Central Depository Services (India) Limited - Environmental & Social Information 2024

Central Depository Services (India) Limited

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CDSL/CS/NSE/MJ/2024/16 9 July 26, 2024

The Manager, Listing Compliance Department, National Stock Exchange of India Ltd.,

Exchange Plaza, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (East), Mumbai – 400051.

Symbol: CDSL ISIN: INE736A01011

Subject: Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report for the financial year 2023-24

Dear Sir/Madam,

Pursuant to Regulation 34(2)(f) of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, please find enclosed herewith the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report for the financial year 2023-24, which also forms part of the Annual Report.

The above information is also available on the website of the Company: www.cdslindia.com

This is for your information and records.

Thanking you, Yours faithfully, For Central Depository Services (India) Limited

NILAY Digitally signed by NILAY RAJENDRA RAJENDRA SHAH Date: 2024.07.26 SHAH 11:41:41 +05'30'

Nilay Shah Company Secretary & Head Legal Membership No.: A20586

Encl: As above

Regd. Office: Marathon Futurex, A Wing, 25th Floor, Mafatlal Mills Compound, N M Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (E), Mumbai - 400 013. Phone: 91-22-2302 3333 • Fax: 91-22-2300 2036 • CIN: L67120MH1997PLC112443 Website: www.cdslindia.com

Annexure-I

Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report

SECTION A: GENERAL DISCLOSURES

Details of the listed entity

I.	Details of the listed entity
1	Corporate Identity Number (CIN) of the Listed Entity L67120MH1997PLC112443
2	Name of the Listed Entity Central Depository Services (India) Limited
3	Year of incorporation 12-12-1997
4	Registered office address Unit No. A-2501, Marathon Futurex, Mafatlal Mills Compound, N.M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (East), Mumbai - 400013
5	Corporate address Unit No. A-3401, Marathon Futurex, Mafatlal Mills Compound, N.M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (East), Mumbai - 400013
6	E-mail [email protected]
7	Telephone 02262343000/3001
8	Website www.cdslindia.com
9	Date Of Start Of Financial Year Start Date End Date
	Current Financial Year 01-04-2023 31-03-2024
	Previous Financial Year 01-04-2022 31-03-2023
	Prior to Previous Financial year 01-04-2021 31-03-2022
10	Name of the Stock Exchange(s) where shares are listed Sr. No. Name of the Stock exchange Description of other stock exchange Name of the Country 1 National Stock Exchange of India Limited - -
11	Paid-up Capital `H`1,04,50,00,000
12	Name and contact details (telephone, email address) of the person who may be contacted in case of any queries on the BRSR report
	Name of Contact Person Shri Nilay Shah
	Contact Number of Contact Person 02262343000/3001
	Email of Contact Person [email protected]
13	Reporting boundary - Are the disclosures under this report made on a standalone basis (i.e. only for the entity) or on a consolidated basis (i.e. for the entity and all the entities which form a part of its consolidated financial statements, taken ,together). Standalone basis
14	Whether the Company has mandatorily undertaken reasonable assurance of the BRSR Core? No
II. 15. 16.	Products/services Details of business activities
	Sr. No. Description of main activity Description of business activity % of turnover
	1 Depository Services Financial Services 100
	Products/Services sold by the entity (accounting for 90% of the entity’s Turnover):
	Sr. No. Product/Service NIC Code % of total Turnover contributed
	1 Depository Services 64990 100

III. Operations

17. Number of locations where plants and/or operations/offices of the entity are situated:

Location	Number of plants Number of offices	Total
National	0 14	14
International	0 0	0

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Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

18. Markets served by the entity:

a) Number of locations

Location	Number
National(No. of States)	28 States and 8 Union Territories
International(No. of Countries)	0

b) What is the contribution of exports as a percentage of the total turnover of the entity? Not Applicable.
c) A brief on types of customers

The depository’s business lines cater to a diverse group of customers such as Depository Participants (DPs), Issuers, Registrar & Transfer Agents (RTAs), Clearing Members (CMs), Clearing Corporations (CCs).

