IICA Consultation Urges Policy Shift From Control to Trust

The relationship between the regulator and the regulated was the subject of a day of expert discussion in the capital. The Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), a think tank set up under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, held a high-level Stakeholder Consultation on ‘Public Policy & Corporate Affairs: Evolving Roles & Professional Development’ at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The release carrying its conclusions was issued on 14 November 2026, and the headline message from the experts was that public policy in India must move from control towards trust.

Why the meeting was called

The consultation had three stated aims: to define the scope of the public policy function inside organisations, to identify the capabilities that professionals in that function need, and to consider how learning pathways can be strengthened so that both organisational expectations and national priorities are met.

Who spoke

The inaugural theme address was delivered by Gyaneshwar Kumar Singh, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of IICA, who argued for continuous and meaningful dialogue between the public and private sectors. Special addresses followed from former civil servants and corporate leaders. Amarjeet Sinha, a retired IAS officer and former Secretary to the Government of India, called for collaborative governance and predictable policy, with business engaging the regulator before, during and after a policy change. Anup K. Pujari, another former Secretary, pressed for building a cadre from mid-career and late-career professionals able to bridge the public and private sides of regulation. Arun Goyal, also a former Secretary, noted that the private sector's part in how regulators work now goes well beyond liaison. Rajiv Agarwal, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Tata Consultancy Services, stressed communication and behavioural skills, while Richard Rekhy, Vice Chairman of Grant Thornton Bharat, said policy professionals need financial acumen and a view of national and global value chains.

How the discussion was organised

Deliberations ran in three tracks: the public policy and corporate affairs function itself, the evolving role of its professionals, and their education and professional development. The meeting drew more than 50 senior representatives from listed and multinational companies, consulting firms, think tanks, industry associations, academia and civil society, along with government officials and policy researchers.

What it concluded

On capacity building the consultation favoured a multidisciplinary, case-based curriculum, flexible delivery suited to working professionals and internships with government. Niraj Gupta, Head of the School of Corporate Governance and Public Policy, set the context and described the meeting as the start of a sustained IICA effort to give the emerging profession an institutional anchor; Manoj Singh, Chief Program Executive, coordinated it. It closed with a roadmap for IICA to work with industry bodies and academic institutions.