What's New
Release of our study "Hidden Streams: Linkages between Illicit Markets, Financial Flows, Organised Crime and Terrorism"
Our team prepared a report titled 'Illicit markets "Hidden Streams: Linkages between Illicit Markets, Financial Flows, Organised Crime and Terrorism" prepared for FICCI's Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE). Our report was launched by Mr. Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal, Chairman Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman of FICCI CASCADE and Mr. Anil Sinha, Former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation during the 9th edition of MASCRADE (Movement Against Smuggling and Counterfeit Trade) held in New Delhi on 28th September 2023 at ITC Maurya, New Delhi. Our report studies the hidden linkages in 122 countries and unveils a strong positive link and the relationship between organised crime actors and the illegal economy, including trade-based money laundering, counterfeiting, arms and drug trafficking and terrorism and crime.
Release of our report "Indian Cuisine at Crossroads"
Our report "Indian Cuisine at Crossroads" was prepared for ASSOCHAM Foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) and it was launched on April 14, 2023 by Hon'ble Minister Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal. Our report delves into the factors driving Indian food choices with insights from a nationwide study across 15 cities and it examined the complex factors which influence food habits in India to study how the country's food ecosystem can help bring food security to the population at large while ensuring that the country's food heritage is celebrated.
The 2% CSR Mandate – an Unnecessary Imposition?
Our team at Thought Arbitrage recently contributed an article on the Implications of the 2% CSR Mandate as imposed by the Companies Act 2013. The article was published in the Prime Database and was contributed by Mr. Kaushik Dutta and Ms. Divya Sharma. To view the article in detail, we would request you to please visit the Publications section on our website.
Release of Our Report on Illicit Market by Hon'ble Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu
Our report titled 'Illicit markets: A threat to National Interests' prepared in collaboration with FICCI CASCADE was released by Hon'ble Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu on 22nd September 2022. The report is spread across five key industries mentions that it costed India 3 million jobs. The government has suffered a $7 billion loss due to the counterfeit market in 2019-2020. For more details please watch out for our Reports section.
Report Release - Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India
We are proud to announce the release of our report "Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India 2021" at a webinar held in New Delhi on 22nd July 2021, Thursday.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought a sharper focus on health care. Patterns emerging from Covid management across the country indicate that people with co-morbidities of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have a higher mortality rate than those who do not. This has grave implications for the country not only because of mortality and years of healthy lives lost but also because of India's health infrastructure.
Our report prepared in collaboration with Assocham is based on India's largest primary healthcare survey carried by IMRB- Kantar covering 233672 people and 673 public health offices in 21 states, to analyse the rising cases of NCDs in the country and the social profile of suffering households has observed that India's non-communicable disease burden is growing at an alarming rate with the average age for onset falling sharply. Some of our findings:
Significant variation exists in India when it comes to the prevalence of NCDs in different geographies and states. NCDs affect both rural and urban populations. Family structure also has bearing on the prevalence of NCDs as individuals from nuclear families are more prone to NCDs in comparison to joint families due to more workload and perhaps higher stress. Furthermore, males are found to be more prone to contracting NCDs than females except for hypertension and neurological disorders which are more prevalent in women.
The battle against NCDs is half won if symptoms are detected early. It is imperative to prevent and control risk factors in an integrated manner by developing strategies and policies to inhibit the NCD burden on the country. Moreover, a conscious effort needs to be made to reduce sedentary lifestyle, break unhealthy habits like low physical activity, and unhealthy food habits that have become integral aspects of modern-day lifestyle and have been found to have the most significant role in causing NCDs.
Biggest Killer in India is Not a Virus - Findings of our study were published in the Times of India
Findings of a recent study by TA: "Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in India 2020", were mentioned in an article in the Times of India edition dated 5th April and 15th April 2021.
The articles "Biggest Killer in India is Not a Virus" and "Don't forget air pollution: Beyond Covid there are many silent killers posing grave threat to public well-being" can be accessed from our section on Press Coverage or from the e-paper published by TOI or by clicking the following links:
Don't forget air pollution
Biggest Killer in India is Not a Virus
ABP Live Coverage
Report Release- Invisible Enemy: Impact of Smuggling on Indian Economy and Employment
Hon'ble Minister of State Home Affairs- Mr. Nityanand Rai, Hon'ble Minister of State Finance and Corporate Affairs- Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur and Chairman Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs- Mr. P K Das released TA's joint study with FICCI Cascade on "Invisible Enemy: Impact of Smuggling on Indian Economy and Employment". Our study was released on 26th September, 2019 at "The 6th Edition International Conference on Movement Against Smuggled and Counterfeit Trade (MASCRADE) 2019" held at The Hyatt Regency, New Delhi. For more details of our study please visit the Reports section.
