BusinessWire India
New Delhi [India], October 10: India Water & Rivers Forum, organised by CSRBOX and The Godavari Initiative, and convened in official partnership with the UNGC CEO Water Mandate, Water Resilience Coalition, Alliance for Water Stewardship, and WRI India; mobilised sectoral champions across government, industry, and civil society to catalyse collective action for basin-level impact, positioning India as a rising exemplar in strategic, measurable water governance.
The forum witnessed participation from key policymakers, including Shri Nitin Khade, IAS - Joint Secretary, Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, Shri Naveen Kumar G.S. IAS - Secretary, Irrigation & Water Resources Department, Government Of Uttar Pradesh, Shri M. Nagarajan IAS - Vice Chairman & Managing Director, GSRTC Mission Director - Swachh Bharata Mission - Urban, Gujarat, Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC), Smt. Manisha Khatri, IAS - Commissioner & Administrator, Nashik Municipal Corporation, Dr Debolina Kundu - Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Shri Thakur Brahmanand Singh - Member (South), Central Ground Water Board and Shri BP Pandey - Chairman, Godavari River Management Board & Chairman, Krishna River Management Authority. Their presence reinforced the government's commitment to strengthening collaborative action for water security and sustainable resource management at both national and local levels.
The forum also brought together transformative leadership voices, including Mr. Praveen Someshwar - MD & CEO, Diageo India (USL), Punit Lalbhai - Vice Chairman, Arvind Ltd. and Jason Morrison - President, Pacific Institute & Head, CEO Water Mandate who led an insightful dialogue on the evolving role of industry, innovation, and collective responsibility in advancing India's water security.
The forum also marked the launch of the India ESG Outlook Report 2025, which presents a comprehensive analysis of India's evolving ESG landscape, highlighting key trends, existing gaps, and emerging opportunities shaping the nation's transition towards responsible and sustainable business practices.
A key highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CSRBOX and the Pacific Institute, marking a significant step toward advancing water stewardship and strengthening basin resilience frameworks across India. Speaking on the occasion, Jason Morrison, President of the Pacific Institute, emphasized that, "India's corporates, NGOs, and institutions are coming together to lead a new era of water stewardship for long-term basin resilience."
As the conversations unfolded through leadership dialogues, thematic roundtables, solution showcases, and an exclusive session exploring opportunities for a sustainable Nashik Simhastha Kumbh 2027, the India Water & Rivers Forum 2025 evolved beyond a convening but became a shared effort towards collective stewardship. From corporate commitments to community collaborations, the forum set a precedent for how India can lead the world in integrated, basin-scale water action.
Bhomik Shah, Founder & CEO of CSRBOX, remarked, "Water is not just a resource it is the foundation of resilience and shared prosperity. Through India Water & Rivers Forum, we aim to build a coalition of changemakers who see water as a unifying force for sustainable growth."
The forum highlighted India's progress and emerging trends in corporate sustainability and responsible business practices.With its first edition, the India Water & Rivers Forum has successfully laid the groundwork for a future where industry, government, and civil society come together to secure India's most vital lifeline, its rivers. The event concluded with a shared commitment to transform ideas into action, echoing the spirit of collaboration that will define the country's water leadership journey in the years ahead.
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