IV. Employees

19. Details as at the end of Financial Year:

a) Employees and workers (including differently abled):

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Male Female Others
S. No Particulars Total (A)
No. (B) % (B/A) No. (C) % (C/A) No. (H) % (H/A)
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			EMPLOYEES
1.	Permanent (D)	335	244	72.84	91	27.16	0	0.00
2.	Other than Permanent (E)	0	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00
3.	Total employees (D + E)	335	244	72.84	91	27.16	0	0.00
			WORKERS
4.	Permanent (F)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
5.	Other than Permanent (G)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
6.	Total workers (F + G)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA

Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

b) Differently abled Employees and workers:

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Male Female Others
S. No Particulars Total (A)
No. (B) % (B/A) No. (C) % (C/A) No. (H) % (H/A)
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		DIFFERENTLY ABLED EMPLOYEES	DIFFERENTLY ABLED EMPLOYEES	DIFFERENTLY ABLED EMPLOYEES
1.	Permanent (D)	3	2	66.67	1	33.33	0	0.00
2.	Other than Permanent (E)	0	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0.00
3.	Total differently abled employees	3	2	66.67	1	33.33	0	0.00
	(D + E)
		DIFFERENTLY ABLED WORKERS
4.	Permanent (F)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
5.	Other than Permanent (G)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
6.	Total differently abled workers (F + G)	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA

Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

20. Participation/ Inclusion/ Representation of women

Total (A)	No. and percentage of Females
	No. (B) % (B / A)
Board of Directors@ 9	2 22.22
Key Management Personnel* 17	2 11.76

@Board of Directors includes MD & CEO and Directors on Governing Board as on March 31, 2024.

*Key Management Personnel refers to KMP as defined under Section 203(1) of the Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI (Depositories & Participants) Regulations, 2018 and does not include MD & CEO as on March 31, 2024.

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Annual Report 2023-24

21. Turnover rate for permanent employees and workers

(Disclose trends for the past 3 years)

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FY 2023-24 (Turnover rate in current FY 2022-23 (Turnover rate in previous FY 2021-22 (Turnover rate in the year
FY) [values in %] FY) [values in %] prior to the previous FY) [values in %]
Male Female Others Total Male Female Others Total Male Female Others Total
Permanent 10.99 10.06 0.00 10.75 13.79 6.61 0.00 12.14 9.78 13.86 0.00 10.66
Employees
Permanent NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Workers
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Notes: 1) Average is calculated based on opening and closing count of employees for the financial year.

2) The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

V. Holding, Subsidiary and Associate Companies (including joint ventures)

22. (a) Names of holding/ subsidiary/ associate companies/ joint ventures

Sr.	No. Name of the holding/ subsidiary/ associate companies/ joint ventures (A)	Indicate whether holding/ Subsidiary/ Associate/ Joint Venture	% of shares held by listed entity	Does the entity indicated at column A, participate in the Business Responsibility initiatives of the listed entity? (Yes/No)
1	CDSL Ventures Limited	Subsidiary	100	No
2	CDSL Insurance RepositoryLimited	Subsidiary	54.25*	No
3	CDSL CommodityRepositoryLimited	Subsidiary	52.00	No
4	India International Bullion Holding IFSC	Associate	20.00	No
	Limited

*3.25% is held through CDSL Ventures Limited , Wholly Owned Subsidiary.

VI. CSR Details

23. CSR Details

CSR Details CSR Details
Whether CSR is applicable as per Section 135 of Companies Act, 2013	Yes
Turnover (in`)	6,40,95,70,000
Net worth (in`)	11,59,87,76,000

VII. Transparency and Disclosures Compliances

24. Complaints/Grievances on any of the principles (Principles 1 to 9) under the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct:

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if Yes, then FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Grievance
Stakeholder group from whom complaint Mechanism Redressal web-link for provide complaints Number of complaints Number of complaints Number of complaints Number of
is received in Place grievance filed pending Remarks filed pending Remarks
redress during the resolution at during the resolution at
(Yes/No) policy year close of the year year close of the year
Communities NA - - - - - - -
Investors (other than NA - - - - - - -
Shareholders)
Shareholders# Yes 6 0 Complaints 15 0 Complaints
were were
suitably suitably
resolved resolved
in a timely in a timely
manner manner
Employees and Yes 0 0 - 1 0 Complaints
workers were
suitably
resolved
in a timely
manner
Customers Yes 13082 485 - 6620 124 -
Value Chain Partners Yes 0 0 - 0 0 -
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_ Customers/Value chain Partners can register their complaints/grievances at the Company’s following weblink:_ https://www.cdslindia.com/ Footer/grievances.aspx*

