Tata Steel’s Chief of Corporate Sustainability, Madhulika Sharma, selected as one of Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen by Global Reporting Initiative

 Selected out of 126 nominations from 20 countries across Asia ~

 Mumbai, September 5, 2019: Tata Steel’s Chief of Corporate Sustainability, Ms. Madhulika Sharma, has been selected as one of Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen 2019, an annual listing of exceptional female sustainability leaders in the region by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Ms. Sharma received the award at a special event organised in Singapore on September 4, 2019.

Ms. Sharma is among the 27 outstanding women leaders from 11 countries recognised for their pioneering and impactful work done in corporate sustainability. In the third edition of Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen Award, the Superwomen have been chosen out of 126 nominations from 20 countries across Asia.

A total of two women from the Tata Group, including Ms. Shalini Singh, Head of Communications & Sustainability, Tata Power, received the coveted recognition.

The 2019 list was announced by Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) CEO Tim Mohin, and Ásthildur Hjaltadóttir, GRI’s Chief of Network Engagement and Regional Implementation Officer, who were Guests of Honour at the Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit’s networking cocktail reception in Singapore. They presented Superwoman Certificates as a mark of honour to the Sustainability Superwomen attending the event.

A Sustainability Superwoman is one who is leading change through sustainability strategies and initiatives within her organisation as well as outside of her organisation. An international jury comprising five members reviewed and assessed the nominations to identify the winners.

Mr. Sanjiv Paul, VP (Safety, Health & Sustainability), Tata Steel, said: “The recognition of Ms. Sharma as one of Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen is a perfectly well-deserved one. As Chief of Corporate Sustainability, Madhulika’s work is vital to what Tata Steel has achieved so far, which is to bring in a humane dimension to our corporate goals that ensure growth and sustainability go perfectly together. On behalf of everyone at Tata Steel, I congratulate her on this remarkable feat and shall continue to support her work in the coming years.”

Ms. Sharma said: “This is a recognition that I wish to share with all my colleagues in Tata Steel for their generous support through all these years as we worked as a team to achieve our sustainability goals. By its very nature of the business we are in, sustainability can be both challenging and immensely rewarding both at a personal level and as the head of my team. I must also thank GRI for this encouragement I hope and intend to live up to.”

Ms. Sharma is a 26-year Tata Steel veteran and has held several senior level roles in India’s largest steel maker. Before being elevated to the role of Chief of Corporate Sustainability in July 2016, she was Chief Infrastructure Planning & Development for Tata Steel Plant in Jamshedpur. During this tenure, she made many visible changes inside the Steel Works at Jamshedpur, including doubling of green cover between 2012 and 2016.

Among the many other hats Ms. Sharma wears is her role as the Chairperson of the Diversity Council at Jamshedpur. She has been the co-chair for Sustainability Committee of CII Eastern Region. She is also a lead assessor for CII-ITC Sustainability Awards and the assessing team which she led in 2015 was adjudged the best assessor team. She is currently the President of Jamshedpur Horticulture Society.

Ms. Sharma has been instrumental in propagating sustainability related values of the organisation to internal and external stakeholders including supply chain partners, subsidiaries & profit centers, creating cross functional forums involving senior management & functional leaders and forming a network of sustainability champions who are ambassadors of sustainability in their functions.

Mr. Rajesh Chhabara, Managing Director, CSRWorks International, said, “We’re delighted to see Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen go from strength to strength. These women have led the way on sustainability and diversity throughout Asia. We hope that by celebrating their numerous achievements we will inspire more women to become future sustainability leaders.“

Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen is a non-profit project initiated by CSRWorks International, Singapore’s most trusted name in sustainability consulting, training and thought leadership. The project’s purpose is to recognize and honour the contribution of exceptional women leaders who are driving change to make the world a better place.