By: Chandan Singh | New Delhi | Page 3
The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, on Monday inaugurated the fourth batch of its Directors’ Certification in Corporate Governance programme for defence officers in partnership with the Directorate General Resettlement of the Ministry of Defence (India).
The two-week certification programme began on March 9 at the IICA campus in Manesar, Gurugram, bringing together senior officers from the three services of the Indian Armed Forces, including those currently serving and those recently retired.
The programme aims to familiarise participants with the conceptual and regulatory framework of corporate governance and prepare them for board-level roles in public and private sector companies. It focuses on equipping officers with knowledge of the responsibilities of independent directors and enabling them to contribute to corporate boards by leveraging their experience in leadership, strategy, information technology, cybersecurity and project management.
Delivering the group address, Air Marshal B. Manikantan highlighted the importance of transitioning from military to corporate roles, noting that defence officers bring valuable experience in high-stakes decision-making, institutional leadership and integrity to boardrooms.
In his address, Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General and CEO of IICA, spoke about the Ministry’s initiatives to strengthen corporate governance and environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks. He said a Core Working Group on Corporate Affairs and ESG, chaired by him, includes senior leaders from companies such as Indian Oil Corporation Limited, NTPC Limited, Reliance Industries, Infosys, Tata Group and Aditya Birla Group.
Singh also highlighted IICA’s expanding institutional presence, including its first regional campus in Meghalaya, and its engagement with national initiatives through events such as the National Conference on CSR Excellence for Tribal Development and the National Conference on Responsible Business Conduct. He emphasised the growing importance of corporate boards and the opportunities for defence officers to contribute to them.
A special address was delivered by Monica Agrawal, Chairperson and Country Head of Sheffield Haworth and former Managing Director at Korn Ferry. She shared insights on evolving expectations of corporate boards and outlined pathways for senior defence officers to pursue independent directorship roles.
Earlier, Dr. Niraj Gupta, Head of the School of Corporate Governance and Public Policy at IICA, delivered the welcome and thematic address, outlining the conceptual framework of the programme. The session proceedings were conducted by Dr. Anindita Chakrabarti, Principal Research Associate at IICA.
