New Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Friday said good corporate governance is central to India’s development and called on company secretaries and other corporate professionals to play a larger role in promoting ethical practices, transparency and institutional accountability.
Singh made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), which invited him to attend the presentation ceremony of the 26th ICSI National Awards for Excellence in Corporate Governance in 2027 as Guest of Honour.
He said the role of company secretaries was expanding beyond their traditional professional responsibilities, with their expertise increasingly relevant to governance systems across the corporate and economic ecosystem.
“Good corporate governance is central to India’s development,” Singh said, stressing that professional excellence and sound governance practices should go together as the country’s economy grows.
Company secretaries urged to strengthen governance
Singh said professionals in the corporate sector have an important responsibility to encourage ethical conduct, responsible governance and institutional accountability.
He called for company secretaries to make a greater contribution to India’s growth by helping organisations strengthen governance standards and build a culture of transparency and responsibility.
The minister also said professional institutions such as ICSI have a role in promoting ethical entrepreneurship, improving governance practices and adapting professional standards to changing requirements.
He stressed the importance of recognising organisations and individuals that demonstrate excellence in corporate governance.
ICSI initiatives in local governance and digitalisation
During the meeting, Singh also reviewed ICSI’s initiatives related to Panchayat Governance and local-body governance. He appreciated the institute’s work in preparing manuals and training material in multiple languages.
He also noted ICSI’s efforts to digitalise its institutional processes, including the use of electronic voting and a preferential voting system in its elections.
The ICSI delegation told the minister that the institute has more than 80,000 members and around 250,000 students.
The discussions also covered ICSI’s work on professional and secretarial standards, corporate governance and its Lifetime Achievement Award for Translating Excellence in Corporate Governance into Reality.