As climate anxieties grow louder and stakeholder expectations soar, companies across India are undergoing a quiet but transformative shift. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) responsibilities are no longer siloed within compliance departments or sustainability brochures. They are now boardroom priorities, operational imperatives, and cultural commitments. But how do large organisations in India actually orchestrate ESG efforts across sprawling teams, locations, and verticals? And with rising regulatory and consumer scrutiny, are these governance models robust enough?

This World Environment Day, we go behind the scenes to explore how Indian corporates are moving from ESG rhetoric to ESG architecture—deeply layered, often messy, and increasingly vital.

From Intent to Infrastructure: The Evolution of ESG Governance

In early corporate sustainability efforts, responsibility often rested with a handful of individuals, sometimes reporting to CSR heads or tucked away under compliance. Today, that scaffolding looks very different.

"Prioritising ESG is central to how we operate and grow," says Nishant Gupta, Head of Sustainability at Flipkart. "Achieving consistency across a large and diverse network requires careful planning, strong governance, and committed leadership."

Flipkart’s internal approach shows how ESG has moved from the periphery to the core. Gupta outlines a systems-led model: embedding sustainability in daily operations, driven by cross-functional collaboration. It’s not just about setting targets—it's about operationalising them.

The company’s projects, like installing a 2.75 MW rooftop solar unit at its Haringhata fulfilment centre or deploying AI-powered traceability tools across its logistics chain, signal how tech and scale are becoming inseparable in ESG execution.

But, crucially, Flipkart’s governance is not top-down alone. Programmes like its "Clean Campus Movement" and the gamified "Celebration Tree" initiative suggest an effort to democratise sustainability across roles and levels. When employees participate not as enforcers but as owners, ESG outcomes become not just deliverables—but habits.

Creating the Right Committees Isn’t Enough

Sourabh Mukherjee, Executive Vice President for Clean Energy & Sustainability at Tata Projects, brings an engineer’s pragmatism to the conversation.

“Any large organisation needs a proper governance structure in place, especially when it’s spread across India and beyond,” he says.

At Tata Projects, ESG oversight begins at the top—with a dedicated ESG & CSR board subcommittee that includes independent directors. This isn’t symbolic. The committee tracks performance, reviews annual strategies, and ensures there’s clarity in who’s responsible for what through a RASCI matrix—a tool that defines roles across the org structure. From boardrooms to remote project sites, everyone knows who the ESG data owner is.

Importantly, implementation is monitored with the same rigour as delivery: quarterly MIS reports, alignment with Tata Group’s overarching Project Aalingana sustainability goals, and periodic ratings from external agencies like CRISIL. The aim? To ensure the ESG promise is lived, not just filed.

And yet, Mukherjee is quick to remind us that systems alone aren’t enough. It takes an engaged workforce, not just a trained one.

"Employees who resonate with a company's sustainability values are more likely to actively participate in green initiatives. They become problem-solvers—suggesting ways to cut waste or reduce energy. Engagement is what powers real change," he says.

To foster this, Tata Projects runs annual theme-based sustainability months, and employees use digital tools to input ESG data—turning measurement into a shared responsibility.

Where Strategy Meets Culture

At Godrej Properties, ESG governance is not just a set of KPIs—it’s a cultural blueprint. Rohit Mohan, Chief Design and Sustainability Officer, describes a decentralised yet disciplined model.

“We have central ESG committees with senior leadership, but also zonal representatives who understand local context,” he explains. “Cross-functional collaboration with HR and Operations ensures ESG isn’t an afterthought—it’s embedded into people processes.”

Their Greendash dashboard tracks sustainability metrics in real time across project sites, bringing visibility and accountability. But Mohan emphasises that leadership has a decisive role: the board oversees SBTi-aligned targets, sustainable procurement frameworks, and more. ESG isn't an add-on—it’s integral to business strategy, investment decisions, and risk models.

Measuring effectiveness, he says, requires both rigour and humility. Alongside real-time data and ISO audits, they rely on external assurance for validation—treating ESG with the same seriousness as financial reporting.

Not Every Company Has a Fortune 500 Budget

It’s easy to look at these examples and assume ESG is the playground of mega-corporations. But where does that leave smaller firms—those without elaborate committees or AI-backed traceability systems?

This is where the second part of the ESG conversation becomes urgent: How can lean firms get creative with limited ESG funding?

It’s a question we’ll be exploring in depth soon. But a preview: the answer may lie in hyper-local goals, shared data platforms, and community-driven solutions rather than compliance-heavy systems.

The Way Forward: From Greenwashing to Grounded Action

What becomes clear from speaking with these leaders is that ESG governance in India is slowly moving from tick-box reporting to deeply structural rethinking. It's being baked into hiring, supply chains, tech choices, even campus design.

But that transformation isn’t uniform. It’s layered, uneven, and still full of gaps. Many companies still struggle with fragmented ownership, limited data, or cultural resistance.

And as ESG regulations tighten—be it India’s BRSR (Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting) or global climate disclosure norms—governance models will be stress-tested. The companies investing in muscle today—across structure, leadership and culture—are likely to be the ones still standing tomorrow.

As we mark another World Environment Day, perhaps the most important ESG question isn't who’s ahead—but who's willing to dig deeper, govern smarter, and evolve faster.

Because the green curtain isn’t just rising—it’s now centre stage.