As the global focus on sustainability intensifies, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives are no longer viewed as peripheral concerns; they are now core to the long-term growth of businesses. In fact, by embedding ESG into their strategies, organisations are uncovering new opportunities to develop sustainable products and optimise their use of resources. And organisations like Xynteo are at the forefront of driving such systemic change.
In this exclusive conversation, we speak with Vipul Kumar, Senior Partner at Xynteo, who shares their unique approach to integrating ESG principles into its core business models. From reshaping value chains in construction to enabling circular economies and inclusive social ecosystems, Xynteo is reimagining what sustainable business can look like. Through this conversation, we delve into how Xynteo integrates ESG with innovation, helps businesses achieve profitability while driving societal impact, and crafts collaborative frameworks to address critical issues such as climate change, resource efficiency, and social equity.
Read the full interview here:
Q. How does Xynteo embed ESG principles into its strategy to help businesses achieve sustainable growth while balancing environmental, social, and governance impacts?
A. At Xynteo, we fundamentally believe that business is a force for good. We work at the intersection of commercial value and societal impact, helping organisations unlock people and planet-positive growth. This isn't about traditional CSR or philanthropy – we’re focused on transforming core business models to create lasting, systemic change. What sets us apart is our conviction that sustainability isn’t just ‘good to have’– it’s a business imperative. The solutions we develop aren't optional add-ons; they're essential strategies for future business success. We partner with the world's largest organisations because we believe that when business leads with purpose, it can drive unprecedented positive impact while securing long-term commercial success. Our work spans from embracing the opportunity of net zero and transitioning to a circular economy, to creating socially inclusive solutions and reshaping equitable stakeholder ecosystems.
We recognise that ESG isn't just a compliance exercise - it's a powerful catalyst for value creation and sustainable growth. Our approach integrates ESG principles across four key dimensions: understanding systemic challenges, designing future-fit solutions, building organisational capability, and forging strategic alliances.We've seen remarkable results with this approach, particularly in critical areas such as energy transition - which is imperative for energy companies - and plastic circularity, where we're converting waste into commercial value. What sets our approach apart is our focus on systemic transformation. Rather than treating environmental, social, and governance impacts as separate challenges, we help organisations understand their interconnections and leverage these relationships to create multiplicative impact.
Q. What is Xynteo’s perspective on the intersection of innovation and ESG, and how does it enable clients to leverage new technologies?
A. Innovation is core to what we do - finding innovative business models that create value for partner organisations while contributing to their ESG goals is a very strong perspective Xynteo holds. Without bringing innovation into play, ESG becomes more of a compliance issue, a cost item for organisations. We work to convert that into revenue and topline growth, which really needs innovation across technology, business models, partnerships, etc. We see innovation and ESG as naturally convergent forces that, when properly aligned, can unlock unprecedented opportunities for both business and society. We work closely with start-ups and new technologies, such as low-carbon materials tech in our Build Ahead coalition and clean hydrogen technology with our Energy Leap programme.
Q. What strategies do you suggest and employ to minimise India’s environmental footprint, considering its rapid urbanisation and growing infrastructure needs?
A. At Xynteo, we take a comprehensive, ecosystem-wide approach to addressing India's environmental challenges while supporting its growth aspirations. Our strategies operate across multiple critical sectors:
In the construction sector, through our Build Ahead coalition, we're tackling the significant challenge of building-related emissions, which currently constitute one-fifth of India's annual greenhouse gas emissions. With 50% of India's 2030 building stock yet to be constructed, we're focusing on scaling adoption of low-carbon building materials across cement, concrete, glass, and steel; developing actionable roadmaps for materials transition; creating frameworks for green public procurement; and enabling carbon measurement tools for construction developers.
Then, through Vikaasa, our purpose-driven business coalition, we're driving systemic change across multiple fronts: for example, our Waste to Value Impact Track, led by Hindustan Unilever and supported by SBI Foundation, which is transforming waste management models with a focus on plastic circularity. Our end-to-end waste management model in Mumbai's D-ward has created positive impact across 300+ housing societies and 100+ Safai Saathis, demonstrating how public-private partnerships can drive sustainable urbanisation.
What makes our approach unique is its focus on collective action and collaboration. We enable data-driven decisions and cross-sector partnerships. We've found that by bringing together diverse stakeholders - from government bodies to corporations to local communities - we can create solutions that are both environmentally sustainable and economically viable.
Q. Can you highlight some specific outcomes that have emerged from the Vikaasa coalition in India, particularly in the areas of energy, sustainable mining, healthcare?
A. Vikaasa has delivered significant impact across multiple sectors over its 7-year journey, with over 75 co-curated projects impacting 1.5 million lives. Let me highlight a few key outcomes:
In healthcare, our Project Tej, launched in partnership with the Government of Telangana, has created a network of 10+ testbed sites for real-world evidence generation in medical technology. Five start-ups have already received validation and market access support, demonstrating our commitment to democratising healthcare access through technology.
In sustainable mining, led by Hindalco, we developed a Sustainable Mining Charter and guidelines for mines to implement a sustainability strategy specific to their requirements. We've launched initiatives like 'Kosala', an indigenous brand for Kosa Silk products that creates sustainable livelihood opportunities while preserving traditional artforms. Mining guidelines
These projects exemplify our approach to balancing environmental, social, and economic considerations in mining areas.
In energy, we've demonstrated significant impact through our PCM (Phase Change Materials) technology pilot in cold chain logistics. The six-month pilot with five short-haul cold reefers achieved 24% net savings and 16% CO2 reduction compared to traditional fossil fuel refrigeration, enabling wider adoption across transport operators and downstream sectors like FMCG, pharmaceutical, and food services.
