Globalizing Indian Thought
(GIT 2022)

CENTRE FOR CLIMATE STUDIES (CCS)

India’s aspirations—to develop rapidly, to lead the world toward net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 and to become a soft power—may be unenviable to many, but a troika being pursued with gusto by a young nation with a very old civilization. After all, here is a nation which has millions to lift out of abject poverty; a nation which is one of the largest carbon emitters and, at the same time, a nation which is one of the lowest per-capita carbon emitters. In this context, India’s developmental journey has to be a symbiosis of economic, ecological, social, and governance factors, thereby serving as a template for many other nations to learn from. Its development journey cannot be as carbon intensive as some of the experiences in the West or more recently in China.

A number of Indian thought leaders have indeed been engaging with climate conundrums. ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, an ancient Indian philosophical idea talks about the connectedness of all entities on earth. The largest Indian business houses have committed to not just emission improvements but to overall ESG improvements, in line with global trends. Since the 1990s, CIAL (Cochin International Airport Limited) has paved the way for more social ownership and more ecological operations of a capital-intensive business like an international airport. CIAL’s solar initiatives have not only been recognised by the United Nations but also act as a generator of business growth and diversification. CIAL’s leaders describe how it has transformed from an airport generating solar power to a solar power business operating an airport. Indian consulting and business group behemoths have invested significantly in ESG as well—for example, Tata Sustainability Group (TSG) provides all businesses in the group with the required tools and support to achieve their climate objectives. At an international level, Suzuki sets itself detailed business and value-chain level climate objectives for 2025 on its path towards meeting ambitious goals over the long run.

Indian climate experiments hold solutions and important reference points for the planet as a whole. It is perhaps time to take stock of their experiences and draw out lessons that could have global applications. The conference aims to bring to life the climate challenges faced by businesses, policymakers, and leaders as they engage with wicked problems such as climate. The presentations of extant research and the following discussions would offer insights into the frontiers of climate change interventions in India and across the planet.

Tracks

1. Climate Change and Marketing
2. Operations and climate
3. Climate, IB, and Strategy
4. Diversity, Equality, Inclusion, and Climate
5. Climate Change Policy
6. Climate Change and Humanities
7. Climate Change and OBHR
8. Climate Finance
9. Climate Change and Technology

The Centre for Governance is an initiative of IIMK dedicated to doing rigorous and impactful research on governance. We envision an inter-disciplinary approach to solve complex policy problems and translate academic research into evidence-based governance practice. Our research blends inputs from cutting-edge developments in leadership, public policy, management, strategy, and business. In partnership with bureaucrats, government agencies, non-government organizations, policy advocacy groups, and regulatory institutions, we perform robust research aimed at the sustainable transformation of governance systems in the country. With our multi-disciplinary expertise, we intend to disseminate knowledge, share best practices and collaborate with our counterparts across the globe to pursue excellence in the governance arena.

Governance is the way rules, norms, and actions are structured, sustained, regulated, used, or misused, and held accountable. It takes various forms, driven by different motivations and producing dissimilar results. "Governing" is not an isolated process. External actors with varying degrees of power can influence decision-making and hence govern. From kinship to networks, the term "governance" has touched various fronts of human-social interactions. Governance is an interdisciplinary field of study centred on the power relationships between central, state, and local government authorities, civil society, business entities, institutional intermediaries, and all other market participants, and explores the ability of these communities to legitimately govern themselves and act effectively.

"It is a means to make acquisitions, to keep them secure, to improve them, and to distribute among the deserving the profits of improvement." It is on this science of government that the course of the progress of the world depends." Kautilya. c.BCE 320. Arthasasthra R. Shamasatry translated it in 1915. Added in 2013. Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/Arthasastra_English_Translation.

Tracks

1. Indian and Comparative Experiences in Corporate Governance
2. Indian and Comparative Experiences on the Internet and Digital Governance
3. India’s Sui Generis Governance Practices
4. Women in Governance
5. Leadership and Governance