declared victor in Green Product and Service.
Developing management practices and strategy for energy-efficiency and biodiversity mirror a company’s ESG approach. In this field, UltraTech Cement Limited won the leadership in Energy Efficiency award while Reliance Industries Limited clinched the best leadership title in Biodiversity Impact Reduction.
Awards were also bestowed on Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited in Community Support and Development, Vakrangee Limited in Data Privacy and Security and Bajaj Electricals Limited in Product Quality. Bajaj Electricals Limited has laid the template for efficient quality management systems, communicating product defects, product recall, measuring customer satisfaction and retention rate.
Unsurprisingly, Tata Consultancy Services Limited, keeping up with the tag of being a people’s organisation, topped the scores in Leadership in Employment Quality. The company stood out for initiatives in fair compensation, flexible work schedules and promoting a positive work culture. Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited too deserve applause for winning the Employee Development award for providing training, reskilling and upskilling opportunities and performance appraisals.
Mr. U K Sinha, Former Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI); Mr. S S Mundra, Former Deputy Governor, The Reserve Bank of India; Mr. Dinesh Khara, Chairman, State Bank of India; Mr. Sanjeev Kaushik, Additional Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India; Ms. Aruna Newton, Assoc. Vice President, Head – Diversity and Inclusion, Sustainability Governance & Reporting, Infosys Ltd. and Mr. Felix Suntheim, Financial Sector Expert, International Monetary Fund addressed the participants and covered various aspects of ESG Landscape.
About ESGRisk.ai:
ESG Risk Assessments & Insights (ESGRisk.ai) is India’s first ESG rating company and an Acuité Group Company. ESGRisk.ai provides objective, independent and unbiased opinion and assessments on the companies’ ability to mitigate emerging risks associated with Environment, Social, and Governance issues that have a material financial impact. Our ESG assessments foster informed decision-making while choosing ESG investments, assessing a particular company or industry’s performance, reviewing ESG business strategies and identifying the need for policy interventions. To know more, visit: https://esgrisk.ai/
About Acuité Group:
Acuité Group comprises Acuité Ratings & Research Limited, a SEBI registered, RBI-accredited bond rating agency, and its two wholly-owned subsidiaries, SMERA Ratings Private Limited, a pioneer in rating SMEs, and ESG Risk Assessments & Insights Limited, India’s first ESG rating company. The shareholders of Acuité Ratings & Research are SIDBI, D&B (India), State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, Bank of India, Union Bank of India, and Standard Chartered India. To know more, visit: https://www.acuite.in/
Disclaimer: This release is sent to you for the sole purpose of dissemination through your newspaper / magazine / media / website / agency. The release may be used by you in full or in part without changing the meaning or context thereof but with due credit to ESGRisk.ai. However, only ESGRisk.ai has the sole right of distribution of its releases through any media. ESGRisk.ai has taken due care and caution for writing this release. Information has been obtained by ESGRisk.ai from sources, which it considers reliable. However, ESGRisk.ai does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of information on which this release is based. ESGRisk.ai is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this release. ESGRisk.ai has no liability whatsoever to the users / distributors of this release.
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Design POV Returns to Mumbai with its second edition ‘Sense and Sensibility’ – A Celebration of Immersive, Multi-Sensory Design

15 – 17 May 2026 | Jio World Convention Centre, MumbaiMUMBAI, India, March 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Design POV returns to Mumbai from 15 to 17 May 2026 at the Jio World Convention Centre with its highly anticipated second edition, anchored in the theme ‘Sense and Sensibility’. Building on a successful debut in 2025 that welcomed over 7,000 visitors and featured more than 75 brands and 18 studios, the platform expands this year with deeper curation and a bold exploration of immersive, multi-sensory design.

