ECube, an Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) platform launched by three former Tata Group executives in partnership with Quantum Advisors, has roped in Chandru Badrinarayanan as Managing Partner.

“Badrinarayanan is a pioneer of the ESG movement in India, and with his sophisticated understanding of the key drivers of ESG improvement, will add value to our agenda of behavioural change in corporate India, in favour of better ESG performance,” ECube Chairman Mukund Rajan said.

At ECube, he will be involved in institutional investor engagement, ESG research, investee company interactions, investment monitoring, IP management and new business development, an statement ECube statement said.

Previously, Badrinarayanan – who has more than 30 years of experience across financial markets, business strategy, risk management and analytics, among others - was Executive Director and head of NYSE-listed MSCI’s India business. MSCI is an independent provider of research-driven insights and tools for institutional investors.

He has also worked with various stakeholders in India to evangelise the concept and relevance of ESG. “Institutional investors across the world are increasingly making ESG the central theme for all their investments, driven by growing concerns around issues such as poor corporate governance, global warming, and rising inequality. ESG strategies in public equities already impact over $30 trillion of funds,” Badrinarayanan said.

“We intend to prove that in the Indian markets, as elsewhere, a focus on ESG can deliver sustainable value and market out-performance for investors,” he added.

ECube, founded by three former Tata group executives along with Quantum Advisors, a mutual fund, will soon launch its first ESG fund, Quantum-ECube (Q-ECube).

ECube is a joint venture chaired by Mukund Rajan, who was Tatas’ brand custodian, chief ethics officer and a member of the group executive council during Cyrus Mistry’s chairmanship, and former Tata Capital chief operating officer, Govind Sankaranarayanan and former Tata Sons director, Alan Rosling.

The fund will take a private equity approach while investing, which entails deeper engagement with the management to influence strategy to enhance ESG’s performance, ECube had said in January.

rajesh.kurup@thehindu.co.in

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