A Study on the Impact of ESG Adoption on Sustainable Finance of Select Public Banks in Bengaluru City

Abstract

This paper examines how the adoption of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles influences sustainable finance practices among selected public sector banks in Bengaluru City. The study seeks to evaluate the qualitative dimensions of ESG integration—specifically environmental accountability, social inclusion, and governance transparency—and their contribution to long-term financial sustainability. A qualitative research design based on secondary data has been used. Annual sustainability reports, SEBI’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) disclosures, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) circulars, and CRISIL ESG rankings for 2019–2024 form the main data sources. Interpretive content analysis identifies themes related to environmental, social, and governance performance. Results indicate that ESG adoption positively correlates with sustainable finance outcomes through improved risk management, inclusive banking, and governance reform. However, uneven disclosure standards and limited environmental data restrict comparability across banks