India’s sustainability journey has gained remarkable momentum with the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework introduced by SEBI in 2021. Designed to align corporate disclosures with global sustainability practices, the framework reflects India’s national priorities of inclusive growth, responsible production, and climate resilience.
As the disclosure landscape matures, however, sustainability assurance remains fragmented with differing interpretations, overlapping standards, and a growing concentration of practices within a single professional domain.
Sustainability assurance lies at the intersection of multiple disciplines: environmental science, social systems, governance, and financial accountability. Over-reliance on any one profession risks narrowing perspectives, excluding competent experts, and eroding stakeholder trust.
To build confidence and credibility, India’s assurance ecosystem must evolve towards a balanced, competence-based, and profession-agnostic framework — one that values the collective contributions of all relevant domains.
This paper presents a structured proposal for the creation of a Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) for sustainability assurance in India — envisioned as the Sustainability Assurance Board of India (SABI) or National Board for Sustainability Assurance (NBSA).
Anchored under SEBI or the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the proposed body would act as a neutral oversight mechanism with the following core functions:
The proposal introduces a dual-path recognition system that accommodates both ISAE/ISSA, ISO/IEC 17029–14019, and other international approaches through an official bridge document. This structure allows multidisciplinary assurance teams to work within a coherent national framework while staying aligned with global best practices.
The publication outlines the historical context, current challenges, and a phased roadmap for implementation of this vision. Its ultimate goal is to create a credible, inclusive, and integrity-driven assurance ecosystem — one that strengthens confidence in India’s sustainability disclosures and supports long-term market trust and responsible business conduct.
Read the full paper here.