Walking the Sustainability Talk: BMA & IICSR Dialogues Shape the Next Generation of Sustainability Leaders

Group picture - BMA IICSR Sustainability Dialogues (L-R) Rajesh Lade, Vikas Patil, Dr Naveen G, Vikesh Walia, Shalini Singh, Prachi Balchandani, Leena Pillai, Dr Jagmohan Rishi, Prabha Kishore, Charansingh D, Dr Vidyanath Rangojoo, Swapnil Dubey, Ravi K, Nikita R, Meghmala, Megha Dhumale, CA CS Pramod Shah, Priyanka Tewari, Harsha Saxena, Arch Kanchan, Saumya B

The BMA & IICSR Sustainability Dialogues and Certificate Award Ceremony, held at the Bombay Management Association (BMA), Mumbai, brought together senior leaders, practitioners, and emerging professionals for an insightful evening focused on sustainability leadership, governance, and career pathways. Co-hosted by the International Institute of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility (IICSR) and BMA, the event reinforced the urgent need to move sustainability from intention to implementation.

Speakers at BMA IICSR Sustainability Dialogues (L-R) Harsha Saxena, Vikesh Walia, Shalini Singh, Prachi Balchandani, Leena Pillai, Dr J Rishi, CA CS Pramod Shah, Dr Vidyanath R

The dialogue opened with a strong focus on governance and leadership. Vikesh Walia, CEO – Board Stewardship, highlighted the evolving expectations from boards, stressing that sustainability is no longer a peripheral agenda but a core fiduciary responsibility. He emphasised the importance of board-level oversight, accountability, and integration of sustainability into enterprise-wide strategy.

Gender equity and leadership dynamics emerged as a candid and thought-provoking theme during the discussion. Shalini Singh, Independent Director, shared a powerful reflection on boardroom realities, remarking that “women have to be like monks in boardrooms”—a statement that resonated deeply with the audience and sparked reflection on resilience, credibility, and the persistent biases women continue to navigate in leadership spaces.

Bringing a global best-practice perspective, Dr Jagmohan Rishi, President, Bombay Management Association, cited the example of Patagonia to illustrate how purpose-driven organisations successfully embed sustainability into their core business models while maintaining long-term commercial value. His insights reinforced that authentic sustainability leadership begins with values, culture, and long-term thinking.

The role of finance as a key enabler of sustainability transitions was highlighted by Leena Pillai, Lead – ESG & CSR, ICICI Bank. She spoke about the increasing integration of sustainability considerations into lending, risk management, and capital allocation, underscoring the financial sector’s growing responsibility in accelerating sustainable outcomes across industries.

Focusing on talent and careers, Prachi Balchandani, Global Talent Acquisition Lead – Packfora, outlined the key attributes organisations seek when hiring sustainability professionals. She highlighted the importance of systems thinking, regulatory understanding, data literacy, and cross-functional collaboration—offering practical guidance to professionals aspiring to build meaningful careers in sustainability.

The dialogue was further enriched by the presence of Dr Vidyanath Rangojoo, Director – IICSR, whose participation reinforced IICSR’s academic leadership and long-standing commitment to advancing sustainability education, applied research, and leadership development. The event was anchored by Harsha Saxena, Founder, IICSR, who reiterated the institute’s mission to build credible, future-ready sustainability leaders through continuous dialogue, capacity building, and industry collaboration.

Participants who received certificates (L-R) Vikas Patil, Rajesh Lade, Arch Kanchan, Swapnil Dubey, Dr Vidyanath R, Dr Naveen G, Harsha Saxena, Priyanka Tewari, Megha Dhumale

A key highlight of the evening was the Certificate Award Ceremony, recognising professionals who successfully completed IICSR’s flagship programmes, including the Masters in CSR & Sustainability, Masters in ESG, Advanced Certified ESG Practitioner, and Certified ESG Practitioner programmes. Certificates were awarded to Ar. Kanchan Joshi (M.Arch-ENV, IGBC AP, LEED GA, GRIHA Trainer, GEMCP), Ketan Pednekar, Ishan Joshi, Lata M., Sabiqun Nahar, Subha, Usman Siddique, Vikram Jhaveri, Swapnil Dubey, Megha Dhumale, Mandar Naik, Shubham Katalkar, Rajesh Lade, Manmeet Singh, Dr. Naveen Gurusiddaiah (PhD), Prabha Kishore, Amol Ahire, Priyanka Tiwari, Vikas Patil, Sarita Bahl, Prakhar Agarwal, R. Nikhil Kumar Javvaji (LEED® Green Associate™), Satyam Palaspagar, and Kalpesh Patil. Their participation reflected the growing momentum among professionals committed to advancing sustainability leadership across sectors.

The BMA & IICSR Sustainability Dialogues once again demonstrated that meaningful sustainability progress lies at the intersection of governance, finance, talent, and courageous conversations—setting the tone for responsible leadership in an increasingly complex, Net Zero-driven world.