CII expressed its deepest condolences at the sad demise of Mr Y C Deveshwar, Chairman, ITC Ltd. and Past President, CII. It is a great loss for the Indian industry and for CII which he led with exemplary commitment. Mr Deveshwar was the President of CII in 2005-06. His legacy continues through the CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CII-CESD), which he set up during his Presidency. He continued to chair the Centre’s Advisory Council. 

Mr Deveshwar leaves behind a notable legacy through his successful demonstration that sustainable business is indeed profitable and can maximise returns to all stakeholders. He was the first Indian business leader in the post-liberalisation era who successfully demonstrated that companies could grow and succeed by mainstreaming sustainability or Triple Bottomline in their business. 

On an area that is dominated by business models in developed markets, Mr Deveshwar created one of the most celebrated sustainable businesses in an emerging market, delivering rapid growth in revenues, profitability, and market capitalisation.

As President of CII during 2005-06, Mr Deveshwar took many innovative initiatives for competitiveness, inclusiveness and sustainability regarding Indian industry which CII has since internalised.

This film captures his inspiring and memorable journey.