** All pending complaints as on March 31, 2024 stands resolved.

#https://www.cdslindia.com/InvestorRels/ShareholderCorner.html

Shareholders can register their complaints/grievances at the Company’s following email id: [email protected]

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25. Overview of the entity’s material responsible business conduct issues

Please indicate material responsible business conduct and sustainability issues pertaining to environmental and social matters that present a risk or an opportunity to your business, rationale for identifying the same, approach to adapt or mitigate the risk along-with its financial implications, as per the following format:

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Financial
Indicate
whether implications of the
Sr. No. Material issue identified risk or Rationale for identifying the risk opportunity In case of risk, approach to adapt or mitigate risk or opportunity (Indicate positive
opportunity
or negative
(R/O) implications)
1 Social O CDSL through its Corporate Social Not Applicable Positive Implications
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	Responsibility		Responsibility (CSR) programmes
	towards		endeavours to enrich the lives of the
	Society		citizens of this country. CDSL believes
			that a nation progresses when
			its communities are empowered.
			Extending this belief to our Corporate
			Social Initiatives, we remain
			committed to enriching the lives of
			the citizens of India. Our vision is to
			create a world in which everyone can
			thrive through social, environmental,
			and economic progress. We reached
			out to the socially and economically
			disadvantaged communities in
			association with 10 CSR partners in
			FY 2023-24. CDSL focused on health,
			education, environment, and research
			to leave a visible impact.
2	Financial	O	As the number of investors entering	Not Applicable		Positive Implications
	Literacy/		the Indian capital market is increasing
	Investor		at a steady pace, there is a need to
	Awareness		protect the interests of investors.
			CDSL IPF, through its various investor
			awareness and education initiatives,
			endeavours to equip the investors
			with knowledge and resources to
			enable them to become self-sufficient
			investors
3	Governance	O	Effective compliance can help in	Not Applicable		Positive Implications
	and		building brand trust
	Compliance
4	Data Security	R&O	Privacy and data security present a	To address the risk of privacy and data		Positive Implications
			significant risk for CDSL, especially	security, CDSL can implement several
			considering the increasing	measures:
			digitisation of financial services	Robust Information	Security
			and the growth in the number of	Infrastructure:CDSL invests in advanced
			digital users. As more transactions	software solutions, firewalls,	encryption
			and sensitive information are being	techniques, and intrusion detection systems
			exchanged digitally, the risk of cyber	to create a secure environment for data
			threats and unauthorised access	storage and transmission. This infrastructure
			to privileged information becomes	should be regularly updated and tested to
			increasingly prominent. Any breach	ensure its effectiveness against emerging
			in data security could result in severe	cyber threats.
			consequences, including financial loss, reputational damage, legal implications, and loss of trust from stakeholders.	Expert Manpower:CDSL employs a team of skilled professionals with expertise in information security to continuously monitor and respond to potential threats.
				These experts should be well-versed in the
				latest security practices, industry standards,
				and regulations to ensure the implementation
				of effective security measures.
				Training and Awareness:	Conducting
				regular training sessions and	awareness
				programmes for employees, clients, and
				other stakeholders is vital. These initiatives
				should focus on educating them	about best
				practices for data security, including strong
				password management, safe	browsing
				habits, and identifying potential phishing
				attempts or social engineeringattacks.

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Annual Report 2023-24

SECTION B: Management and Process Disclosures

This section is aimed at helping businesses demonstrate the structures, policies and processes put in place towards adopting the NGRBC Principles and Core Elements.

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P P P P P P P P P
Disclosure Questions 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Policy and management processes
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1.	a. Whether your entity’s policy/policies cover each principle	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	and its core elements of the NGRBCs.(Yes/No)
	b. Has thepolicybeen approved bythe Board?(Yes/No)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	c. Web Link of the Policies, if available	https://www.cdslindia.com/InvestorRels/CorporateGovernance.
		html
		Some of the policies being internal				documents are		accessible	only to the
		employees through the Company’s				intranet	portal.
2.	Whether the entity has translated the policy into procedures.	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	(Yes/No)
3.	Do the enlisted policies extend to your value chain partners?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	(Yes/No)
4.	Name of the national and international codes/ certifications /	ISO 27001:2022		and ISO	22301:2019 Standard
	labels/ standards (e.g. Forest Stewardship Council, Fairtrade,
	Rainforest Alliance, Trustea) standards (e.g. SA 8000, OHSAS,
	ISO,BIS)adopted by your entityand mapped to eachprinciple.

