In October 2025, CSRBOX and The Godavari Initiative (TGI) jointly organised the inaugural edition of the India Water & Rivers Forum 2025 in New Delhi (Delhi), to catalyze collective action for water security and advance corporate water stewardship in India.
Exam Hints:
- What? Inaugural India Water & Rivers Forum 2025.
- Where? New Delhi, Delhi
- Organizers: CSRBOX and The Godavari Initiative.
- Partners: UNGC CEO Water Mandate, Water Resilience Coalition, Alliance for Water Stewardship, WRI India
- MoU: Signing of MoU between CSRBOX and the Pacific Institute.
- Key Launch: India ESG Outlook Report 2025.
India Water & Rivers Forum 2025:
Purpose: A gathering of policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society focused on fostering coordinated efforts to strengthen water resilience at the basin level.
Partnerships and Collaborations: Held in collaboration with leading global organizations:
- United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) CEO Water Mandate
- Water Resilience Coalition
- Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)
- World Resources Institute (WRI) India
Focus: Discussions focused on promoting corporate water responsibility, fostering policy collaboration among government, industry, and civil society, and exploring innovative strategies for sustainable water management.
Forum Highlights: It included leadership dialogues, thematic roundtables, and solution showcases, featuring a session on sustainable planning for the upcoming Nashik Simhastha Kumbh 2027.
MoU for Basin Resilience: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between CSRBOX and the Pacific Institute to advance basin resilience frameworks across India, promoting sustainable water and environmental management.
Launch of India ESG Outlook Report 2025:
Overview: The 2nd edition of the India Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Outlook Report 2025, published by CSRBOX, was launched to provide a comprehensive analysis of India’s ESG landscape, highlighting key trends, gaps, and opportunities for sustainable business transformation.
Focus Areas: Corporate sustainability initiatives, ESG transparency, and responsible business practices
Objective: To foster greater accountability and strengthen ESG stewardship across industries
Scope: Assesses corporate readiness, regulatory evolution, and sustainability trends in India.
Benchmark: The report serves as a benchmark for responsible business conduct while supporting environmental governance and strategic ESG planning for Indian companies.
Fossil Dominance: According to the report, despite widespread ESG commitments, fossil fuels continue to dominate most sectors.
- Power and Oil & Gas remain fully fossil-based (100%), Metals & Mining and Services rely on around 99% fossil energy, and Realty, Construction, and Financial Services depend on over 90% fossil energy.
About CSRBOX: Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Ahmedabad, CSRBOX is a leading Indian social impact organisation offering impact advisory, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) implementation, and sustainability solutions to over 350 companies.
About The Godavari Initiative (TGI): It is a collaborative platform that partners with corporates, government agencies, and Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) to promote sustainable river basin management, community-led water conservation, and ecological restoration.
About The CEO Water Mandate: It was launched in 2007 as a UNGC and Pacific Institute partnership, promotes corporate water stewardship and global collaboration to support Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6) on clean water and sanitation.