Founded by Asif Sataar and Gagan Bhatia, Design POV was conceived as a curated environment that moves beyond the conventional exhibition format. While the show speaks through the medium of architecture, it champions all disciplines of design that contribute to a lived space, from interiors and material innovation to lighting, surfaces, furniture and spatial storytelling.”As an industry, we are often conditioned to prioritise what a space looks like because that is how most briefs are framed,” says Asif, Co-Founder, Design POV. “With Sense and Sensibility, we are consciously shifting the lens toward how a space is experienced. Texture, sound, atmosphere and emotion are not secondary layers, they are fundamental to how people connect with a space.”The 2026 edition examines what designing beyond sight truly means, inviting participants to engage all five senses and shape emotional connection within space. From tactility and acoustics to material experimentation and spatial storytelling, the focus shifts from how a space looks to how it feels. It invites brands, studios, artists and designers to present fully realised environments where these elements converge, encouraging deeper engagement beyond surface aesthetics.”From the outset, our intention was to create a setting where design is not simply displayed, but truly inhabited,” adds Gagan, Co-Founder, Design POV. “Each edition strengthens that ambition through sharper curation, stronger collaborations and immersive environments that allow people to connect meaningfully with design.”Positioned at the intersection of commerce and creativity, Design POV offers industry professionals and discerning audiences a space to engage directly with the evolving future of design.Highlights of Design POV 2026 include immersive brand pavilions, experiential installations, new product launches, and curated design studio showcases. Participating design studios include ADND Studio, Abin Design Studio, Alara Studio, Baldiwala Edge, DSP Design Associates, Design Hex, Jannat Vasi Interior Design, Sanjay Puri Architects, Shroffleon, Studio Archohm, and Talati & Partners LLP., among others, while exhibiting brands include Blanc White, Kuche 7, Neytt Homes, Sunroof, and Woven Legacy. Across furniture, lighting, surfaces and textiles, exhibitors will unveil new collections, experimental materials and limited-edition collaborations created exclusively for Design POV 2026.The second edition of Design POV 2026 will take place from 15 to 17 May 2026 at Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai.For more information, visit www.designpovindia.com and follow @designpov.india on Instagram.About Design POV Design POV is an immersive design platform that celebrates unconventional perspectives and collaborative creation. Conceived as a space where architecture, art, and business intersect, Design POV reimagines how design is experienced moving beyond static showcases to fully realised, functional environments. Following a successful debut edition in 2025 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, Design POV returns in May 2026 with an expanded vision and deeper interdisciplinary collaboration.At the heart of the platform is The ‘Core’, a curated collective of leading architecture and design studios invited to explore a central theme through unconstrained spatial expression. These studios collaborate with participating brands and build partners to create immersive installations that demonstrate design in context, not isolation.Design POV brings together architects, designers, brands, artists, and discerning audiences including homeowners, industry leaders, and the design curious. Through installations, panels, workshops, and live interactions, the platform fosters dialogue, collaboration, and innovation.Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2934542/Design_POV_2026.jpg 

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Mumbai to Host ‘Gen O – Pixels & Play’, a Global Festival of Creators, Gaming and Youth Innovation

MUMBAI, India, March 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Mumbai will host Gen O – Pixels & Play, a four-day international platform celebrating creativity, technology and youth innovation, from 19–22 March 2026 at MMRDA Grounds, BKC. The initiative will bring together creators, innovators, startups, cultural practitioners and international delegates from over 23 countries, placing Mumbai at the centre of global conversations around the future of the Orange Economy and the AVGC sector. The initiative is organised by EFlag Corp, supported by the Government of Maharashtra, with Maharashtra Tourism as the Title Sponsor, as a part of its “India Maha India” initiative.
The festival will be inaugurated by Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, in the presence of Shri Shamburaj Desai, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Government of Maharashtra and Shri Uday Samant, Hon’ble Minister for Industries, Government of Maharashtra along with international delegates, industry leaders and global participants.Maharashtra has emerged as one of India’s leading centres for media, entertainment and digital content industries, with Mumbai at the heart of the country’s film, broadcasting, gaming and creative technology ecosystem. With world-class connectivity, a vibrant talent base and strong industry presence, the state is increasingly positioning itself as a hub for next-generation creative industries including animation, immersive media, gaming and digital storytelling.The Government of Maharashtra is actively working to strengthen the ecosystem for animation, gaming, visual effects and immersive media through policy support, infrastructure development and skill initiatives. With Mumbai already serving as India’s creative capital, the state aims to further position itself as a global hub for the AVGC and digital creative industries, creating new opportunities for studios, startups, creators and international partners.Gen O has been conceived as a platform bringing together multiple dimensions of India’s rapidly expanding AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comics) ecosystem, including immersive media, gaming, digital storytelling, creator-led culture and emerging technology platforms.As a part of the programme, Mumbai will also host an international esports championship featuring national teams from 23 countries across six global regions, highlighting the growing global significance of competitive gaming within the next-generation entertainment economy.The initiative comes at a time when India is placing focus on creative industries through initiatives such as the WAVES (World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit) announced by the Government of India, aimed at positioning India as a global hub for media, entertainment and digital content industries in line with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s vision for the sector as a key pillar of India’s future economy.According to the Government of India’s AVGC Task Force, the sector is expected to require nearly two million skilled professionals by 2030, while estimates suggest India’s AVGC ecosystem could grow to over $26 billion by the end of the decade.Across four days, Gen O – Pixels & Play will present a curated festival experience featuring:Live cultural performances and artistic showcasesAVGC-XR innovation and technology demonstrationsStartup and creator ecosystem engagementsArtisan showcases and cultural installations celebrating Maharashtra’s heritageYouth engagement initiatives exploring emerging careers in creative and digital industriesThe festival is expected to attract over 10,000 visitors per day, including creators, developers, students, entrepreneurs and international delegates.Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, said: “Maharashtra has always been a centre of creativity, enterprise and cultural influence. As technology reshapes the global creative industries, platforms like Gen O bring together innovation, talent and international collaboration. Mumbai already stands at the heart of India’s media and entertainment ecosystem, and initiatives like this will further strengthen our position as a global hub for the AVGC and digital creative economy while opening new opportunities for young creators and startups.”Shripad Ashtekar, Founder, EFlag Corp, said:”India’s creative and digital sectors are entering a defining decade. The Orange Awards recognise the emerging creators, innovators and entrepreneurs shaping the future of the Orange Economy, and aim to inspire the next generation of talent across India’s creative and technology ecosystem.”With participants arriving from across the world, Gen O – Pixels & Play aims to position Mumbai as a global meeting point for creativity, technology and digital culture, reinforcing Maharashtra’s role in shaping the future of the global creative economy. About Gen O – Pixels & PlayGen O – Pixels & Play is a platform focused on the intersection of creativity, technology and youth innovation across the AVGC ecosystem. The initiative brings together creators, startups, technologists and cultural practitioners to explore emerging opportunities within India’s Orange Economy, while showcasing the future of digital storytelling, immersive media, creator culture and next-generation entertainment industries.About EFlag CorpEFlag Corp builds platforms at the intersection of technology, digital engagement and emerging creative industries. Its initiatives span phygital discovery infrastructure, AI-driven engagement solutions and esports ecosystem development, designed to connect physical experiences with digital ecosystems. The company works with governments, institutions and industry partners to enable scalable innovation across sectors such as tourism, culture, entertainment and the AVGC industry.