Our study titled Economic Burden of Food and Water Contamination in India was mentioned in an article in The Indian Express
TA's study titled "Economic Burden of Food and Water Contamination in India" and its findings were mentioned in a article in the Indian Express on 16th September, 2019. The article "Food & Water Contamination Rising at Alarming Pace Due to Poor Awareness" can be accessed from the Indian Express e-paper dated 16th September 2019, page# 3 at http://epaper.indianexpress.com/2330199/…/September-16-2019
Our study findings on Economic Burden of Food and Water Contamination in India appeared in the Time of India
Our study on "The Economic Burden of Food and Water Contamination in India" and its findings was recently mentioned in an article. The article "How spurious food and unsafe water cost India Rs. 7 L crore" appeared in the Times of India edition dated 28th August, 2019. To view the complete article please visit the website https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/#
Release of GPI Survey Results on 8th May 2018
TA is delighted to present the report on the results of the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) Gender Parity Index (GPI) survey for the formal sector in India, which was released by the Hon'ble Defence Minister of India, Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman on 7th May, 2018 at FICCI. The survey was administered by TA over the course of the last one year, responses of individual respondents collated, cleaned up to facilitate analysis, critically analysed and then scored in accordance with the scoring methodology in the GPI Toolkit. The toolkit was released by the Finance Minister in April 2017. By participating in this survey, the respondents have made a valuable contribution in a project to track best practices in industry on gender matters. The results are expected to lead to organisational introspection amongst those that have not performed as well as others and an effort at improvement even by high-ranking performers. To view details of our report and the related press coverage, please visit the sections on Reports and Press Coverage on our website.
FLO-TA Gender Parity Index Award 2017-18
In April 2017, FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO)-TA's Gender Parity Index (GPI) - a first of its kind index to measure the extent of gender parity in the formal sector in India, was launched by the Finance Minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley. In 2017-18, the index was administered by reaching out to more than 150 organisations across the formal sector in India, over nearly one year. We received an overwhelming response from more than 100 organisations across diverse sectors and regions in India. Thereafter, the individual responses were critically and rigorously analysed through structured calculations to arrive at the individual GPI scores of the respondents. The outcome - Synchrony International Services Pvt Ltd. received the maiden award for the FLO-TA Gender Parity Index, given its score of 18 out of 24 and and that almost 50% of it's workforce comprises women. TA congratulates them for this achievement. Synchrony was felicitated at FLO's 34th Annual General Meeting, a glittering awards ceremony, also graced by the Hon'ble President of India, Mr. Ram Nath Kovind who was the chief guest for the occasion. Held at Vigyan Bhawan on April 5, 2018, the occassion also saw some of India's outstanding women achievers being awarded the FLO Icon awards for achievements in their respective fields.
"Why auditors in India must keep up with technology" Latest article by Kaushik Dutta
An article on "Why auditors in India must keep up with technology" by Kaushik Dutta appeared in The Financial Times on 12th March, 2018. The article highlights that unless audit relies on analytics, big data and IT-controls, supported by testing the details, large audits can rarely be done effectively. In order to do so, firms need re-skilling, retooling and new investments, which smaller firms can rarely afford. Bigger firms, in compliance of their global standards, often suffer from excessive focus on creating documentation to support their opinion, which often detracts from the rigours of an effective audit—like looking and understanding the business, its management, its drivers, challenges and how that may affect every metric that leads to 'managing earnings and financial positions'. Where does that leave us? To view the complete article please visit our website www.tari.co.in or epaper.financialexpress.com/c/27018407.
Report Release - Indian Tyre Industry Turning the Wheels of Progress
TA recently conducted a joint study with The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) titled "Tyre Industry Turning the Wheels of Progress'. The report was released by Shri Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, India at the Annual Convention - 2018 held in New Delhi, India on February 7, 2018. The report underlines Tyre industry's competitiveness, export achievements and the policy enablers which could accelerate industry's growth. For more details of our report, please visit the Reports section on our website.
