Ahmedabad, March 1
The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) hosted the inaugural GCCI Gujarat Sustainability Summit 2025 on Saturday.
The event brought together over 30 esteemed speakers and knowledge partners from various sectors, along with international experts, to engage in meaningful dialogue on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.
The summit served as a collaborative platform for policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability experts to exchange insights on global best practices.
Participants from the manufacturing, technology, energy, and finance sectors, as well as international delegates from the UK, Denmark, and the Netherlands, underscored the global significance of sustainability and the need for collective action.
GCCI President Sandeep Engineer welcomed Jaxay Shah, Chairperson of the Quality Council of India; Apurva Shah, Vice President of GCCI; Gaurang Bhagat, Honorary Secretary of GCCI; Sameer Sinha, Chairman of the ESG Taskforce, along with other distinguished speakers and guests.
Engineer emphasised the summit's importance as a significant step toward building a sustainable future for Gujarat, India, and the world.
He stressed that ESG is no longer a mere industry buzzword but a critical global imperative. With regulators and consumers prioritising sustainability, he urged Indian businesses to align with evolving international standards, particularly those set by the European Union, to maintain their competitiveness in global supply chains.
He also detailed the formation of a dedicated ESG task force aimed at simplifying ESG compliance for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), emphasising the urgency of proactive ESG adoption in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sustainability initiatives such as Panchamrit.
In his keynote address, Jaxay Shah described the summit as a testament to Gujarat's industrial leadership and its role in India's broader vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
He highlighted that under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, India is emerging as a global hub for renewable energy, sustainable manufacturing, and digital transformation. Shah introduced the PRIDE framework--Preserve & Protect, Reduce Carbon, Impact & Innovate, Dominate through Diligence, and Evolved Ecosystem--as a strategic roadmap for India's sustainable industrial growth.
He emphasised that Gujarat must lead the charge in sustainable development, aligning with the nation's ambitions for economic and environmental progress. Sameer Sinha reflected on key takeaways from the summit, stressing that the journey toward a sustainable future requires active participation from businesses, policymakers, academia, and civil society.
He underscored the summit's role as a catalyst for meaningful change and encouraged participants to translate discussions into actionable initiatives aligned with global sustainability standards.
More than 20 esteemed institutions, including IIT-Gandhinagar, the Centre for Sustainability and Corporate Governance Research, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and Adani University, contributed to the discussions, offering valuable expertise. Sustainability heads from leading corporations also shared their insights and experiences.
- IANS