“Yogi” Deveshwar passed away today at 72. He is survived by his wife and two children.
“We are very saddened by the passing of Mr Deveshwar today. He was an inspiration and brought unique leadership to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) for almost 10 years” said Peter Bakker, President and CEO, WBCSD.
Mr Deveshwar was a unique leader and pioneer, through his vision of what a sustainable business could be, and the impact he had over almost 20 years in seeing that vision through.
He saw that sustainable business could enhance the lives of citizens and improve the competitiveness of companies. He championed approaches that worked in India, changing the lives of millions of the World’s most vulnerable people, while building the resilience of the business he ran. He also recognized that collaboration and knowledge exchange between the developed and developing World was essential.
It was in this context that he led ITC’s engagement with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. He helped to shape WBCSD’s inclusive business agenda as Co-Chair of our Social Impact program. And with his guidance WBCSD has significantly scaled up its investment in India, convening our members to create business solutions that are effective in emerging markets. He was the driving force behind bringing our 2016 Council Meeting to India.
He remains an example for all of us.
Heartfelt condolences to our friends and colleagues at ITC.
