Jamshedpur, April 29, 2025: XLRI – Xavier School of Management, India’s first management institute and a global leader in responsible management education, successfully hosted the Business-Biodiversity Conclave in association with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The event was held at the LH1, International Centre, XLRI Jamshedpur campus, bringing together distinguished leaders from academia, industry, government and global organizations to drive the urgent conversation around integrating biodiversity into business strategy.
The conclave was inaugurated with the traditional lighting of the lamp, followed by a welcome and context setting by Prof. Tata L. Raghu Ram, who reflected on XLRI’s commitment to advancing sustainable leadership. Dr. Yashveer Bhatnagar, Senior Technical Officer, IUCN, provided a global perspective on the evolution of private sector engagement in biodiversity conservation, highlighting the pivotal role of businesses in addressing ecological challenges.
Dean Academics, Prof. Sanjay Patro: Reflected on the XLRI–IUCN partnership journey. Emphasized XLRI’s early commitment to sustainability by being one of the first institutions to sign the UN Global Compact in 2006.
Mr. Sourav Roy, CEO of Tata Steel Foundation, in his special address, urged the convergence of boardroom decisions and grassroots realities. He stressed the need for market and non-market approaches to biodiversity conservation, calling for deeper collaboration between businesses and communities.
The Keynote Address by Ms. Shailja Singh, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head -Jharkhand State Biodiversity Board, focused on the legal, economic and ecological imperatives of biodiversity conservation. She urged companies to move beyond compliance towards leadership in adopting biodiversity-friendly practices, highlighting opportunities to integrate emerging technologies such as AI, ML and IoT for conservation efforts.
The panel discussion, titled “Business and Biodiversity – Challenges, Opportunities and the Way Forward for Indian Business”, featured:
- Ms. Smita Pankaj, IFS, PCCF, Jamshedpur
- Ms. Vaishnavi Prabhakaran, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Tata Power
- Mr. Wei Hsien Lee, Senior Technical Officer, Finance and Economics for Nature, IUCN
- Mr. K. Sourabh, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
- Mr. Pankaj Kumar Satija, EIC FAMD, Tata Steel
Moderated by Prof. Tata L. Raghu Ram, the session offered actionable insights on biodiversity offsets, managing invasive species, integrating TNFD frameworks, innovative insurance solutions for biodiversity risks and private sector partnerships with forest departments.
Through the discussions, speakers underscored that businesses and biodiversity are intricately linked—and that proactive biodiversity stewardship not only secures ecological integrity but ensures long-term business resilience and sustainable economic growth.
This conclave is part of XLRI’s broader commitment to Excellence & Integrity, For the Greater Good and its aspiration to produce leaders who can drive meaningful, nature-positive change in India and across the globe.
