CEO Forum 2026

How does the Global South balance the scales of aggressive economic growth with the urgent mandate of sustainable development?

This was the central inquiry of the Fireside Chat titled 'Transformations to balance sustainable development with economic growth – India and the Global South’, hosted during the CEO Forum 2026—a curtain-raiser to the World Sustainable Development Summit 2026.

Moderated by Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, the conversation moved past incrementalism to address the systemic ‘transformations’ required in policy, finance, and corporate responsibility.

During the chat Mr Sourav Roy, CEO, Tata Steel Foundation, challenged the audience to rethink the ‘public good’ within corporate structures. He noted that businesses must look beyond conventional market-based approaches and develop the wisdom to navigate where markets fail and collective responsibility begins.

Mr Andrew Prag, Managing Director – Policy, We Mean Business Coalition, highlighted the shift from burden sharing to economic opportunity, emphasizing that businesses worldwide are increasingly stepping forward as positive actors to translate the 1.5°C vision into economic reality.

Dr Dhruba Purkayastha, Senior Fellow, Industrial Transition Accelerator, stressed that climate change represents a fundamental market failure and that aligning the cost of capital with the scale of ambition in the Global South is essential for enabling green innovation.

As a focal point of the CEO Forum, a special session titled ‘Water-Energy Nexus in Infrastructure Investment Decisions’ addressed the critical intersection of resource management and industrial growth.

Ms Usha Subramaniam, Country President, GRUNDFOS, highlighted the visibility gap in sustainability, noting that energy often receives greater attention while the true impact lies in the synergy between water and energy.

Dr Ritu Mathur, Director - Energy Assessment & Modelling, TERI, provided a strategic framework explaining the rapid growth of India’s data centers and their implications for resource demand.

The panel discussion moderated by Mr Ajay Shankar, Distinguished Fellow, TERI explored operational challenges of the nexus.

Mr Chitranjan Kaushik, CEO, Ecofirst Services Ltd, emphasized that water and energy are deeply interconnected, stating that every drop of water carries energy and every unit of energy requires water.

Mr Prashant Choubey, President, Avaada Energy Pvt Ltd, highlighted the systemic challenge created by falling water tables and rising energy intensity.

Mr Sourabh Mukherjee, EVP - Corporate Strategy & Sustainability, Tata Projects Ltd, noted that the water-energy nexus is now a practical reality in large-scale infrastructure and data center development.

The CEO Forum 2026 concluded with a high-impact fireside chat on technology-driven energy transitions, moderated by Amb Ajai Malhotra, Distinguished Fellow, TERI.

He highlighted that energy transitions have evolved from policy choices into existential imperatives, especially as India pursues ambitious goals including 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030 and Net Zero by 2070.

Mr O P Sinha, Chairperson, OTBL and Director (Exploration), ONGC, noted that India is undergoing an energy revolution with investments exceeding 165 billion USD. He also highlighted the success of biotechnology-driven fermentation that enabled 20% ethanol blending in fuels.

Mr Chitranjan Kaushik, CEO, Ecofirst Services, emphasized that markets are now eager for transformation. Innovations such as solar films and building-integrated photovoltaics are accelerating the integration of clean technologies across sectors.

How can Chief Sustainability Officers move from the margins of reporting to the centre of business decision-making and transformative action?

This was the central inquiry of the panel discussion titled “Getting Chief Sustainability Officers at the Cusp of Decision Making and Transformative Actions,” held during the CEO Forum 2026—a curtain-raiser to the World Sustainable Development Summit 2026.

Moderated by Mr Sudipto Dey, Editor – Sustainability, Outlook Business, the discussion underscored a decisive shift: sustainability is no longer a compliance-driven function but a core strategic lever shaping investment, risk management, and long-term business planning. The conversation moved beyond reporting frameworks to examine how CSOs can influence capital allocation, embed climate risk into project design, and align executive incentives with sustainability outcomes, while navigating challenges such as fragmented disclosure systems and limited availability of reliable climate-risk data.

