Hyderabad, Feb 18 (.) Perpetual Capital, in association with Hurun India, on Wednesday launched the Perpetual Capital Hurun India Impact 50 – 2026, recognising 50 Indian listed companies for their alignment with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), based on company disclosures available up to December 2025.
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) topped the list for its balanced performance across key SDGs, including climate action, water stewardship, circular economy, gender equality and life on land.
HCL Technologies secured the second position, driven by significant reductions in operational emissions and the expansion of energy-efficient digital solutions.
Mumbai emerged as India’s sustainability capital with 26 companies on the list, far ahead of Pune and Ahmedabad. Metals and Mining was the most represented sector with seven companies, followed by Software and Services, Energy and Consumer Goods with six companies each.
The report highlighted several notable achievements: Hindustan Unilever operates on 97 per cent renewable energy; Mahindra & Mahindra achieved an impressive 15-times water positivity; and JSW Energy demonstrated net-positive circularity with a 102 per cent waste re-use ratio.
Persistent Systems and Tata Consumer Products have already achieved carbon neutrality, while companies such as Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Tech Mahindra and Hero MotoCorp are targeting carbon neutrality by 2030.
Addressing the media, Anas Rahman Junaid, Founder and Chief Researcher, Hurun India, said the list goes beyond market valuations to assess how India Inc’s economic strength translates into national progress.
He noted that the 50 companies together represent a cumulative valuation of about USD 1.8 trillion and combined revenues of over Rs 40.9 lakh crore, underscoring their influence on the Indian economy.
He said sustainability reporting among Indian companies has evolved significantly over the past three years, with clearer targets, stronger governance frameworks and improved progress tracking.
The ranking methodology evaluated the top 150 listed companies by market capitalisation, using publicly available disclosures such as Annual Reports, BRSR, ESG, CSR and Sustainability Reports. Each SDG was scored across seven weighted parameters, with additional bonus points for alignment with NITI Aayog’s priority SDGs.
Pranav Prashanth, Partner, Perpetual Capital, said the breadth of sectors represented in the list was particularly encouraging, as traditionally resource-intensive industries have taken difficult but necessary decisions to embed sustainability into their core operations.
He said the findings reinforce the view that profit and purpose are no longer opposing goals, and that sustainable businesses are increasingly proving to be resilient and commercially successful.
The organisers said the Impact 50–2026 list is intended as a starting point to track India’s sustainability journey and will expand in scope in the coming years, with the long-term goal of creating a robust benchmark for responsible and inclusive business growth.
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