IDFC FIRST Bank Releases Sustainability Report for FY2025-26, Highlighting Commitment to ESG and Green Initiatives

IDFC FIRST Bank Releases Sustainability Report for FY2025-26, Highlighting Commitment to ESG and Green Initiatives​

IDFC FIRST Bank Limited has released its Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report for the Financial Year 2025-26. The report details the bank's performance across environmental management, social welfare initiatives, and corporate governance, underscoring its dedication to responsible banking practices.

The bank reported a turnover of ₹48,422.11 Cr and held net worth of ₹46,297.08 Cr for the period, reinforcing its commitment to integrating sustainability into core operations.

Operations and Governance Overview​

As at March 31, 2026, IDFC FIRST Bank maintained a significant national presence, operating 1,146 branches and 53 offices across the country, alongside one international location. The bank serves a diverse customer base, including urban and rural retail customers, large corporates, MSMEs, and NBFCs.

The institution is committed to ethical conduct, with its Board overseeing ESG matters through a dedicated Committee. Key governance areas include:

• Risk Management: The report identified several material risks in regulatory compliance, data security, and customer privacy, noting that the bank has implemented proactive strategies for mitigation.
• Anti-Corruption Policy: IDFC FIRST Bank maintains comprehensive policies addressing anti-corruption and anti-bribery across its operations, including Code of Conducts for Directors and Senior Management Personnel (SMP) and an Employee Code of Conduct.

Environmental Sustainability Highlights​

The bank demonstrated a strong focus on minimizing its ecological footprint in FY 2025-26. The Bank achieved several key environmental performance improvements:

• Energy Efficiency: Total energy consumed stood at 2,25,339.27 Gigajoules for the year, showing improvement against previous financial year's consumption of 2,20,100.68 Gigajoules. The bank reported an energy intensity of 4.65 per rupee of turnover, down from 5.06 in FY 2024-25.
• GHG Emissions: Total Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions were reported at 49,393.40 tCO2e for the year, demonstrating a reduction compared to the previous financial year's 61,701.28 tCO2e.
• Waste Management: The bank generated 659.96 metric tonnes of total waste, showing improved efficiency with a waste intensity of 0.01 per rupee of turnover (compared to 0.02 in FY 2024-25). E-waste generation was reported at 4.75 metric tonnes for the current financial year.
• Water Stewardship: Total volume of water withdrawal was recorded as 5,10,007.58 kilolitres, with a water consumption intensity of 5.85 per rupee of turnover. The bank confirmed that Zero Liquid Discharge principles are implemented in select large offices through Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).

Employee Well-being and Social Impact​

The report provided detailed metrics on the management and well-being of its workforce:

• Workforce Details: IDFC FIRST Bank employed 43,059 permanent staff as at the end of FY 2025-26. Of this total, 35,128 were male (81.58%) and 7,931 were female (18.42%).
• Employee Benefits: The bank reported a commitment to its employees through benefits like group life insurance coverage for all permanent staff and ensures that both Permanent and Other than Permanent employees are covered by PF and Gratuity.
• Compensation: For employees other than the Board of Directors and KMPs, the median remuneration stood at ₹6.22 lakh for male employees and ₹5.97 lakh for female employees. Gross wages paid to females accounted for 16.19% of total wages in FY 2025-26.
• Training: A high degree of coverage was reported across the workforce regarding safety and skill enhancement training, with 66.75% of all employees trained on Health and Safety measures.

Stakeholder Engagement and Human Rights Commitment​

The bank confirmed its continuous engagement processes with various stakeholder groups, including customers, regulators, communities and NGOs. The institution identified specific vulnerable and marginalized groups such as women, persons with disabilities, youth, farmers, and dairy farmers as key focus areas for inclusion initiatives.

Commitment to human rights was demonstrated through:

• Workplace Safety: A zero-tolerance approach towards harassment and discrimination is maintained through the implementation of a Code of Conduct and a specific Policy on Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace.
• Labor Practices: The bank ensures that all permanent employees are compensated above the prescribed minimum wages. It also reports that 100% of male employees were found to be in roles requiring compensation equal to or more than the minimum wage.
• Value Chain Oversight: When assessing value chain partners, the bank covered 25% of top-tier partners based on business volume for parameters like sexual harassment and workplace discrimination.

In conclusion, IDFC FIRST Bank's BRSR 2025-26 paints a picture of an institution actively managing operational risks while pursuing sustainable growth by driving environmental efficiency, focusing on employee welfare, and ensuring transparent stakeholder engagement.

IDFCFIRSTB Stock Price Movement​

Shares of IDFC First Bank Limited slipped by 0.56% on Friday, closing at ₹84.62 amid a down day for the equity. Trading volume reached approximately 9.5 million shares as the bank stock concluded its Friday trading session.