Note: The polices are applicable to the value chain partners wherever relevant

5. Specific commitments, goals and targets set by the entity with defined timelines, if any.

As a Market Infrastructure Institution (MII), CDSL recognises its responsibility to foster sustainable progress with purpose. The Company has set forth distinct commitments, goals, and targets. Although there are currently no mandatory targets or standardised evaluation processes for all policies, CDSL rigorously monitors diverse aspects through its ESG and CSR initiatives.

6. Performance of the entity against the specific commitments, goals and targets along-with reasons in case the same are not met.

CDSL is dedicated to upholding sustainability objectives and promptly implements necessary measures, bolstered by robust governance framework. This approach aids the Board in supervising the effectiveness of the ESG & CSR strategy, governance, progress monitoring, and the review of associated policies, practices, initiatives, and goals. While notable strides have been achieved, CDSL remains committed to enhancing performance and addressing any identified gaps. The Company remains unwavering in its dedication to sustainability and social responsibility, striving to create a positive impact on both society and the environment.

For detailed information about CDSL’s CSR initiatives, please refer to the Annual Report.

Governance, leadership and oversight

7. Statement by director responsible for the business responsibility report, highlighting ESG related challenges, targets and achievements

CDSL is dedicated to conducting business responsibly and sustainably, upholding the highest standards of integrity. We prioritise ESG initiatives such as responsible energy and water usage, safeguarding human rights, and engaging with stakeholders, employees, and promoting social welfare. Additionally, we recognise the importance of educating consumers about capital market investments. CDSL has established the Investor Protection Fund (IPF), which plays a crucial role in raising awareness about capital markets among investors in India.

CDSL will remain committed to a robust governance framework. The adoption of various policies and controls has strengthened our governance structure significantly.

8. Details of the highest authority responsible for implementation and oversight of the Business Responsibility policy (ies).

The Board of Directors particularly the Managing Director & CEO is responsible for implementation of Business Responsibility policies.

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Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

9. Does the entity have a specified Committee of the Board/Director responsible for decision-making on sustainability related issues? (Yes/No). If yes, provide details.

Yes, Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and Risk Management Committee are the specified Committees of the Board responsible for decision-making on sustainability related issues.

10. Details of Review of NGRBCs by the Company:

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Indicate whether review was undertaken by Director/
Subject for Review Committee of the Board/ Any other Committee
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9
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Performance against above policies and follow up action Indicate whether	Policies mandated by existing regulations and as outlined in the report
review was undertaken by Director/ Committee of the Board/Any other	have been officially endorsed by the Board or its Committee as required.
Committee
Subject for Review	Frequency (Annually/ Half yearly/ Quarterly/ Any other - please
	specify)
Performance against above policies and follow up action Frequency	Any other
(Annually/Halfyearly/ Quarterly/Anyother -please specify)
if Any other, provide details	Relevant policies of the Company are reviewed periodically or on a
	need basis
Subject for Review	Indicate whether review was undertaken by Director/ Committee
	of the Board/ Any other Committee
Compliance with statutory requirements of relevance to the principles,	The necessary Committees and the Board of Directors ensure
and, rectification of any non-compliances. Indicate whether review was	compliance with relevant statutory requirements and promptly
undertaken by Director/ Committee of the Board/ Any other Committee	rectify any non-compliance. Additionally, the Company adheres to all
	applicable regulations.
Subject for Review	Frequency (Annually/ Half yearly/ Quarterly/ Any other - please
	specify)
Compliance with statutory requirements of relevance to the principles,	Any other Relevant policies of the Company are reviewed periodically
and, rectification of any non-compliances. Frequency (Annually/ Half	or on a need basis
yearly/ Quarterly/Anyother -please specify)
If NA, provide details.	-

11. Has the entity carried out independent assessment/ evaluation of the working of its policies by an external agency? (Yes/No)

