New Delhi: In a significant move towards advancing India’s sustainability agenda, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) to develop a Comprehensive SDG Alignment Framework. This collaboration aims to integrate national, state, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) indicators to align with India’s broader development goals, specifically towards the vision of a “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India).
The MoU was signed at the IICA headquarters, marking a crucial step in the nation’s efforts to streamline and strengthen its commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event was attended by senior officials from both MoSPI and IICA, including Shri Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General & CEO of IICA, and Sh. Kishor Baburao Surwade, Additional Director General of MoSPI’s Capacity Development Division.
Under the leadership of Shri Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, IICA has made notable strides in the fields of ESG, CSR, and Responsible Business Conduct, focusing on integrating these aspects with India’s national development strategy. The partnership between MoSPI and IICA is seen as a strategic effort to further this integration by creating a unified framework that aligns the country’s diverse indicators—spanning national, state, and corporate levels—with the SDGs.
The initiative will build upon India’s existing National Indicator Framework (NIF), which serves as the foundation for tracking progress towards the SDGs. The new framework will take a holistic approach by incorporating state-specific indicators and integrating key corporate sustainability measures, such as ESG and CSR metrics, into the SDG monitoring process.
This alignment will enable businesses and corporations to ensure that their CSR and ESG initiatives are in sync with national and state-level SDG objectives. It also aims to provide a more coherent structure for policymaking, bridging the gap between government goals and private sector contributions towards sustainability.
“By harmonizing the National Indicator Framework (NIF) with State Indicator Frameworks (SIF) and incorporating ESG and CSR standards, we can ensure better data integration and evidence-based policymaking,” said Dr. Garima Dadhich, Associate Professor and Head of the School of Business Environment at IICA. “This framework will also foster a more inclusive approach to achieving India’s SDG targets, ensuring that no one is left behind in the process.”
The MoU also emphasizes the importance of fostering sustainable corporate participation in national development, paving the way for a more collaborative approach towards achieving India’s Vision of a developed and sustainable future.
The framework aims to provide measurable indicators and actionable data that will help policymakers and businesses track progress more efficiently and align their strategies for more impactful and sustainable outcomes.
In the coming months, both MoSPI and IICA will work together to finalize the framework, which is expected to be a key tool in advancing India’s SDG commitments while promoting responsible business practices across industries.
As India continues to scale its efforts towards achieving the SDGs, this collaboration represents a pivotal step in ensuring that both the public and private sectors contribute meaningfully towards realizing the Vision of Viksit Bharat.