India's disinvestment conundrum - a news article by Kaushik Dutta
In this news article by Kaushik Dutta that appeared in Fortune India in January 2018, he considers questions like: What businesses should the government be operating? Does the government serve its duties by being in highly competitive industries like telecommunication, hospitality, aviation and consulting? Can national assets be put to use more efficiently by private players and should government not use the proceeds from the sale to build physical and social infrastructure? To read this article, please visit the Articles Section on our website.
Broadband India Forum releases report prepared in partnership with TA and IIM Calcutta
Broadband India Forum (BIF) on January 11, 2018 released a report highlighting the challenges faced by the Mobile Handset Manufacturing Sector. The report has been prepared in partnership with IIM–Calcutta & Thought Arbitrage Research Institute (TA) and focuses on improving the state of the domestic mobile industry by addressing issues of low innovation & R&D spending and enhancing the success of 'Make-in-India'. The report has significant correlation to the development and success of the 5G ecosystem where India seeks transformational leadership. For more details of the report, please keep a watch on our Reports section.
Book Reviews: CSR in India Steering Business toward Social Change
TA's latest book on "CSR in India Steering Business toward Social Change", published by Lexis Nexis has garnered many positive reviews from its readers. We are happy that the readers are finding the book beneficial. This book is a contribution to the effort to reduce some of the nebulousness that characterises CSR and bridge the gap in systemic formality between CSR and other disciplines. For more details of the book and related book reviews, please visit our Books section.
Report Release: Agenda for Uttar Pradesh Government 2017
TA's study conducted with ASSOCHAM on "Agenda for Uttar Pradesh Government 2017" was released by Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, ASSOCHAM President Sandeep Jajodia, ASSOCHAM National Secretary General D S Rawat and TA Director, Kshama V Kaushik at a press conference in Lucknow on 7th June, 2017. The report assesses the existing conditions in major sectors of the state economy, such as agriculture, industry and services as well as in the crucial areas of employment generation and creation of enabling infrastructure while keeping the focus on inclusive growth which ensures that the fruits of progress are shared by all sections of the population. The report comprises an amalgamation of several viewpoints, including national and state level planning reports, Reserve Bank of India data, opinions of experts and a range of other sources, including manifestos of political parties for the recently concluded elections. For more details of the report, please visit the Reports section.
Basis TA's study FICCI CASCADE appeals the Prime Minister's office
Basis a study conducted by Thought Arbitrage Research Institute (TA) for FICCI CASCADE (Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy) titled "Invisible Enemy – A Threat to Our National Interests", FICCI has appealed to the policy makers from the Ministry of Finance, Cabinet Secretariat and Prime Minister's office that illicit trade should be treated as a national threat and tax evasion needs to be seen as a grave offence. FICCI also urged the Government to take adequate steps to tackle this menace. In the letter to various concerned ministries, FICCI shared the outcome of a recent interactive session held on Illicit trade and its impact on consumers, industry and economy, where it was felt that stringent actions needs to be taken to counter and bring down illicit trade in the top smuggled sectors in the country. According to the study by TA, the top five goods where the seizures by DRI has been the highest in the past few years have been gold, cigarettes, machinery parts, fabric/silk yarn and electronic items. For more details of the appeal and to view the report please visit our section on Press Coverage and Reports, respectively.
TA's latest study puts forward the Agenda for Punjab Government 2017
A joint vision paper for the Punjab government titled "Agenda for Punjab Government 2017" brought out by ASSOCHAM and Thought Arbitrage Research Institute (TA) was released by ASSOCHAM National Secretary General, D S Rawat and TA Director, Kshama V Kaushik in Chandigarh on 18th May, 2017. The study highlights that:
These three areas need a complete policy overhaul. For more details of the study and the related press coverage, please visit our Reports section and Press Coverage section, respectively.
Report Release: Agenda for Uttarakhand Government in 2017
TA's latest study on "Agenda for Uttarakhand Government in 2017" conducted in partnership with ASSOCHAM was released at a press conference in Dehradun on 13th April, 2017. This report makes an assessment of existing conditions in major sectors of the state economy, such as agriculture, industry and services as well as in the crucial areas of employment generation and creation of enabling infrastructure while keeping the focus on inclusive growth which ensures that the fruits of progress are shared by all sections of the population. The report comprises an amalgamation of several viewpoints, including national and state level planning reports, Reserve Bank of India data, opinions of experts and a range of other sources, including manifestos of political parties for the recently concluded elections. For more details of the report, please visit the Reports section.