Q. What metrics does Xynteo use to evaluate the success of its ESG initiatives, and how are these metrics adapted to India’s unique economic and environmental context?
A. Our approach to measuring ESG success is both systematic and impact-focused. We begin by setting well-defined impact targets that are explicitly linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals while being carefully aligned with India's unique sustainability priorities and developmental needs.
Our evaluation process starts before project initiation - we conduct thorough assessments to ensure each initiative can deliver material ESG impact. Only projects that demonstrate clear potential for measurable outcomes move forward. Once implemented, we regularly monitor and measure impact delivered by our projects against these predetermined targets.
Let me share a concrete example from our Waste to Value Impact Track from Vikaasa. Here, we use multiple metrics to evaluate success: we have impacted the lives of over 2 lakh individuals, diverted more than 5,000 tonnes of dry waste diverted from landfills and waterways, created 100 green jobs, and educated 20 lakh children in responsible waste management. These metrics aren't just numbers - they represent real progress in addressing India's waste management challenges while creating sustainable economic opportunities.
What makes our measurement approach particularly effective is its adaptability to India's context. We recognise that ESG metrics cannot be one-size-fits-all and must consider local socio-economic realities. For instance, in our projects, we place equal emphasis on environmental metrics (like waste diverted) and social impact metrics (like livelihoods created), reflecting India's dual need for environmental sustainability and inclusive economic growth.
Q. What challenges does Xynteo identify as the most pressing for companies seeking to adopt ESG frameworks, and how does it address them?
A. In our extensive work with organisations across India and globally, we've observed that companies face different challenges depending on their position in their sustainability journey. Our approach is tailored to meet organisations wherever they are in this evolution.
For companies in the early stages, the primary challenges often centre around organisational readiness and cultural alignment. At this phase, we focus on building leadership awareness and commitment, developing sustainability-focused organisational culture, creating basic frameworks for ESG integration, and establishing foundational measurement systems.
For organisations that have begun their journey but need strategic direction, we help design comprehensive ESG roadmaps, set science-based targets, identify priority areas for immediate action, and develop implementation frameworks that align with their business objectives.
For mature organisations looking to accelerate their impact, we address more sophisticated challenges by implementing actionable strategies to achieve specific ESG outcomes, creating innovative business models that align profitability with sustainability, and developing advanced monitoring and reporting systems.
However, we've identified several overarching challenges that affect organisations across all stages: access to novel technologies and innovation, access to markets for sustainable products and services, connection to the right network of partners and stakeholders, and integration of ESG considerations into core business strategy.What sets Xynteo's approach apart is our ability to bring all these elements together cohesively. We leverage our extensive network of partners, our deep understanding of emerging technologies, and our experience in creating successful business models to help organisations overcome these challenges systematically. Rather than treating each challenge in isolation, we create integrated solutions that address multiple aspects of the ESG journey simultaneously.
Q. Scope 3 emissions constitute a large part of GHG emissions. Tracking it also tends to be more complicated as it requires organisations to analyse their supply chain activities. How does Xynteo support its clients in embedding ESG considerations into their supply chain and value chain operations?
A. At Xynteo, we understand that addressing value chain emissions requires a systemic approach that goes beyond mere measurement to create transformative change. Our work through the Build Ahead coalition exemplifies how we help organisations tackle this challenge effectively.
In the construction sector, for instance, we take a comprehensive value chain approach - from raw material sourcing to end-use in buildings. Through Build Ahead, we've developed practical solutions that help organisations understand and reduce their value chain emissions. This includes creating an open-access embodied carbon measurement tool for construction developers to measure emissions from material consumption, and identifying opportunities for emissions reduction across the entire cement production value chain.
Our approach has yielded significant results. For a major cement manufacturer, we identified nine potential intervention points within their production value chain and developed 20 potential interventions for decarbonising cement production. For a leading real estate developer, we created a blueprint that demonstrated how using lower carbon materials could reduce embodied carbon footprint by approximately 53%.
What makes our approach particularly effective is our focus on making these solutions economically viable. Our research shows that reducing carbon intensity by 30% does not raise construction costs, while achieving net-zero would only add 1-3% to construction cost. This economic viability, combined with our collaborative approach bringing together multiple stakeholders across the value chain, helps drive real adoption and impact.
Q. Are there any specific areas you focus on in terms of your CSR activities? What partnerships or collaborations has Xynteo formed to specifically enhance the effectiveness of its ESG initiatives?
A. We’ve cultivated a robust ecosystem of strategic partnerships that significantly enhance our ability to drive sustainable transformation. We collaborate with some of the most compelling sources of technological innovation, both within India and globally, giving our partners access to cutting-edge solutions in sustainability.
Our partnership network extends beyond technology to include institutions that provide access to different forms of capital - from grants and debt to equity financing - essential for scaling sustainable solutions. These financial partnerships help de-risk investments in new technologies and enable the transition to more sustainable business models.
We've also built strong relationships with leading think tanks and research organisations, enabling us to support the development of evidence-based policy recommendations. These collaborations are crucial in creating enabling environments for sustainability initiatives and helping shape policy frameworks that accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices.
What makes our partnership approach particularly effective is how it creates a complete ecosystem of support - from technology access and financial enablement to policy advocacy and implementation support. This comprehensive network allows us to not just identify solutions but also create the conditions necessary for their successful implementation and scaling.
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