12. If answer to question (1) above is “No” i.e. not all Principles are covered by a policy, reasons to be stated:

Question P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9

The entity does not consider the Principles material to its business (Yes/No)

The entity is not at a stage where it is in a position to formulate and implement the policies on specified principles (Yes/No) NA The entity does not have the financial or/human and technical resources available for the task (Yes/No) It is planned to be done in the next financial year (Yes/No) Any other reason (please specify)

Annual Report 2023-24 149

Section C: Principle Wise Performance Disclosure

This section is aimed at helping entities demonstrate their performance in integrating the Principles and Core Elements with key processes and decisions. The information sought is categorized as “Essential” and “Leadership”. While the essential indicators are expected to be disclosed by every entity that is mandated to file this report, the leadership indicators may be voluntarily disclosed by entities which aspire to progress to a higher level in their quest to be socially, environmentally and ethically responsible.

PRINCIPLE 1

BUSINESSES SHOULD CONDUCT AND GOVERN THEMSELVES WITH INTEGRITY, AND IN A MANNER THAT IS ETHICAL, TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE.

Essential Indicators

1. Percentage coverage by training and awareness programmes on any of the Principles during the financial year:

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Total Percentage
number of of persons in
respective
training and
Segment awareness Topics/principles covered under the training and its impact category covered by
programmes the awareness
held
programmes
Board of 7 1. Training to Directors on: 100.00
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Board of	7	1. Training to Directors on:	100.00
Directors		a) Recent Amendments under the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements)
		Regulations, 2015.
		b) SEBI (Depositories & Participants) Regulations (Amendment) 2023.
		2. Training to Directors on CDSL DP’s online platform for better understanding of the trading
		and settlement process.
		3. Masterclass for Directors by the Institute of Directors (IOD) on – Corporate Strategy.
		4. Masterclass for Directors by the Institute of Directors (IOD) on – Enterprise Risk Management.
		5. Masterclass for Directors by the Institute of Directors (IOD) on – The Board’s Legal
		Environment: The Duties, Responsibilities and Liabilities of a Director.
		6. Masterclass for Directors by the Institute of Directors (IOD) on – Corporate Sustainability:
		ESG & Resilience.
		7. Masterclass for Directors by the Institute of Directors (IOD) on – Board Committees:
		EnhancingEffectiveness and Accountability.
Key	6	1. Business Communication	85.00
Managerial		2. Power BI
Personnel*		3. Code of conduct
		4. POSH
		5. Crisis Management
		6. Infosec
Employees	20	1. Communication	93.40
other than		2. Teamwork & Collaboration
BoD and		3. Time Management & Prioritisation
KMPs		4. Focus & Concentration
		5. Articulation & Presentation
		6. Positive Mindset and Self confidence
		7. Crisis Management
		8. Power BI
		9. Business Communication
		10. Medical Emergency
		11. Cyber Awareness and Hygiene
		12. Tableau
		13. Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace (POSH) Training
		14. Code of Conduct
		15. Troubleshooting and Problem solving
		16. Infosec
		17. Leadership development programme
		18. Strategic Management for leadership excellence
		19. Interpersonal effectiveness and leadership excellence
		20. Managerial leadershipand conflict resolution.
Workers	0	NA	0.00

Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

* Key Managerial Personnel refers to KMP as defined under Section 203 (1) of the Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI (Depositories & Participants) Regulations, 2018.

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Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

2. Details of fines/ penalties/ punishment/ award/ compounding fees/ settlement amount paid in proceedings (by the entity or by directors/KMPs) with regulators/ law enforcement agencies/ judicial institutions, in the financial year, in the following format (Note: the entity shall make disclosures on the basis of materiality as specified in Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Obligations) Regulations, 2015 and as disclosed on the entity’s website):

