Centre for Sustainability and CSR Inauguration

Hyderabad, 7th August 2021: IMT Hyderabad, in line with its mission to nurture socially responsible business leaders held an inauguration ceremony to launch the Centre for Sustainability & CSR on 7th August 2021. The launch was a matter of great pride to the fraternity of IMT Hyderabad. The session began with an inaugural address by Prof. (Dr.) Tulika Sharma, Chairperson - Centre for Sustainability & CSR, who welcomed the chief guests, advisors, faculty, staff, and students. She elaborated on IMT Hyderabad's mission to promote academic excellence and enhance industry readiness among students through its learner-centric pedagogy. She exemplified creating awareness and a sense of responsibility among the students in preparing them as future business leaders to make meaningful contributions to society. Prof. (Dr.) Tulika further mentioned her belief that the centre would serve as a platform for free and unbiased deliberations in discussion on Sustainability & CSR. She accentuated that the institute would provide opportunities for research & scholarly studies and strengthen the interface between industry & academia to significantly upscale collaborative efforts providing significant value to all stakeholders.

The event witnessed a brief address by Prof. (Dr.) Sriharsha Reddy, Director Designate, IMT Hyderabad, wherein he shared his vision of the centre contributing to nurturing socially responsible leaders. He contemplates collaborating with the corporates in creating value for all stakeholders to make a difference in society. He also expressed gratitude for being mentored by advisors constantly working to produce economic value and actions that provide ecological & social value.

Shri Ashok K Pavadia, Founder & Director, Council for Research on Policy & Governance and Lead Expert & Mentor, Centre for Sustainability and CSR, delivered a special address at the event. He elaborated his views and stated that sustainability & CSR aims to achieve and maintain social well-being, environmental & ecological preservation. According to his decade-long experience working with professionals and practitioners in this sector, he felt that individuals in charge of these departments or committees at significant corporations have limited background awareness on this issue. As a result, the speaker believes that scholarly research material on the viewpoints of these principles used internationally will enrich an understanding of CSR at IMT Hyderabad. He applauded the organizers for taking this initiative, praised the centre's goal, and pledged his full support for the centre's success.

The event also witnessed a brief address by Shri Dr. S.K. Joshi, Advisor, Centre for Sustainability & CSR and Former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Telangana. He expects the centre to throw light on issues related to sustainability by enhancing their interface with both public & private sectors.

Shri Shoury Reddy, Advisor, Centre for Sustainability & CSR and Executive Director, BVIC, mentioned that sustainability is the need of the hour, and the right way of doing things is essential. He believes that there are gaps in knowledge, skills, and network, and the centre would undoubtedly help to fill these gaps by developing a model institute and meeting business development needs.

Shri Atul Sobti, Director General, SCOPE, complimented IMT Hyderabad on its initiative to make a significant impact in the corporate sector. Establishing connections with the industry and assuring quality education is at the forefront of today's requirements, and as a result, he has high regard for the institute. He believes that IMT Hyderabad adds another feather to its cap by successfully enhancing the relevance of this course and envisions the centre as a collaborative ecosystem for scholars, practitioners, students, and other stakeholders. He mentioned the importance of implementing policy decisions that will act as a catalyst to make a confident, prosperous and vibrant India. He explained about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals, a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all." He emphasized that the broader perspective of sustainability is not related to environmental issues but also societal issues such as gender discrimination, amongst others. He also accentuated that the corporate houses must think about sustainability from the lens of CSR and acknowledged the role of B-schools such as IMT Hyderabad to draw attention towards sustainability and performing a pivotal role in bringing the discussion to par with various issues.

The event concluded with Prof. (Dr) Rambalak Yadav proposing a vote of thanks to all the dignitaries for their valuable time and suggestions in the domain of sustainability. He also mentioned that such steps by the institute would act as a cornerstone for supporting the institute's vision of nurturing socially responsible business leaders.