The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) West Bengal hosted the CII West Bengal Annual Meeting & Conference 2026 on 2 March at Taj Bengal. The theme of this year’s session was “West Bengal Poised to Lead – Riding the Next Growth Wave”. It reflected the state’s growing industrial ambition and its readiness to align growth with sustainability.
Consultivo proudly served as the Outreach Partner for this prestigious event.
A key highlight of the conference was the official launch of the CII–Consultivo ESG Readiness Report titled “ESG Readiness: A Study of CII Member Companies in West Bengal” (Version 2).
The report indicates strong and growing ESG adoption across industries in West Bengal.
Energy & Environment
57.1% of companies conducted energy audits in the last two years, marking an 11.4% increase from the previous year. About 71.4% actively monitor pollution, and 83.3% have installed pollution control equipment. Waste management monitoring stands at 78.6%, while 85.7% hold environmental certifications – a significant 32.9% improvement year-on-year.
Climate Action
While 38.1% of companies have systems to track and reduce their carbon footprint, only 28.57% monitor emissions across Scope 1, 2, and 3. This highlights progress, but also the need for deeper carbon accounting and integrated climate strategies.
Social Practices
59.5% monitor labour practices, and 64.3% have diversity and inclusion policies. Community engagement is particularly strong, with 88.1% tracking community initiatives and 85.7% involved in community development programmes.
Governance
76.2% of organisations monitor corporate governance frameworks, and the same percentage have anti-bribery and whistleblower policies in place. Ethical training adoption stands at 81%, reflecting a strong emphasis on integrity and compliance.
The CII – Consultivo ESG Readiness Report was officially launched at the CII West Bengal Annual Meeting 2026 on March 02 at Taj Bengal, Kolkata.
However, the study also identifies areas requiring attention. Only 19% of companies regularly assess ESG performance within their supply chains, and 35.7% have formal risk management plans. Data quality gaps, inconsistent reporting standards, and the risk of “greenwashing” continue to challenge transparency and comparability.
This year’s findings build on the foundation laid by the first edition of the CII-Consultivo ESG Readiness Report, released in 2025. While Version 1 highlighted the initial awareness and nascent adoption of ESG practices among industries in West Bengal, Version 2 reflects measurable progress across several key indicators. Compared to the previous study, more companies are now conducting energy audits, monitoring pollution and waste, and obtaining environmental certifications.
However, persistent challenges – such as inconsistent data quality, the absence of unified reporting standards, and limited supply chain and carbon performance tracking – underscore that the journey toward full ESG integration is ongoing.
The comparative insights across both editions provide organisations with a clearer understanding of emerging trends, progress made, and priority areas that still require strategic focus.
An Exclusive Launch Gathering
The report was formally released in the presence of distinguished dignitaries, including Rupak Barua, MD & CEO of Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital; Sourav Ganguly, President of Cricket Association of Bengal and former Captain of the Indian Men’s Cricket Team; Debashis Dutta, Chairman, CII West Bengal State Council & Director, BGS Group; Vivek Lohia, MD, Jupiter Wagons Ltd; Madhabi Guha, Director, Consultivo; Jayanta Roy, MD, Peerless; and C S Ghosh, Chairman, Bandhan Group.
Their presence underscored the importance of ESG as a boardroom priority and reinforced the need for collaborative industry efforts to drive sustainable transformation.
Driving Sustainable Growth in West Bengal
The CII–Consultivo ESG Readiness Report serves as a practical benchmark for industries in West Bengal. It highlights measurable progress while clearly outlining priority areas for improvement – particularly in carbon management, supply chain sustainability, renewable energy planning, and formal risk governance.
As ESG expectations from investors, regulators, and communities continue to rise, such evidence-based assessments play a crucial role in helping businesses move from intent to implementation.
The launch of this report at a premier industry forum reflects a shared commitment to building a more responsible, transparent, and resilient corporate ecosystem in Eastern India.
Investors want to invest in companies that are transparent and accountable. They need to be able to trust that the information that companies disclose is accurate and complete in order to make informed investment decisions.
Transparent reporting helps investors assess the risks and opportunities associated with investing in a company, and it makes it easier for them to track a company’s progress over time.
Explore our knowledge bank: ESG Readiness: Insights from the CII-Consultivo Knowledge Report – Version 1
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Explore our previous CII-Consultivo ESG Readiness Assessment
CII – Consultivo ESG Readiness Report Launched at CII West Bengal Annual Meeting-version 1
About CII:
CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organisation, playing a proactive role in India’s development process. Founded in 1895, India’s premier business association has around 9000 members, from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from around 276 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.
CII charts change by working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialised services and strategic global linkages. It also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on key issues.
Extending its agenda beyond business, CII assists industry to identify and execute corporate citizenship programmes. Partnerships with civil society organisations carry forward corporate initiatives for integrated and inclusive development across diverse domains including affirmative action, healthcare, education, livelihood, diversity management, skill development, empowerment of women, and water, to name a few.
Consultivo is a leading ESG consulting firm in India, providing advisory, research, audit, and training services in sustainability, business excellence, and risk management. It supports organizations across safety, environment and energy, CSR, management systems, and human capital, aligned with 100+ global standards and frameworks.
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The CII-Consultivo ESG Readiness Report Launched at CII West Bengal Annual Meeting & Conference 2026
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