India, 21st February 2025: Satin Creditcare Network Limited (SCNL), one of India’s leading microfinance institutions, has been assigned an SQS2 Sustainability Quality Score (Very Good) for its Social Financing Framework dated January 2025. Moody’s Ratings, as a party Opinion, has evaluated and assigned this rating, recognizing SCNL’s strong alignment with international sustainability standards.

SCNL has undertaken this assessment for the first time and received a Very Good (SQS2) rating, which is among the highest ratings awarded within the BFSI sector, reflecting the company’s robust sustainability framework and responsible financing approach.

SCNL’s Social Financing Framework adheres to the highest international standards, including the International Capital Market Association’s (ICMA) Social Bond Principles (SBP) 2023, and the Loan Market Association, Asia-Pacific Loan Market Association and Loan Syndications & Trading Association’s (LMA/ APLMA/LSTA) Social Loan Principles (SLP) 2023. In addition to full compliance with these principles, SCNL has incorporated all best practices identified by Moody’s Ratings across its framework components, reinforcing its dedication to transparency, impact measurement and sustainability in social financing.

21 February 2025, Bengaluru: The Centre for Management Communication (CenComm), a Centre of Excellence at IIM Bangalore, in collaboration with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), organized a roundtable discussion on the role of sub-national policies in tackling climate change on 19th February 2025, at the IIMB campus. Following a recent publication from CEE titled, ‘Role of Sub-National Policies in Addressing the Climate Change Challenge – Learnings from Karnataka’s SAPCC’, the discussion sought to bridge the gap between global commitments and local execution.

Amid the evolving geopolitical landscape, effectively communicating climate policies and ensuring their grassroots implementation remain key challenges. To address these complexities, the centers convened an elite panel of climate justice stakeholders to shed light on the power of localized policymaking in driving meaningful global climate reparations.

Dr. Deepti Ganapathy, Chairperson, Centre for Management Communication, IIM Bangalore, and Rejini Simpson, Programme Director, CEE South, set the stage for the discussions. As moderators, they guided the discourse on ‘Bridging Global Commitments to Local Impact: Collaborative Pathways for Climate Resilience’, emphasizing the need for multistakeholder cooperation.

One of the panelists, Judith Weinberger-Singh, Resident Representative, Hanns Seidel Foundation India, highlighted the role of multilateral and bilateral collaborations in advancing climate action, drawing key insights from the European Union’s initiatives. She emphasized the significance of joint efforts in addressing pressing environmental challenges, referencing policy frameworks such as the European Green Deal and the role of climate finance in the global system. Citing the strategic EU-India partnership for environmental protection as an example, she underscored the need for inclusive collaboration. She further stressed the importance of engaging a diverse range of stakeholders including academics, private sector leaders, government officials, and local communities to leverage their unique strengths and develop tailored solutions for the challenges ahead.

Dr. Ram Prasath Manohar, IAS, Chairman of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), underscored the pivotal role of subnational governments in strengthening climate resilience, with a specific focus on water management and urban sustainability. He highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate change on the urban poor, emphasizing its adverse effects on their livelihoods. Drawing from his on-ground observations during Bengaluru’s water crisis last year, he urged various associations to collaborate in implementing policies aimed at curbing groundwater over-extraction. His perspective on viewing challenges and crises as opportunities for resource innovation offered the audience an optimistic and strategic approach to navigating climate-related challenges.

Bringing a corporate perspective, Srinivasa C. K., General Manager – Sustainability (ESG), Promotion Division at Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd., discussed Sustainable Mobility & Industry Leadership in Climate Action, emphasizing the automotive sector’s role in driving a greener future. He broadened the conversation to address the wider industrial impact on climate change, highlighting that the energy sector contributes approximately 73% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation’s share steadily increasing. He emphasized Toyota’s commitment to sustainable innovation through the development of electrified and hybrid vehicles, the adoption of circular economy practices, and a strong focus on water sustainability—achieving over 90% reliance on recycled and rainwater. Stressing the critical role of private enterprises in mitigating climate impact, he called for enhanced subsidies, collaborative research and development, and open dialogue between government, industry, and local communities, reinforcing the need for a unified, cross-sectoral approach to tackling climate challenges.

Dhenuka Srinivasan, Environment & Sustainability Manager at ABB India, provided insights into Corporate Sustainability & Climate Action – Driving Innovation & Responsibility in a Changing World, emphasizing the imperative for businesses to embed sustainability within their core strategies. She underlined the significance of public-private partnerships, behavioral change, and early climate education at the school level as key drivers of a positive shift in climate impact—an idea that resonated strongly with the audience. She further stressed that individual actions play a crucial role in addressing climate change, with students, as future leaders, holding the responsibility to champion and implement effective mitigation measures.

The event was attended by a diverse audience, including members of the IIM Bangalore community, industry professionals from top consulting firms, sustainability-driven entrepreneurs, and students from institutions such as Christ University and S P Jain, amongst others. Additionally, the discussion was live-streamed on YouTube, enabling a broader audience to engage with the discourse on sustainable policymaking and climate resilience.

Through this roundtable, CenComm and CEE reinforced the urgency of translating policy frameworks into actionable solutions and fostering multi-sectoral partnerships for long-term climate commitment along with action.