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Monetary
Name of the
Has an
regulatory/
NGRBC Principle enforcement Amount (In INR) Brief of the Case appeal been
preferred?
agencies/ judicial
institutions (Yes/No)
Penalty/Fine
Businesses should Arbitral Tribunal 34,52,75,447 In the arbitration petition the Claimant has alleged that No
conduct and govern Arbitration Petition Anugrah (being the Stock-Broker/Trading Member of
themselves with No. 2/2023 filed by the Claimant) had allegedly and without the consent of
integrity and in a Mr. Nimish Shah the Claimant, mis-utilised the securities belonging to the
manner that is Ethical, Claimant, had failed to return them to the Claimant and
Transparent and had allegedly pledged them as collaterals towards its own
Accountable. obligations. It has further been contended that Edelweiss
Custodial Services Limited (being the Clearing Member)
had thereafter allegedly illegally sold the said securities
to recover the outstanding debit balance of Anugrah. The
Claimant has contended that the aforesaid alleged fraudulent
transfers had taken place on account of failure of CDSL (being
the Depository) to stop the same. By present arbitration case
the Claimant is seeking indemnification in respect of the
alleged losses caused to him on account of the purported
negligence. The Arbitral Tribunal vide Award dated April 29,
2024, dismissed the Arbitration Petition No. 2/2023.
Businesses should Arbitral Tribunal 46,18,90,057 In the arbitration petition the Claimant has alleged that Yes
conduct and govern Arbitration Petition Anugrah (being the Stock-Broker/Trading Member of
themselves with No. 3/2023 filed by the Claimant) had allegedly and without the consent of
integrity and in a Mr. Ketan Shah the Claimant, mis-utilised the securities belonging to the
manner that is Ethical, Claimant, had failed to return them to the Claimant and
Transparent and had allegedly pledged them as collaterals towards its own
Accountable obligations. It has further been contended that Edelweiss
Businesses should Arbitral Tribunal 96,94,70,596 Custodial Services Limited (being the Clearing Member) Yes
conduct and govern Arbitration Petition had thereafter allegedly illegally sold the said securities
themselves with No. 4/2023 filed to recover the outstanding debit balance of Anugrah.
integrity and in a by Mr. Ketan Lalit The Claimant has contended that the aforesaid alleged
manner that is Ethical, Shah (legal heir of fraudulent transfers had taken place on account of failure
Transparent and deceased Mr. Lalit of CDSL (being the Depository) to stop the same. By present
Accountable Shah) arbitration case the Claimant is seeking indemnification in
Businesses should Arbitral Tribunal 53,00,10,566 respect of the alleged losses caused to her on account of the Yes
conduct and govern Arbitration Petition purported negligence. The Claimant vide letter March 28,
themselves with No. 6/2023 filed by 2024 informed the Arbitral Tribunal about withdrawing its
integrity and in a Mrs. Prafulla Shah claim and accordingly the Arbitral Tribunal vide Award dated
manner that is Ethical, April 18, 2024, disposed the Arbitration Petition No. 3/2023,
Transparent and 4/2023 and 6/2023 as withdrawn by the Claimant, with the
Accountable liberty to file fresh proceedings.
Settlement
Name of the
Has an
regulatory/
NGRBC Principle enforcement Amount (In INR) Brief of the Case appeal been
preferred?
agencies/ judicial
institutions (Yes/No)
NA
Compounding fee
Name of the
Has an
regulatory/
NGRBC Principle enforcement Amount (In INR) Brief of the Case appeal been
preferred?
agencies/ judicial
institutions (Yes/No)
NA
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Non-Monetary Imprisonment

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Name of the
Has an
regulatory/
NGRBC Principle enforcement Amount (In INR) Brief of the Case appeal been
preferred?
agencies/ judicial
institutions (Yes/No)
NA
Punishment
Name of the
Has an
regulatory/
NGRBC Principle enforcement Amount (In INR) Brief of the Case appeal been
preferred?
agencies/ judicial
institutions (Yes/No)
NA
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3. Of the instances disclosed in Question 2 above, details of the Appeal/ Revision preferred in cases where monetary or non-monetary action has been appealed.

Name of the regulatory/ Case Details enforcement agencies/ judicial institutions Arbitral Tribunal in Arbitration Petition No. 3/2023 filed by Mr. Ketan Shah vide Award dated April 18, 2024, The Hon’ble Bombay disposed the Arbitration Petition No. 3/2023 as withdrawn by the Claimant, with the liberty to file fresh High Court proceedings. CDSL has challenged the liberty granted to the Claimant to file fresh proceedings by filing a Writ Petition before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the same is pending for adjudication.