Shri Arun Jaitley releasing TA's toolkit on Gender Parity
Union Minister For Finance and Corporate Affairs Shri. Arun Jaitley released the 'Gender Parity Index, A Tool Kit to Evaluate Gender Diversity & Empowerment of Women in the Formal Sector in India' prepared by TA at the 33rd Annual Session of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) held on 14th April, 2017 in the presence of a large gathering of FLO members in New Delhi. For more details of the toolkit please visit our Reports section.
"Independent directors: Why they need to stand up and be counted?" - An Article by Mr. Kaushik Dutta
Mr. Kaushik Dutta expressed his views in his recent article on "Independent directors: Why they need to stand up and be counted?" published in The Financial Express, on 24th February, 2017. The article mentions that although we have seen a welcome change in the way independence is being demonstrated in India's board rooms but we have miles to go before we cement our faith in the institution. Independent directors are the trustees of good corporate governance. If they do not stand up to be counted when required, the society loses one of its strongest pillars of good governance. To read the full article, please visit the Articles Section on our website.
Release of study on Food Processing Industry contributing to the Make in India Initiative
TA's joint study with ASSOCHAM on Food Processing Industry Contributing to "Make in India" was released at a press conference at Indore on 18th January 2017. This study provides a focused analysis of food processing industry and the various perspectives that will have an impact on the Government's Make in India initiative contributing to sustainable growth and development. For more details of the report, please visit the Reports section.
Corporate Governance in India@2016: Where Do We Stand?
TA's recent report on Corporate Governance done for FICCI has 6 out of the 10 recommendations in the report are discussed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Amendment to Companies Act, 2013 in their current report placed before government before it is presented to the parliament. We are delighted that 4 of such recommendations have been accepted by the Committee for amendment to the Act. For details of the report, please visit our Reports Section.
Clouds over corporate governance - an Article by Mr. Kaushik Dutta
An article "Clouds over Corporate Governance" by Mr. Kaushik Dutta was recently published in The Financial Express. The article discusses that corporate governance in India is hostage to the dominant powers even in evolved and trusted groups who easily override principles of equity and governance in their partly-held companies and voice of other shareholders, who can make themselves count, continue to be muted. To read the article, please visit the Articles Section on our website.
Release of our study titled "Invisible Enemy: A threat to our National Interests"
TA's study on smuggling of goods conducted in partnership with FICCI CASCADE titled, "Invisible Enemy: A threat to our National Interests" was released at FICCI's International press conference on "Cross Border Trade in Goods" held on December 08, 2016. For details of the study, please visit our Reports section.
TA contributed two chapters to the book by C R Datta on Company Law (Seventh Edition)
Thought Arbitrage (TA) contributed two chapters to the seventh edition of the book "C R Datta on Company Law" published by Lexis Nexis (2016). Chapter Nine and Chapter Ten by TA discusses "Accounts of Company" and "Audit & Auditors" respectively. The book is available for purchase at http://lexisnexis.in/c-r-datta-on-company-law-set-of-3-vols-2-appendices-1-table-of-cases.htm.
TA's study findings quoted in a Question raised in Rajya Sabha
TA's study findings were recently quoted in a question raised in Rajya Sabha. Please click the link to view the details. View More
TA contributed two chapters for IICA's Edited Volume on "Corporate Governance in India: Change and Continuity"
TA, the only organisation invited by "The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA)", contributed two chapters to their edited volume on "Corporate Governance in India: Change and Continuity". The book published by Oxford University Press (OUP) is now officially available for purchase. For more details please visit the Books section.
Second Edition of TA's publication "Handbook for Independent Directors"
Second Edition of TA's publication "Handbook for Independent Directors" is now readily available. For more details of the book please visit our section on Publications.
TA's study on 'Sustainability Reporting Practices and Trends, 2012' features in 'The CSR International Research Compendium, Volume1- Governance' published in 2015
In this 550 page Compendium, CSR International has compiled summaries of the best research on corporate sustainability, social responsibility and business ethics since 2009. TA's study on 'Sustainability Reporting Practices and Trends, 2012' featured in 'The CSR International Research Compendium, Volume1- Governance' published in 2015. This first volume on Governance profiles over 450 research publications between 2009 and 2014 - including practitioner reports, market surveys and academic papers - from over 300 authors and more 250 organizations.
