Eleven of India’s leading companies today launched the Karuna Ethics Alliance (KEA), India’s first industry-led alliance dedicated to improving animal welfare across food supply chains through common standards, collaborative action and practical implementation.

Dignitaries at the launch of Karuna Ethics Alliance

The first cohort of the 11 founding members—Tata Consumer Products, Reliance Retail, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, Enam Investments, HDFC Asset Management Company, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, Sodexo India and The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts—have come together around a shared commitment to improve animal welfare while helping build more responsible, resilient and future-ready food systems.

Animal welfare is increasingly becoming part of the broader conversation around responsible food systems. Consumers are seeking greater transparency about how food is produced, investors are paying closer attention to supply chain risks, and businesses are recognising that the welfare of animals has implications for food safety, responsible sourcing, operational resilience and long-term value creation. KEA has been established to help Indian companies respond collectively through practical, science-informed solutions designed for the Indian context.

The Alliance’s founding members have committed to working together to develop practical animal welfare standards, strengthen implementation across supply chains, establish credible assurance and certification mechanisms, commission India-specific research, and create a platform for companies to share knowledge and accelerate good practices.

Speaking at the launch, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shared, “Every meal begins long before it reaches the kitchen. Understanding how food is produced, including the welfare of animals, is becoming an important part of responsible food systems. I am delighted to support an initiative that brings businesses together to drive meaningful and lasting improvements.”

Sunil Dsouza, CEO & MD, Tata Consumer Products shared, “Large-scale change in food systems requires collaboration across the value chain. KEA provides an important platform for businesses to come together, build common standards and collectively raise the bar for responsible sourcing and animal welfare in India.”

Navneet Munot, MD and CEO, HDFC AMC shares, “Responsible businesses increasingly recognise that sustainability and long-term value creation extend across supply chains. Collaborative initiatives such as KEA demonstrate how industry can proactively come together to address emerging expectations while strengthening resilience and governance.”

KEA is an initiative of the India Karuna Collaborative (IKC), a coalition of more than 55 non-profits and CSO’s and over 100+ leaders working to reduce animal suffering through systems-level collaboration. Formally incorporated as the Karuna Alliance for Ethical Value Chains (KAEVC), a Section 8 not-for-profit company, the Alliance brings together businesses, financial institutions, researchers and technical experts to develop practical, evidence-based solutions that improve animal welfare across India’s food supply chains.

The Alliance’s work will focus on developing science-informed standards adapted to the Indian context, supporting companies in implementing better animal welfare practices, strengthening credible assurance mechanisms, generating India-specific evidence, and fostering pre-competitive collaboration that enables businesses to learn from one another and accelerate progress.

Sonal Jain, CEO, KEA shared ‘At the heart of this Alliance is a simple belief—that better lives for animals and better food systems go hand in hand. KEA brings businesses together to turn that belief into practical action by developing common standards, sharing knowledge and building solutions that work for India.”

The launch brought together senior leaders from business, finance, hospitality and civil society, including Amarjeet Singh, Nilesh Shah, Dr. Indu Bhushan and Shailesh Haribhakti, to discuss the evolving role of animal welfare in responsible business and the opportunity for Indian companies to demonstrate global leadership in building more ethical and resilient food systems.

About the Karuna Ethics Alliance (KEA)

The Karuna Ethics Alliance (KEA) is India’s first industry-led alliance dedicated to advancing animal welfare across food supply chains. Established as a Section 8 not-for-profit company, KEA works with businesses, financial institutions, researchers and technical experts to develop practical standards, strengthen implementation, promote credible assurance mechanisms and accelerate the adoption of responsible animal welfare practices across India’s food system. KEA is an initiative of the India Karuna Collaborative (IKC).