Hindalco Industries and Xynteo’s Exchange 2024 convened leaders to discuss India’s sustainable development by 2030, focusing on collaboration and innovation. Through discussions and showcases, the event aimed to drive progress towards sustainability goals

 Hindalco Industries, in collaboration with Norway-based sustainability advisory firm Xynteo, recently hosted the Exchange 2024 at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi on February 15-16. The event brought together national and international leaders from various sectors to deliberate on collaborative solutions for India’s inclusive and sustainable development by 2030.

Under the theme “India@2030: Scaling Good Growth,” discussions centered on strategies for achieving equitable and sustainable growth, overcoming systemic barriers to inclusive development, harnessing innovation and technology for social impact and fostering partnerships between business, government and civil society. Notable speakers presented insights on these topics, emphasising the importance of collective action in driving large-scale change.

Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, highlighted India’s unique opportunity to achieve sustainability goals while promoting economic growth without carbonising. He stressed the role of solar energy, electric vehicles and planned urbanisation in realising India’s climate targets by 2030. Kant emphasised the importance of business models driving the circular economy and the need for companies to prioritise sustainability for long-term market positioning.

Suman Bery, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, emphasised the significance of cross-sector collaboration in delivering on India’s vision of inclusive and green development. He highlighted the country’s strengths in technology and manufacturing and advocated for policies promoting climate justice and leveraging collaborative platforms like The Exchange.

Satish Pai, Managing Director of Hindalco Industries, emphasised the company’s commitment to sustainability across its value chain. He highlighted Hindalco’s transition from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to “CSR Plus,” focusing on initiatives like renewables, zero waste and decarbonisation. Pai underscored the importance of empowering people to drive impact and emphasised the role of collaborative partnerships in enabling equitable growth.

Vipul Kumar, Senior Partner at Xynteo, reiterated the belief that business can be a force for good, delivering both commercial and social impact. He emphasised the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships to drive systemic transformation and highlighted the importance of patience and perseverance in achieving sustainable solutions. The Exchange witnessed participation from notable leaders across various sectors, including government, business, sports and civil society. Insightful discussions, fireside chats and speaker series explored strategies for scaling responsible innovation, advancing net-zero goals, promoting circularity and addressing healthcare access, among other challenges.

The event also featured a Marketplace showcasing early-stage startups driving high-impact innovations across energy, circularity, sustainable livelihoods and healthcare. Additionally, active working group sessions known as Studios facilitated vibrant dialogues on industry-specific sustainability topics and offered a collaborative platform for forging partnerships and co-creating solutions. In line with its commitment to sustainability, Xynteo partnered with Grow-Trees.com to plant a tree for every attendee, symbolising a shared commitment to building a sustainable future. The Exchange, as an annual flagship event, aims to track India’s progress towards sustainability goals, foster collaboration and drive ongoing momentum towards the 2030 development agenda.