Shri Arun Jaitley releasing TA's study: "Translating Aspirations into Reality: India @ 2022"
Shri Arun Jaitley, Hon'ble Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting released a study prepared by TA in collaboration with FICCI on "Translating Aspirations into Reality: India @ 2022". The study was released at FICCI's 88th AGM held on 19th December 2015 and talks about the pathway for achieving a GDP of 9.4% by year 2022, which in turn, would help in meeting the aspirations of billions of Indian citizens by enabling them to meet livelihood requirements and improve their living conditions. For more details please visit our Reports section.
Kshama V Kaushik at RBI Senior Officer's Retreat
Kshama V Kaushik was one of the panelists at the RBI Senior Officer's Retreat held at Surajkund on 30th October 2015. The topic discussed was "Public Finance and Internal Governance".
TA's Toolkit goes International
TA's Toolkit for Assessing the Unrecorded Alcohol Market was recently launched by IARD. This Toolkit was prepared by TA in collaboration with Euromonitor International and The International Tax and Investment Center (ITIC), Oxford Economics. The toolkit serves as a resource for those interested in examining the unrecorded market; including academics, governments, and producers of beverage alcohol.
"The Audit Committee Handbook" - TA's upcoming book
Thought Arbitrage Team in partnership with PwC is in process of compiling a book titled: "The Audit Committee Handbook". This handbook aims to provide key insights into the functioning of Audit Committee in companies. For more details about our upcoming book, please visit the Books section.
TA goes Global !!
Cheers to our Team at Thought Arbitrage led by Kaushik Dutta which got acknowledged for their work for IARD at the World Spirits Alliance held in Geneva recently.
Book Review: Handbook for Independent Directors
"Handbook for Independent Directors" a book authored by Kaushik Dutta and the team at Thought Arbitrage, has started receiving reviews and appreciation from various experts. For more details regarding book reviews please visit our Books section.
Report Release: India Development Story 2040
Thought Arbitrage Research Institute (TA), in collaboration with Rio Tinto (RT) released a report on India Development Story 2040 on 17th April 2015 in New Delhi. For more details regarding the Report please visit our Reports Section.
Media Coverage of Our Latest Report on Illicit Markets
Our recent report on "Illicit Markets" has gained media coverage in leading newspapers like The Financial Express, Business Standard, NDTV Profit, ZEEBIZ, The Statesman. For more details regarding the Report please visit our Reports Section.
Report Release: Illicit Markets - A Threat to Our National Interest
Our Report on "Illicit Market - A Threat to Our National Interest" Prepared for FICCI CASCADE was released on 7th April 2015 by Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Hon'ble Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. For more details regarding the Report please visit our Reports Section.
Book finding its way to the Bakers Library at Harvard Business School
India Means Business Book by Kshama V Kaushik and Kaushik Dutta finds its way to the Baker Library at Harvard Business School. Also available in the libraries at The Stanford University, The Wharton School, The London School of Economics, University of Oxford, NUS Singapore University. For more details about the book please refer Our Publications Section on this website.
Economic Impact from Quake in Nepal
Mr. Kaushik Dutta shared his views on the economic impact from quake in Nepal. For more details please visit our Press Coverage section - Focus: Nepal Earthquake published in "China Daily - Asia Weekly".
Judiciary Sensitization Programme on Smuggling, Counterfeiting and Piracy
Kaushik Dutta addressing the Judiciary Sensitization Programme on Smuggling, Counterfeiting and Piracy organized by FICCI CASCADE on April 11, 2015 at the Odisha State Judicial Academy, Cuttack. The participants have been greatly benefitted from the interaction with Kaushik.
"Business Case For Anti Corruption...Call For Collective Action" - First Anti Corruption Project Organized by GCNI
Mr. Kaushik Dutta, one of the panelist, attending and sharing his views on "Business Case For Anti-Corruption: Call For Collective Action" at the Grand Finale of the First Anti-Corruption Project Conference organized by the Global Compact Network India, on 28th November 2014 at The Lalit, New Delhi.
Eridition'14 - 19th Annual Business Convention of Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics
Mr. Kaushik Dutta being felicitated at Edurite'14 - The 19th Annual Business Convention of Department of Commerce, Delhi School of Economics.
