In a significant step towards strengthening India’s sustainable development docket, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), an independent institution under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. The agreement, homogenised on October 31, 2025, aims to develop a Comprehensive SDG Alignment Framework that will integrate public and state position pointers with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Commercial Social Responsibility (CSR) parameters. The action aligns with the government’s vision of Viksit Bharat, promoting a data-driven approach to sustainable growth and responsible business practices.
The collaboration marks an important move towards creating a unified frame that harmonises public precedents with commercial sustainability pretensions. It seeks to strengthen substantiation-grounded policymaking by linking the National Indicator Framework (NIF), which monitors India’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with state and commercial-position conduct. Through this trouble, MoSPI and IICA intend to ensure that sustainability enterprises are accepted by pots under ESG and CSR scores round state and union home SDG objects.
The signing form witnessed the presence of elderly officers from both institutions. Representing IICA was Shri Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General and CEO, who has been leading the institute’s strategic enterprise in ESG, CSR, and Responsible Business Conduct. Under his leadership, IICA has been laboriously integrating commercial responsibility with India’s broader development pretensions. From MoSPI, the form was attended by Shri Kishor Baburao Surwade, the fresh Director General of the Capacity Development Division; Ms Ruchika Gupta, Deputy Director General of the Social Statistics Division; Shri Shivnath Singh Jadawat, Director of the Training Unit, Capacity Development Division; and Dr Ziaul Haque, Director of the Social Statistics Division. Also present from IICA were Dr Garima Dadhich, Associate Professor and Head of the School of Business Environment, and other elderly members from both associations.
The National Indicator Framework, which serves as the foundation for covering India’s progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, will give the foundation for this common action. The NIF presently tracks the nation’s performance across social, profitable, and environmental confines, offering critical data for decision-making at the public position. By expanding its compass to include state-position pointers and commercial sustainability measures, the new frame aims to produce a further inclusive and coherent system for tracking India’s progress.
This action is designed to bridge the gaps between government monitoring mechanisms and commercial sustainability reporting. Traditionally, public and state-position SDG shadowing has operated independently from commercial ESG and CSR exposures. The new framework will align these sweats, enabling businesses to measure their impact in ways that directly contribute to public and state development pretensions. This integration is anticipated to foster stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors in advancing India’s sustainable development commitments.
The cooperation also reflects the growing significance of aligning commercial responsibility with public policy objects. With the added emphasis on ESG compliance and sustainability reporting, companies are now playing a larger part in achieving the SDGs. By creating a unified set of pointers that link commercial enterprise to government precedents, the frame will give lesser translucency and responsibility in sustainability issues.
The proposed alignment between the National Indicator Framework (NIF) and State Indicator Frameworks (SIF) will also support substantiation-grounded policymaking by furnishing a robust data ecosystem. This will enable policymakers to assess the effectiveness of development programmes, measure the impact of commercial interventions, and identify areas taking focused attention. In doing so, it’ll strengthen India’s capability to achieve the SDGs through coordinated public, state, and commercial efforts.
According to officers, this cooperative model underscores the government’s commitment to promoting responsible growth and ensuring that sustainability is bedded in all aspects of governance and business operations. The frame is anticipated to serve as a reference for aligning CSR and ESG investments with measurable SDG issues, making development efforts more effective and poignant.
The scowl between MoSPI and IICA therefore represents a strategic step in advancing India’s sustainable development frame. By linking statistical systems with commercial sustainability practices, the action aims to produce a cohesive model that promotes responsibility, translucency, and inclusive progress. As India continues its trip towards Viksit Bharat, the cooperation is anticipated to enhance the country’s capacity to cover and apply the SDGs in a manner that reflects both public precedences and the benefactions of responsible businesses.
Through this cooperative approach, the government envisions erecting a future where substantiation-grounded policymaking and commercial participation work hand in hand to achieve long-term social, profitable, and environmental pretensions, buttressing India’s commitment to a sustainable and advanced nation.
