As the global conversation on sustainability evolves from commitments to measurable action, businesses are increasingly being called upon to demonstrate how environmental responsibility is embedded in their everyday operations. In this thought-provoking article, Mr. Mayank Singhal, Vice Chairperson & Managing Director, PI Industries, argues that true sustainability is not defined by annual declarations or compliance requirements, but by the choices organisations make every day.
Drawing on PI Industries’ experience, the article explores how sustainability can be integrated into core business functions—from water stewardship and renewable energy adoption to cleaner manufacturing processes and climate-resilient agriculture. It highlights the company's measurable progress in reducing resource intensity and supporting farming communities, while underscoring the importance of science, innovation, and long-term investment in building a greener future.
On World Environment Day, the conversation often centres on commitments. At PI Industries, we believe the more important conversation is about consistency. What a company does on the other 364 days is what defines its environmental character.
At PI, sustainability is a way of life. It is embedded in how we build our plants, run our operations, and engage with the farming communities we serve. This approach has guided us for more than 25 years. It reflects a clear conviction: environmental responsibility cannot sit apart from growth. It must shape how growth is built.
For us, sustainability is an operating discipline: using less, improving more, and creating better solutions through science, technology, and continuous effort. Whether in water stewardship, cleaner manufacturing, renewable energy, or climate-resilient agriculture, the standard is the same: take less from the environment and give more back through the way we operate.
The outcomes are measurable. Since FY21, we have reduced water intensity by approximately 43% and CO2 emission intensity by over 25%. In FY25 alone, emission intensity came down by 15.6%. Renewable energy now contributes 17.5% of our energy mix, and we are expanding solar integration across our manufacturing sites. These results reflect sustained, year-on-year investment in cleaner processes, water stewardship, and continuous optimisation.
Recognition matters because it creates accountability. PI ranks among the top 2 percentile of S&P Global ESG-rated companies worldwide and is featured in the 2025 Sustainability Yearbook. We are also among the top 25 companies globally in the chemical sector on this assessment. In addition, we hold a CDP B rating for water stewardship and an EcoVadis Silver Medal. These are benchmarks we intend to raise further.
At PI, environmental responsibility is not confined to our plants. It extends to how we work with farmers, communities, and the ecosystems around us. Climate variability is already reshaping the economics of farming across India. Science that stays inside the laboratory is science half-completed. In FY25, our sustainable agriculture programmes supported climate-resilient practices across more than 35,000 acres, reaching over 44,000 farmers. This is how research must translate into real-world outcomes: by helping farming communities build resilience while improving resource efficiency.
For India, this is a moment of significance. Our country has established itself as a trusted global hub for life sciences manufacturing. The next chapter of that leadership will be determined by how responsibly we grow. India's scientific talent, process engineering expertise, and expanding R&D ecosystem position it well to lead a model of industrial growth where environmental performance and competitiveness strengthen one another.
That will require continued collaboration across industry, academia, and government. It will require sustained investment with a long-term view in responsible manufacturing, interdisciplinary scientific talent, and practices that treat environmental stewardship not as a reporting exercise, but as an operating standard.
At PI, that is the standard we hold ourselves to.
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