India Index 2023 Progress Update
28 June 2023The India Index 2023 focuses on the contribution being made to nutrition by the 20 largest F&B manufacturers in India. The Index provides comprehensive, independent, comparable, and objective information about the companies’ policies, practices and disclosure related to nutrition. The Index also includes indicators on accessibility of nutritious foods and sustainability.
As such, the India Index serves as a private sector accountability tool, which stakeholders can use to hold companies in India to account for delivering on their commitments to tackle these important national challenges.
The 2023 iteration, with a renewed methodology, will create higher impact through not only aiming to change company behaviour directly, but also through wider levers for market transformation.
ATNi embraces the need for systems change and will work towards improving market performance by driving all key actors to work together to improve access to affordable nutritious foods for all, especially vulnerable populations. This will include more active engagement with a wider range of stakeholders such as relevant policy makers, such as the Food Safety and Standards Association of India (FSSAI) and potentially also, for the first time, institutional investors in India.
Furthermore, through the Index, we will seek closer collaboration and partnerships with influential stakeholders, such as Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is responsible for food regulation including labelling, and consumer associations, which strengthens the rights of consumers to make informed choices. We are working with the investment community in India and investors in companies based in India to ensure that our India Index will provide them with the in-depth information they need on companies’ performance on nutrition not available from any other source. Investors can then use our Indexes and reports in their ESG research, investment analysis and engagement.
The India Index 2023 has the highest level (70%) of active company engagement in ATNi’s history of developing India Indexes.
ATNi selected the following 20 companies based on sales value (Euromonitor 2021 data), pan-Indian representation and product portfolio. Out of these 20 companies, 14 are listed either on Indian or international stock exchanges.
Adani Wilmar
Agro Tech Foods
Britannia Industries
Coca-Cola India
Dabur India
Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) AMUL
Haldiram Foods International
Hatsun Agro Products
Heritage Foods
Hindustan Unilever
ITC
KMF Nandini (Karnataka Cooperative Milk Producers Federation)
Lactalis India
Marico
Mondelez India Foods
Mother Dairy Fruit & Vegetables
Nestle India
Parle Products
Patanjali Ayurved/Ruchi Soya Industries
PepsiCo India Holdings
ATNi is currently in the research phase of the process leading up to finalization of the India Index 2023. The Index will include company specific scorecards and recommendations. The Index report will also describe industry best practices and will highlight food fortification as well as innovations in the healthy food sphere.
Leading up to the completion of the India Index, we will develop policy briefs to guide relevant policymakers in making informed decisions.
The launch of the India Index 2023 will take place over several events with different stakeholder groups in India and online in November 2023, after which we will hold individual consultations with the 20 companies on the findings and recommendations.
If you have any queries about the India Index 2023, please contact us at info@accesstonutrition.org.