The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I) organized the second edition of the Annual Corporate Governance Conclave on February 23rd, 2024, at Williamson Magor Hall, The Bengal Chamber premises. The conclave aimed to deliberate on critical dimensions shaping the contemporary corporate landscape and featured on multifaceted themes crucial for sustainable and responsible business practices. 

The programme began with a formal introduction and a welcome address by Mr Gautam Ray, President, The Bengal Chamber followed by Mr Jitendra Kumar, Chairperson, Corporate Governance Committee, The Bengal Chamber and Company Secretary & President (Legal & Corporate Affairs), Exide Industries Limited. The Chief Guest of the programme was Mr Subir Chakraborty, MD & CEO, Exide Industries Ltd.

The inaugural session was followed by 3 panel discussions namely: 

Journey toward Carbon neutrality and ESG: Role of the Board Members in Companies, the eminent speakers of this session were- Mr Sandeep Kumar, MD, Tata Steel Downstream Products Ltd; Mr Subir Chakraborty, MD and CEO, Exide Industries Ltd and Mr Anjan Ghosh, Director, SunCraft Energy Private Limited. The session was moderator by Mr Inderjeet Singh, Partner, Financial Advisory, Deloitte India. The session discussed that how the factors like carbon neutrality, the broader ESG framework contribute to long-term business success. Emphasized on the responsibilities and best practices for board members in overseeing ESG initiatives, setting meaningful goals, navigating challenges, and fostering transparent communication, to explore practical approaches, metrics, and collaborative strategies, empowering board members with the knowledge and tools needed to lead their organizations on a sustainable and responsible path.

The second session was on Cyber Risk and Fraud Analysis, an eye opener for the Board members. This session as moderated by Dr. CS Adv Mamta Binani, National Past President, Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI). The panelists were- Mr Nitin Jhunjhunwala, Partner, Risk Advisory, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP; Mr. Santosh Prasad, Partner & Service Line Lead; Hybrid Cloud Transformation, GIC, IBM Consulting; and Mr. N K Ghoshal, Director, NKG & Associates. The discussion highlighted the multifaceted nature of cyber risks, sophisticated tactics and the vulnerabilities that organizations may face, the latest trends in fraud analysis, the importance of proactive measures to detect and mitigate potential threats, the significance of robust cyber security frameworks, employee awareness and training, as well as the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning in bolstering defense mechanisms.

The third and the final session was on Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. The panellists were Mr Amitava Sengupta, Chief Digital Officer - RPSG Group and Mr Sashank Mishra, Partner, Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, this was moderated by Mr. Suparno Moitra, Public Speaker & Policy Advocacy Specialist. The session  touched upon the challenges and opportunities with the Act, such as the implementation of robust cyber security protocols, transparency in data processing practices, and the potential impact on innovation in the digital landscape, the role of regulatory bodies in overseeing adherence to the Act and the collaborative efforts required from both public and private sectors to foster a secure and privacy-centric digital ecosystem, the complexities of data protection in the digital age, aiming to strike a balance between individual privacy rights and the legitimate needs of businesses to access and utilize personal data.

The initiative was supported by CESC Limited, Linde India Limited, Tata Steel Downstream Products Limited and Exide Industries Limited. The programme was greatly appreciated by the attendees.