Launch Overview
Eleven of India’s leading companies announced the formation of the Karuna Ethics Alliance (KEA) on 23 September 2026 in Mumbai. KEA is described as India’s first industry‑led, pre‑competitive, voluntary alliance dedicated to raising animal‑welfare standards across food supply chains.
Founding Members
The founding cohort comprises eleven organisations: 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. These members span consumer goods, retail, banking, asset management, hospitality and food‑service sectors.
Alliance Structure
KEA is formally incorporated as the Karuna Alliance for Ethical Value Chains (KAEVC), a Section 8 not‑for‑profit company. It operates under the umbrella of the India Karuna Collaborative (IKC), a coalition of more than 55 non‑profits and civil‑society organisations and over 100 leaders focused on reducing animal suffering.
Objectives and Activities
The alliance will develop science‑informed animal‑welfare standards adapted to the Indian context, support companies in implementing those standards, establish credible assurance and certification mechanisms, commission India‑specific research, and create a knowledge‑sharing platform for pre‑competitive collaboration. The goal is to align animal‑welfare improvements with food‑safety, responsible sourcing, operational resilience and long‑term value creation.
Statements from Leaders
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor said, “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.” Sunil Dsouza, CEO & MD of Tata Consumer Products, highlighted the need for large‑scale collaboration across the value chain. Navneet Munot, MD and CEO of HDFC Asset Management, noted that sustainability and long‑term value creation extend across supply chains. Sonal Jain, CEO of KEA, emphasized that better lives for animals and better food systems go hand in hand, and that KEA will turn this belief into practical action.
Additional Participants
The launch event also featured senior leaders from business, finance, hospitality and civil society, including Amarjeet Singh, Nilesh Shah, Dr Indu Bhushan and Shailesh Haribhakti, who discussed the evolving role of animal welfare in responsible business and the opportunity for Indian companies to demonstrate global leadership.
About KEA and IKC
KEA, as an initiative of IKC, 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 standards development, implementation support, assurance mechanisms, generation of India‑specific evidence and fostering pre‑competitive collaboration.
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