CSR and Sustainability

Message from the Managing Director & CEO

As Axis Bank builds on its more than 30-year legacy of being one of India's leading financial institutions, we take immense pride in our role as a catalyst for inclusive growth, equitable progress, and sustainable development.

In an era shaped by rapid technological evolution, we are harnessing the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Innovation, and Data-Driven insights to redefine banking experiences and empower every stakeholder—from individuals and businesses to communities and institutions. Our overall approach is about creating meaningful impact, bridging gaps, and enabling financial access across the country. As we navigate the ever-shifting macro trends, we remain focused on building a future-ready Axis Bank through sound governance, purpose-driven initiatives, and sustainable business practices.

We are committed to building Axis Bank as a future-ready institution — agile, adaptive, and aligned with the shifting needs of the economy. As we collectively strive towards a better future, we shall always remain ‘dil se open’ to embrace new possibilities, innovative ideas, and fresh opportunities.

Sustainability at Axis

Axis Bank is guided by a strategy that focuses on achieving sustainable, profitable growth for the organization while catalysing positive economic, social and environmental value creation for its stakeholders in the short and long term.

Purpose
ESG Governance
ESG Credentials

Banking that leads to a more inclusive and equitable economy, thriving community and a healthier planet

Inclusive & Equitable Economy

We are committed to providing opportunities that help the most economically disadvantaged achieve prosperity.

Thriving Community

We are committed to working with communities across the country to help them thrive on a sustainable basis.

Healthier Planet

We are committed to consciously nurture the planet we live in and make it a better place for future generations.

Axis Bank is the first Bank in India to constitute a standalone ESG Committee of the Board
The Bank has constituted an ESG Steering Committee comprising senior business leaders to drive ESG integration across the organization.Read More
ESG Working Group has been formed to shape the Bank’s ESG-aligned portfolio
DEI Council has been established to provide oversight on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
To ensure accountability at ground level, commitments have been announced for retail & corporate business & a sustainable financing framework has been developed

ESG committee of
the Board

ESG Steering committee
at the Management Level

ESG Commitments to enhance
accountability at Business Levels

Rating/Score 57

Included
(9th consecutive year)

Rating/Score AA

Rating/Score 19.0
(Low Risk)

Governance Score 81 Grade: Leadership (Top 7% companies in the S&P BSE)

ESG Commitments
Social Responsibility
Positive financing

ESG Commitments

Axis Bank is committed to helping India move on the path of equitable and sustainable growth and has taken a series of commitments across its business, human capital, social responsibility and operations that are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and India’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.
These commitments are an integral part of our long term strategy which is woven around our purpose of ‘Banking that leads to a more inclusive and equitable economy, thriving community and a healthier planet’.

Human Capital
Our Social Responsibility

At Axis Bank, we focus on building a fair, diverse and performance-driven culture that is guided by our Core Values and committed to creating equal opportunities and driving the personal and professional growth of its employees.
Our emphasis is on attracting the best talent, strengthening our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and ensuring the safety of our employees and their families.
We are guided by our #ComeAsYouAre Charter and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy to create a space for every individual to thrive. We have committed ourselves to achieving 30% female representation in our workforce by 2027

#ComeAsYouAre

View the #ComeAsYouAre Charter

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy

Read Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy

Performance & Progress

To read more on our performance and progress,

Our CSR philosophy has always been to make a meaningful and measurable impact to the lives of economically, physically and socially challenged communities of the country through an integrated approach of development. Our approach to community action aims to leverage our national presence, our strengths as a financial institution, and the strength of collaboration to bring positive and sustainable change in the lives of citizens in some of the most socio-economically deprived parts of the country.
Overseen by our CSR Committee of the Board and guided by our CSR Policy, our interventions adopt a multi-dimensional approach focusing on creating sustainable livelihoods in rural India, promoting education and skills development, supporting financial literacy and financial inclusion of un-banked and underbanked sections of the society and promoting environmental sustainability, and driven directly by the Bank, the Axis Bank Foundation or their experienced implementation partners.

Our Policy

Read our CSR Policy here

The Composition of the CSR Committee

Board approved CSR Programs and Impact Assessment Report/s

Axis Bank Foundation

Read more about our axis bank foundation

Positive Financing

As a leading financial institution, we help facilitate capital flows into critical sectors of the Indian economy and serve millions of customers across the socio-economic spectrum in every part of the country. In alignment with the global sustainable development agenda led by the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, we have strived to enhance our ESG-aligned business profile, focusing on scaling our sustainable banking and financing portfolio in both the retail and wholesale banking, lowering the carbon footprint of our business operations and helping move the needle through policy advocacy and thought leadership.

Framework
Achievement
ESG Policy

Sustainable Financing Framework

We launched our Sustainable Financing Framework in September 2021 that articulates our strategy and priorities for financing ESG-aligned sectors.
The Framework has received a Second Party Opinion from Sustainalytics, thus ensuring its alignment to global sustainable finance best practices.Read More
We in place an ESG Working Group towards managing the Bank’s obligations and commitments under the Framework.

Sustainable Financing Framework

View pdf

Second Party Opinion

View pdf

India’s first Sustainable USD AT1 notes of $ 600 million

We successfully raised India’s first Sustainable USD AT1 notes of $ 600 million in the overseas markets in September 2021, thus making India only the second jurisdiction in Asia with a sustainable AT1 issuance.
The issuance witnessed an overwhelming response from marquee investors, with the order book being 3.8 times oversubscribed ahead of the Final Pricing Guidance announcement and close to 50% of the final allocation to ESG-focused investors.

ESG Policy for Lending

Since 2016, we have in place the ESG Policy for Lending that integrates Environmental and social risk considerations into our corporate credit appraisal mechanisms. The Policy incorporates global standards and guidelines such as the IFC Performance Standards.
The Policy is implemented by a team of Environmental and Social Risk Experts housed with the Wholesale Credit Underwriting vertical.