Arbitral Tribunal in Arbitration Petition No. 4/2023 filed by Mr. Ketan Lalit Shah (legal heir of deceased Mr. Lalit Shah) vide Award dated April 18, 2024, disposed the Arbitration Petition No. 4/2023 as withdrawn by the Claimant, with the liberty to file fresh proceedings. CDSL has challenged the liberty granted to the Claimant to file fresh proceedings by filing a Writ Petition before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the same is pending for adjudication.

The Hon’ble Bombay High Court

Arbitral Tribunal in Arbitration Petition No. 6/2023 filed by Mr. Prafulla Shah vide Award dated April 18, The Hon’ble Bombay 2024, disposed the Arbitration Petition No. 6/2023 as withdrawn by the Claimant, with the liberty to file fresh High Court proceedings. CDSL has challenged the liberty granted to the Claimant to file fresh proceedings by filing a Writ Petition before the Hon’ble Bombay High Court and the same is pending for adjudication.

4. Does the entity have an anti-corruption or anti-bribery policy?

Yes

If yes, provide details in brief

We have implemented an Anti-Bribery & Anti-Corruption (ABC) policy at CDSL. This policy underscores our unwavering stance against bribery and corruption, underscoring CDSL’s dedication to upholding the highest ethical standards and best practices in corporate governance.

Our policy strictly prohibits all forms of bribery and corruption, whether involving public officials, private sector individuals, or companies.

Provide a web-link if the entity has anti-corruption or anti-bribery policy

- - https://www.cdslindia.com/Anti BriberyandAnti CorruptionPolicy.pdf

5. Number of Directors/ KMPs/ employees/ workers against whom disciplinary action was taken by any law enforcement agency for the charges of bribery/ corruption:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Directors 0 0
KMPs 0 0
Employees 0 0
Workers NA NA
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Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

6. Details of complaints with regard to conflict of interest:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Number Remarks Number Remarks
Number of complaints received in relation to issues of Conflict of Interest of the Directors 0 0 0 0
Number of complaints received in relation to issues of Conflict of Interest of the KMPs 0 0 0 0
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Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

7. Provide details of any corrective action taken or underway on issues related to fines/ penalties/ action taken by regulators/ law enforcement agencies/ judicial institutions, on cases of corruption and conflicts of interest.

During the reporting period, there have been no instances of cases of corruption and conflicts of interest that requires action by regulators/law enforcement agencies/judicial institutions.

8. Number of days of accounts payables :

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Number of days of accounts payables 11.60 1.47
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9. Open-ness of business Provide details of concentration of purchases and sales with trading houses, dealers, and related parties along-with loans and advances & investments, with related parties, in the following format:

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Parameter Metrics FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Concentration of a) Purchases from trading houses as % of total purchases - -
Purchases b) Number of trading houses where purchases are made from - -
- -
c) Purchases from top 10 trading houses as % of total purchases from
trading houses
Concentration of a) Sales to dealer/distributors as % of total sales - -
Sales b) Number of dealers/distributors to whom sales are made - -
- -
c) Sales to top 10 dealers/ distributors as % of total sales to dealer/
distributors
Share of RPTs in a) Purchases (Purchases with related parties as % of Total Purchases) 0.56 0.92
b) Sales (Sales to related parties as % of Total Sales) 0.10 0.23
c) Loans & advances given to related parties as % of Total loans & advances - -
d) Investments in related parties as % of Total Investments made 10.20 12.48
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Leadership Indicators

1. Awareness programmes conducted for value chain partners on any of the Principles during the financial year:

Sr.	no Total number of awareness programmes held in Financial Year 2023-2024	Topics/principles covered under the training	Percentage of value chain partners covered (by value of business done with such partners) under the awareness programmes
1	4	Depository Participants Training - Includes functional and	100%
		operational overview
2	2	Registrar & Transfer Agents Training (RTA) - Includes overview	100%
		on CDSL.
3	4	NISM CPE Programmes for Depository Operations Certification	100%
		Examination(DOCE)
4	1	Compliance Officers/Internal & Concurrent Auditors Training	100%

Additionally, around 2,345 Investor Awareness Programmes are conducted by CDSL IPF for general investors.

2. Does the entity have processes in place to avoid/manage conflict of interests involving members of the Board?

Yes

If Yes, provide details of the same.