Mr Dylan Tanner, Executive Director and Founder, InfluenceMap, highlighted the growing convergence of sustainability and corporate strategy, noting that investors are increasingly demanding clarity, comparability, and credible transition pathways before committing capital. He emphasized that companies—particularly in hard-to-abate sectors—must align their climate commitments with policy engagement, ensuring consistency between ambition and advocacy.

Mr Manish Kumar, Head – ESG and CSR, ICICI Bank Ltd, reflected on the rising prominence of CSOs within financial institutions, supported by stronger board-level recognition and investor expectations. He pointed to persistent challenges, including the lack of standardized climate-risk data and the burden of multiple reporting frameworks, stressing the need for consolidation and sector-specific guidelines to make disclosures more actionable.

Mr Kranav Sharma, Technical Manager – Industrial Innovation, VERRA, emphasized that while carbon markets can support decarbonization, they must remain a complementary tool rather than a substitute for direct emissions reduction. He highlighted the importance of integrity in carbon markets, underpinned by principles such as additionality and robust baseline setting, to ensure that offsets deliver real climate impact.

Mr Vijayanand, Head of HSE and ESG, Hero Future Energies Pvt Ltd, described the evolution of the CSO role into a central driver of business strategy and risk management. He stressed that sustainability must be embedded within core decision-making processes—from procurement to project design—and called for stronger alignment between climate metrics and executive performance incentives to drive meaningful change.

Collectively, the panel reinforced that enabling Chief Sustainability Officers to operate at the heart of decision-making will be critical to delivering credible, scalable, and business-aligned sustainability transitions.

How can India scale clean electrification while building the partnerships needed to drive deep industrial transformation? This was the central inquiry of the session titled “Transformations through Rethinking Scale and Partnerships,” held during the CEO Forum 2026—a curtain-raiser to the World Sustainable Development Summit 2026.

Moderated by Ms Shweta Kothari, Senior Editor & Anchor, TV9 Network, the discussion focused on India’s accelerating shift toward clean electrification across industries, utilities, and hard-to-abate sectors. Speakers emphasized that rising energy demand, climate risks, and global trade pressures are pushing industries toward deeper decarbonization. The conversation highlighted the need for reliable renewable power, grid modernization, sector-specific transition roadmaps, and strong policy visibility, alongside the role of emerging technologies such as green hydrogen, electrified industrial heat, and digital grid systems. Participants underscored that incremental change will not suffice—structural transformation requires bold leadership, collaborative action, and evidence-based planning.

Mr Sanjay Swarup, Chairman & Managing Director, Container Corporation of India Ltd., emphasized that electrification is no longer a peripheral agenda but a strategic imperative redefining industrial competitiveness. He noted that policy developments in clean energy and renewable access are creating new opportunities while demanding greater preparedness from industry, particularly in aligning with long-term decarbonization signals and global trade requirements.

Mr Abhishek Ranjan, CEO, BSES Rajdhani Pvt Ltd (BRPL), highlighted the evolving role of distribution companies as enablers of electrification and renewable integration. He pointed to the growing complexity of grid management—driven by decentralized energy systems, electric mobility, and shifting consumer behaviour—and stressed the need for digital tools, predictive analytics, and regulatory coherence to ensure reliable and affordable energy systems.

Dr Vikas Kumar, Managing Director, DMRC Ltd., presented a systems-level perspective, emphasizing that electrification must be understood as part of a broader socio-economic transformation. He underscored the importance of integrating scientific research, robust data systems, and climate-risk considerations into infrastructure and industrial planning, while ensuring that emerging technologies remain scalable, affordable, and locally adaptable.

Mr Mahendra Singhi highlighted the critical role of leadership and long-term vision in transforming hard-to-abate sectors. Drawing on industry experience, he emphasized the importance of clean electricity, green hydrogen, and innovative technologies, alongside supportive policy frameworks and cross-sector collaboration. He noted that India’s growth trajectory offers a unique opportunity to embed sustainability at scale and position its industrial sector as a global model for low-carbon development.

Collectively, the panel reinforced that scaling India’s energy transition will depend on integrated planning, strong partnerships, and the ability to align policy, technology, and industry action toward a shared vision of sustainable industrial growth.