Ethisphere recently launched its South Asia Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) Chapter in India at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) headquarters in New Delhi. The event featured a high-profile panel of experts that discussed the future of corporate ethics in India.
Led by Tejal Patil, General Counsel for GE South Asia, the panelists included, Ajay Vij, Managing Director, Geography Operations, Accenture India; P. Krishnakumar, Senior Vice President & General Manager, DELL, India; Richard van der Merwe, Senior Bayer Representative, Bayer South Asia & Managing Director, Bayer CropScience Limited and; Praveen Kumar Gupta, Managing Director, Compliance and Risk, State Bank of India (SBI). The panelists shared their views on their expectations of this chapter in the region and highlighted the role public and private sector can play in creating an ethical ecosystem in the region.
“Bayer has a history of more than 150 years–a very proud tradition, and in India, we have a history of more than 120 years,” said Merwe. “Sustainability and compliance are our future viability and it’s part of our corporate strategy.”
The launch of the South Asia BELA Chapter also attracted senior executives and business leaders from founding member companies like General Electric, Dell, SBI, Walmart, Dun & Bradstreet, Tata Steel, Tata Power, The Coca-Cola Company, Mahindra & Mahindra, Dr. Reddy’s and much more.
“Ethical business not only helps companies sustain in the long run but also helps them generate profits, higher customer retention and attract talent,” said Sumit Mazumder, Chairman of CII’s committee on National Committee on Integrity and Transparency in Governance.
The mission of BELA South Asia is to create an environment conducive for the growth of industry in the country, through a community of select Indian and multinational companies who will serve as Founding Members of this exclusive initiative. They will shape the strategic and tactical direction of the chapter while playing a leadership role in inspiring best practices in ethics, integrity and anti-corruption efforts across the region.