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From Rural Roots to Global Impact: Ruma Devi on Women, Craft and Purpose on Herbalife India’s Podcast Live Your Best Life, Unscripted

BENGALURU, India, March 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Herbalife India, a premier health and wellness company, community and platform, has unveiled a new episode of its podcast Live Your Best Life, Unscripted, featuring renowned social entrepreneur and women’s empowerment champion Ruma Devi.

Titled ‘Threads of Change: From Local Hands to Global Hearts’, the episode captures Ruma Devi’s inspiring journey from rural Rajasthan to global platforms, highlighting resilience, grassroots leadership and the transformative power of skill-based livelihoods.In conversation with Ajay Khanna, Managing Director, Herbalife India, Ruma Devi shares how her journey began with a simple need for income and gradually evolved into a movement empowering thousands of women through handicrafts, training and community-driven opportunities. She reflects on building trust within conservative households, enabling women to work from home, and fostering financial independence that reshaped perceptions within families and communities.Speaking about her journey, Ruma Devi said:”Every woman carries a doubt within, that she may not be educated enough, or that her language might become a barrier. But confidence and skill can open doors anywhere. Art flourishes the more it is shared.”The episode also sheds light on the work of the Ruma Devi Foundation, which focuses on skill development, education support, healthcare initiatives and cultural preservation in rural communities. From livelihood training to scholarships and health interventions, the foundation continues to drive meaningful social change at the grassroots level.Commenting on the episode, Ajay Khanna, Managing Director, Herbalife India, said:”Ruma Devi’s journey is a powerful reminder that sustainable change begins at the grassroots and grows through courage, purpose and community collaboration. Her story perfectly reflects the spirit of Live Your Best Life, Unscripted, authentic conversations that inspire individuals to believe in their potential and build a better future.”Through her experiences, Ruma Devi reinforces a simple yet powerful message, that transformation starts the moment individuals choose to believe in themselves and take the first step forward.Watch the Full EpisodeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSedbvqh2UIAlso streaming on:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4sAv4ewhQObo3kjOkpNi3V?si=kWMsSm1wSAKyNpb7HKUbQQApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/threads-of-change-from-local-hands-to-global-hearts/id1808386057?i=1000753523579Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a53233b6-84b5-43ce-a34a-5230c769168b/episodes/c38d5074-13f1-4ee0-82c1-591a5ad184e6/live-your-best-life-unscripted-threads-of-change-from-local-hands-to-global-hearts-ft-ruma-devi-live-your-best-life-unscriptedAbout Herbalife Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) is a premier health and wellness company, community and platform that has been changing people’s lives with great nutrition products and a business opportunity for its independent distributors since 1980. The Company offers science-backed food products to consumers in more than 90 markets through entrepreneurial distributors who provide one-on-one coaching and a supportive community that inspires their customers to embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle to live their best life.Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2935791/Ruma_Devi_Herbalife_podcast.jpgLogo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2238437/5868011/Herbalife_Logo.jpg  

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