NEW DELHI: Reflecting India’s growing commitment to responsible business practices, the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) and WNS Global Services jointly launched the IICA–WNS YBRANT Programme on CSR, ESG & Sustainability on Tuesday. The initiative aims to groom future leaders who align business performance with social and environmental responsibility.
Speaking at the launch, Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General & CEO of IICA, highlighted the exponential growth of India’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure, which has increased from ₹10,065.93 crore in FY 2014–15 to ₹34,908.75 crore in FY 2023–24, with over ₹2.2 lakh crore spent in the last decade. He described this as a sign of a maturing CSR ecosystem, underscoring the need for professionals who can balance profit-making with sustainable and ethical business conduct.
“The YBRANT programme is a strategic step toward nurturing a new generation of sustainability-driven and socially responsible leaders,” Singh said. “It seeks to mainstream CSR, ESG, and sustainability in management education, preparing students to see business not merely as a profit tool but as a force multiplier for inclusive development.”
Gopal Agarwal, Head of CSR at WNS Global Services, described the initiative as a collaborative bridge between government, academia, and industry, adding, “The idea is to catch them young so that future CEOs internalize the perspective of sustainable development early in their learning journey.”
Designed as a six-month blended learning programme, YBRANT combines 22.5 hours of academic sessions and 18 hours of fieldwork, covering 15 modules on themes such as global CSR trends, Indian CSR laws, ESG reporting, impact assessment, and corporate governance. Learners will engage in weekly live sessions with IICA faculty and industry experts through IICA’s online learning management system, ensuring nationwide and international accessibility.
Over 250 students from premier institutions including IIM Shillong, CHRIST University Bengaluru, Banasthali Vidyapeeth Rajasthan, Symbiosis International University Pune, and St. Aloysius University Mangalore attended the launch.
The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Ankita Sharma, Senior Research Associate at IICA, and was moderated by Sana Farid, Research Associate, IICA.
With CSR spending in India tripling over the past decade, the YBRANT initiative signals a renewed focus on institutionalizing sustainability leadership—ensuring that the next generation of business leaders contributes not only to economic growth but also to societal well-being and environmental stewardship.