DMA-NTPC Book Award
"India Means Business - How the Elephant earned its stripes" book by Kshama V Kaushik and Kaushik Dutta was awarded the third prize by the DMA-NTPC Book Awards 2013 held on 31st October, 2014 for making an outstanding contribution towards the understanding of Management Principles and Practices.
Moving Beyond 2015: Health Card of India
TA in partnership with ASSOCHAM conducted a study on Health Care - to analyse the health ecosystem that currently exists in India at the centre and state level including medical infrastructure such as health centres and hospitals, training facilities for medical staff, various health schemes and campaigns and the amount of outlay on medical care expended annually over various Plan periods. For more details please visit our Reports section under Publications on this website.
Report Release - Tobacco Economics in India, The Voice of the Farmer and other Stakeholders
Mr D.S. Rawat, national secretary general, ASSOCHAM and Mr Kaushik Dutta, founder, Thought Arbitrage Research Institute releasing an ASSOCHAM-Thought Arbitrage joint study on 'Tobacco Economics in India,' at a press conference held in Hyderabad on 16th October 2014. To view the report please refer the Reports Section on our website.
Understanding the Demand and Supply Equations of Corruption and Fraud: An Insight into the Corruption and Fraud by the Private Sector in India
The report is done by Thought Arbitrage Research Institute in partnership with UN Global Compact India and supported by Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. This report was released to the press on 24 June 2013 and was presented in St Petersburg in Russia at the B-20 meeting on 20 June by UN Global Compact, USA. This is probably the first report in India which analyses with quantitative data of over 15 years for fraud and corruption committed by management and owners of private sector companies. The data is analysed over 25 parameters to diagnose the learnings and do a root cause analysis based on data of indicted cases.
Pharma cos lag behind rest of India Inc on sustainable development reporting. Business Line August 6, 2012
In contrast, the oil and gas, IT and metal and mining sectors have been leading adopters of a separate sustainability reporting practice, according to a joint report by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbit (GIZ), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Focal Point India and Thought Arbitrage Research Institute. In recent years, a growing number of Indian businesses have recognised sustainability reporting as a vital step toward a global economy that combines long-term profitability with social justice and environmental care. When it comes to corporate social responsibility and environment, social and governance disclosures, pharmaceutical companies lag behind the rest of India Inc.
Sustainability Reporting Practices and Trends in India 2012 – Joint research by GIZ, GRI and TA
Joint research by the Deutsche GesellschaftfürInternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ) India, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Focal Point India, and Thought Arbitrage Research Institute. The study focuses on analysing existing sustainability reporting practices in India across eight key economic sectors: Oil and Gas, Pharmaceuticals, Information Technology (IT), Banking, Metals and Mining, Construction, Power, and Automotive. It also explores the reasons behind reporting, and attempts a root cause analysis to establish factors that impede reporting in India. The report gives an analysis of 110 annual reports, 75 sustainability reports and disclosures (either using the GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, in response to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) questionnaire, or aligned to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) Principles), and scrutinised 110 websites for accessing information on sustainability parameters.
K.N Memani, Former Chairman, MD at E&Y India and Partner of S.R. Battliboi & Co. Joins TA's Governance & Advisory Board
Mr. Memani is a Chartered Accountant by profession. He is former Chairman and Country Managing Partner of Ernst & Young, India. Herein he specialized in Business and Corporate Advisory, Foreign Taxation, Financial Consultancy etc. and consulted on the corporate matters by several domestic and foreign companies. He has helped several multi-national companies in setting up businesses in India.
He has served as the Chairman of the Quality Review Board, an oversight Board to review the quality of auditors. He was a Co-Chairman of the Expert Committee constituted by the Ministry of the Company Law for the drafting of new Companies Act. For two consecutive years he was on the External Audit Committee (EAC) of the International Monetary Fund and was appointed the Chairman of EAC for the year (1999-2000). He is the only Indian appointed in this committee by IMF.
Mr. Memani is currently on the boards of listed Companies such as DLF Ltd., ICICI Venture Funds Management Company, HT Media Ltd., Aegon Religare Insurance Company Ltd. etc. He has served as the Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in India and also the President of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry which was the 100th Year of the Chamber. Mr. Memani is associated with various other Chambers of Commerce. He is the former President of Federation of Indian Export Organisations and Indo American Chamber of Commerce. Currently he is member of the managing committees of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Indo American Chamber of Commerce, American Chamber of Commerce, Associated Chamber of Commerce, PHD Chamber of Commerce etc.