Bengaluru, 21 February 2025: In a significant step towards sustainable water management in Bengaluru, Ms. Angela F. Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide, unveiled an innovative ‘Rainwater Percolation Wells’ model at the Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park (IGMF) in Bengaluru. The initiative, led by United Way Bengaluru (UWBe) under its flagship program ‘One Billion Drops’ aims to enhance public awareness about sustainable rainwater conservation and inspire community participation in recharging the city’s natural aquifers.

At IGMF Park, 12 wells have been established, each capable of conserving 1,28,100 liters of water annually. These wells are built underground, and the newly installed physical model at the park visually demonstrates how they function. This model helps communities understand the process, encouraging them to adopt similar rainwater harvesting solutions in their private spaces to conserve water and recharge borewells.

United Way Bengaluru has been a leader in urban water conservation, constructing nearly 8,000 percolation wells since 2020 across public parks, government institutions, and campuses in Bengaluru, with an additional 2,000 wells in the pipeline. These 8,000 wells have the potential to significantly contribute to the city’s water sustainability efforts, conserving 10.24 million liters of water annually. A similar first-of-its-kind prototype was installed at Lalbagh in 2022, which has since drawn thousands of visitors, generating widespread public awareness about rainwater percolation wells. The success of that initiative paved the way for more such models to be introduced across the city, with the latest one at IGMF Park reinforcing the importance of rainwater conservation.

Speaking on this occasion, Dr. M. Jagadesh, Joint Director of Horticulture (Parks and Gardens), Lalbagh said “The Horticulture Department, Karnataka has been working with United Way Bengaluru for several years on various environmental initiatives, from water conservation to greening urban spaces. This rainwater percolation well prototype is a great step toward public awareness and sustainable water management. We look forward to continuing this partnership to drive many more environmental initiatives in the future.

“Water conservation is a critical challenge not just for Bengaluru, but for cities worldwide facing the impacts of climate change and rapid urbanization. United Way believes in local solutions with global impact, and Bengaluru’s ‘One Billion Drops’ initiative exemplifies how Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) can drive meaningful change. By bringing together the government, corporates, and communities to adopt sustainable water conservation practices like rainwater percolation wells, we are not only addressing immediate water challenges but also building a resilient future for generations to come. United Way Bengaluru’s leadership in fostering these collaborations is truly commendable, and I hope to see similar initiatives replicated in other cities worldwide.” said Angela F. Williams, President and CEO, of United Way Worldwide.

“Rooted in a community-focused approach, the ‘One Billion Drops‘ campaign is not just a solution; it’s a movement. A scalable, replicable model that brings together communities and stakeholders for rainwater conservation and sustainability. I am grateful to Angela for joining us to unveil the prototype

21th February 2025: AI is now integral to business operations at every level. Industries once driven by intuition are shifting to foresight-driven decisions, thanks to AI. In 2024 alone, India’s AI market hit approximately $1 billion, with projections soaring to $8.3 billion in the next five years.

With OpenAI leading and new players such as DeepSeek emerging, the focus on Large Language Models (LLMs) is intensifying. This presents a prime opportunity for India to establish itself in global AI development. By 2027, India is expected to have the world’s third-largest AI talent pool, with 1.25 to 1.35 million professionals skilled in AI. Backed by a strong digital infrastructure, a rapidly growing talent base, and access to one of the world’s most diverse datasets, India has the potential to build its own LLM and compete globally. The foundation is set—it’s time to turn potential into action.

By:Siddharth Deshmukh, COO, Clover Infotech

India’s Data Strength and Its Role in LLM Development

As India’s population grows and consumer demands evolve, AI must understand diverse languages and local dialects—even in remote villages. With 1.43 billion people and unmatched linguistic diversity, India has the opportunity to build AI that truly connects with its people. This would ensure inclusivity and accessibility, making AI a tool for every Indian, regardless of location or language.

• Bridge the Digital Language Divide: With 22 official languages and hundreds of dialects, millions of Indians are often left out of the AI-driven digital economy. A homegrown LLM brings the potential to bridge India’s digital language divide by mastering the country’s rich linguistic diversity, something global models struggle with.
• Enhance AI for Governance and Business: A homegrown LLM can also revolutionize governance and business by enabling AI-driven solutions tailored to India’s unique needs. In governance, it can power multilingual chatbots for seamless interaction, automate document processing in regional languages, and enhance accessibility for rural populations.
• Ensure Data Sovereignty: With growing concerns over data privacy and the dominance of foreign AI models, an indigenous LLM would help India maintain control over its digital future.

Addressing the Challenges in Building India’s LLM

India has the potential and all the support required to develop a powerful homegrown LLM. However, a few challenges persist, of which computational power is one of the biggest hurdles. Training large AI models requires massive processing capabilities, an area where the U.S. and China are currently leading with their advanced supercomputing infrastructure. Data quality is another challenge. While India generates humongous volumes of data, most of it is still unstructured and requires extensive cleaning, labeling, and organization before it can be useful for AI training. Research and funding also remain critical roadblocks. Despite having a robust AI talent pool, India needs sustained investment, better industry-academia collaboration, and ongoing AI research initiatives to help push the boundaries of innovation. Furthermore, a well-thought-out regulatory framework will ensure ethical AI usage, data privacy, and long-term sustainability. Overcoming these challenges will be key to making India a global leader in AI.

Looking Ahead

India stands at the cusp of an AI revolution, with the talent, data, and digital infrastructure needed to build its own LLM and shape the future of AI. While challenges exist, the opportunity to create a truly inclusive and impactful AI ecosystem is within reach.