Corporate Pathways to Sustainability through Resource Management in Indian Enterprises
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
India’s private sector plays a pivotal role in achieving national and global sustainability goals amid rapid economic growth and environmental challenges. This study employed a qualitative-comparative approach by analyzing sustainability practices of five leading conglomerates namely Tata Group, Aditya Birla Group, Reliance Industries, Adani Group, and ITC using company reports, secondary data, and sectoral benchmarks. Three thematic areas were examined: (1) water and energy management, (2) material management and circular economy, and (3) corporate sustainability goals. The findings show measurable progress in resource efficiency: Tata Steel reduced water consumption by 24.5% (2012–2023), Tata Motors cut energy use per vehicle by 16.2% (2012–2023), and UltraTech Cement substituted 21% of virgin raw materials with industrial waste (target 50% by 2030). Renewable adoption reached 27.8% in Tata Group’s energy mix, while Reliance developed a 20 GW renewable portfolio. Strategic goals vary, with Adani committing to net-zero by 2029, Tata Group by 2045, and Reliance by 2070, reflecting different levels of ambition and feasibility. Indian conglomerates demonstrate alignment with international climate agendas through renewable investment, carbon reduction, and circular economy models. However, uneven disclosure, fragmented regulatory frameworks, and technological uncertainties remain challenges. Corporate sustainability in India has shifted from peripheral CSR activities to central business strategies, with resource management and net-zero commitments shaping competitiveness and resilience. Limitations include reliance on secondary data; future research should expand to primary fieldwork and cross-country comparisons to deepen insights into corporate sustainability pathways.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
- The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
How to Cite
References
Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2015). Qualitative Case Study Methodology: Study Design and Implementation for Novice Researchers. The Qualitative Report. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2008.1573
Byaro, M., Nkonoki, J., & Mafwolo, G. (2023). Exploring the nexus between natural resource depletion, renewable energy use, and environmental degradation in sub-Saharan Africa. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(8). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-23104-7
Crane, A., LeBaron, G., Phung, K., Behbahani, L., & Allain, J. (2022). Confronting the Business Models of Modern Slavery. Journal of Management Inquiry, 31(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492621994904
Dharmayanti, N., Ismail, T., Hanifah, I. A., & Taqi, M. (2023). Exploring sustainability management control system and eco-innovation matter sustainable financial performance: The role of supply chain management and digital adaptability in indonesian context. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 9(3), 100119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joitmc.2023.100119
Francisco, M., & Linnér, B. O. (2023). AI and the governance of sustainable development. An idea analysis of the European Union, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum. Environmental Science and Policy, 150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2023.103590
Fukase, E., & Martin, W. (2020). Economic growth, convergence, and world food demand and supply. World Development, 132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.104954
Grijalvo, M., & García-Wang, C. (2023). Sustainable business model for climate finance. Key drivers for the commercial banking sector. Journal of Business Research, 155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113446
Gu, W., Wang, J., Hua, X., & Liu, Z. (2021). Entrepreneurship and high-quality economic development: based on the triple bottom line of sustainable development. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-020-00684-9
Hammer, J., & Pivo, G. (2017). The Triple Bottom Line and Sustainable Economic Development Theory and Practice. Economic Development Quarterly, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0891242416674808
Heubaum, H., & Biermann, F. (2015). Integrating global energy and climate governance: The changing role of the International Energy Agency. Energy Policy, 87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2015.09.009
Hyett, N., Kenny, A., & Dickson-Swift, V. (2014). Methodology or method a critical review of qualitative case study reports. In International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being (Vol. 9, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v9.23606
Irving, S., & Helin, J. (2018). A World for Sale? An Ecofeminist Reading of Sustainable Development Discourse. Gender, Work and Organization, 25(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12196
Keiser, S., & Tortora, P. G. (2022). Ellen MacArthur Foundation. In The Fairchild Books Dictionary of Fashion. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781501365287.925
Khan, I. S., Ahmad, M. O., & Majava, J. (2021). Industry 4.0 and sustainable development: A systematic mapping of triple bottom line, Circular Economy and Sustainable Business Models perspectives. In Journal of Cleaner Production (Vol. 297). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126655
Kraft, M. E. (2014). World Resources Institute. In International Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452218564.n762
Lefebvre, T. L., Ueno, Y., Dohan, A., Chatterjee, A., Vallières, M., Winter-Reinhold, E., Saif, S., Levesque, I. R., Zeng, X. Z., Forghani, R., Seuntjens, J., Soyer, P., Savadjiev, P., & Reinhold, C. (2022). Development and Validation of Multiparametric MRI–based Radiomics Models for Preoperative Risk Stratification of Endometrial Cancer. Radiology, 305(2). https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.212873
Miró, A.-P. (2020). World Economic Forum: present and future. Dimensión Empresarial, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.15665/dem.v18i2.2280
Patel, N., & Mehta, D. (2023). The asymmetry effect of industrialization, financial development and globalization on CO2 emissions in India. International Journal of Thermofluids, 20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijft.2023.100397
Perlin, A. P., Gomes, C. M., Zaluski, F. C., Motke, F. D., & Kneipp, J. M. (2022). CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION PRACTICES AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IN BRAZILIAN INDUSTRIAL COMPANIES. Revista de Gestao Social e Ambiental, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v16.2878
Ponomarenko, T., Nevskaya, M., & Jonek-Kowalska, I. (2021). Mineral resource depletion assessment: Alternatives, problems, results. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020862
Pratama, M. Z., Nur, E. R., & Nik Abdullah, N. H. B. (2023). Islam’s Bai’al-khosaroh Practices and Modern Business Practices: An Examination. ASAS, 15(01). https://doi.org/10.24042/asas.v15i01.15068
Ramkumar, G. (2023). FinTech in India. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-0008-4.ch012
Sato, T., & Aggarwal, A. (2020). Productivity Dynamics and Rural Industrialization in India. Journal of Interdisciplinary Economics, 32(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0260107919875585
Scott, D., & Gössling, S. (2021). Destination net-zero: what does the international energy agency roadmap mean for tourism? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/09669582.2021.1962890
Seawnght, J., & Gerring, J. (2008). Case selection techniques in case study research: A menu of qualitative and quantitative options. Political Research Quarterly, 61(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/1065912907313077
Sharma, S. K., Dwivedi, Y. K., Misra, S. K., & Rana, N. P. (2024). Conjoint Analysis of Blockchain Adoption Challenges in Government. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 64(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2023.2185552
Stigson, B. (2015). World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). In The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Complete Reference Guide to Concepts, Codes and Organisations. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351277525-29
Taherdoost, H. (2023). Customer Relationship Management. In EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing: Vol. Part F1354. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-39626-7_10
Wang, Q., Su, M., & Li, R. (2018). Toward to economic growth without emission growth: The role of urbanization and industrialization in China and India. Journal of Cleaner Production, 205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.09.034
Zhang, J., Zheng, Z., Zhang, L., Qin, Y., Wang, J., & Cui, P. (2021). Digital consumption innovation, socio-economic factors and low-carbon consumption: Empirical analysis based on China. Technology in Society, 67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101730