CDSL has Code of Conduct for Directors and Senior Management that addresses actual or potential conflict of interest and ensures that business is conducted in an ethical manner. Our Company’s Code of Conduct complies with all the governed laws and regulations; including mechanisms to resolve ethical issues & unethical conduct, legitimate handling of conflicts of interest and fostering culture of transparency, honesty and accountability. Directors are required to make appropriate disclosures on potential areas of conflict of interest which would impair its ability to render fair, objective and unbiased services. Additionally, Annual Declarations regarding their compliance with the Code of Conduct is also taken by the Company. The policy is available on our website and can be viewed at https://www.cdslindia.com/InvestorRels/ CorporateGovernance.html . Further, Interested Directors recuse from participating in the interested Agenda items.

Annual Report 2023-24 153

PRINCIPLE 2

BUSINESSES SHOULD PROVIDE GOODS AND SERVICES IN A MANNER THAT IS SUSTAINABLE AND SAFE

Essential Indicators

1. Percentage of R&D and capital expenditure (capex) investments in specific technologies to improve the environmental and social impacts of product and processes to total R&D and capex investments made by the entity, respectively.

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23 Details of improvements in environmental and social impacts
R&D 0 0 NA
Capex 0 0 NA
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2. Does the entity have procedures in place for sustainable sourcing? (Yes/No)

3. Describe the processes in place to safely reclaim your products for reusing, recycling and disposing at the end of life, for

(a) Plastics (including packaging)

As the Company provides Depository services, this is Not Applicable to the Company. Empty plastic bottles at the Company level are handed over to Bisleri International Pvt Ltd for recycling.

(b) E-waste

Battery waste generated at the Company level are handed over to the authorised recyclers for safe disposal and extended life. In FY 2023-24, 237 numbers of hard disks were degaussed through authorised vendors.

(c) Hazardous waste

Not Applicable

(d) other waste.

Not Applicable

4. Whether Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is applicable to the entity’s activities (Yes/No). No

Leadership Indicators

1. Has the entity conducted Life Cycle Perspective/Assessments (LCA) for any of its products (for manufacturing industry) or for its services (for service industry)? If yes, provide details in the following format?

If NA, provide details

This is not applicable to CDSL as the Company does not have any physical products as a part of its offerings to customers.

2. If there are any significant social or environmental concerns and/or risks arising from production or disposal of your products/services, as identified in the Life Cycle Perspective/Assessments (LCA) or through any other means, briefly describe the same along-with action taken to mitigate the same.

Name of Product/Service Description of the risk/concern Action Taken

Not applicable, as CDSL solely provides Depository Services without any associated social or environmental concerns related to its offerings.

3. Percentage of recycled or reused input material to total material (by value) used in production (for manufacturing industry) or providing services (for service industry).

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Recycled or re-used input material to
Indicate input material total material
FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Nil Nil
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Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

4. Of the products and packaging reclaimed at end of life of products, amount (in metric tonnes) reused, recycled, and safely disposed, as per the following format:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Re-Used Recycled DisSafely posed Re-Used Recycled DisSafely posed
Plastics (including packaging) 0 0 0 0 0 0
E-waste 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hazardous waste 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other waste 0 0 0 0 0 0
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Not applicable as the Company does not have any physical products as a part of its offerings to customers.

5. Reclaimed products and their packaging materials (as percentage of products sold) for each product category.

Reclaimed products and their packaging materials as % of total Indicate product category products sold in respective category

Not applicable as the Company does not have any physical products as a part of its offerings to customers.

PRINCIPLE 3

BUSINESSES SHOULD PROVIDE GOODS AND SERVICES IN A MANNER THAT IS SUSTAINABLE AND SAFE

Essential Indicators

1. a) Details of measures for the well-being of employees:

Category		% of employees covered by
	Total (A)	Health insurance Accident insurance Maternity Benefits Paternity Benefits Day Care facilities
		Number (B) % (B / A) Number (C) % (C / A) Number (D) % (D / A) Number (E) % (E / A) Number (F) % (F / A)
		Permanent employees
Male	244	244 100.00 244 100.00 0 0.00 244 100.00 244 100.00
Female	91	91 100.00 91 100.00 91 100.00 0 0.00 91 100.00
Others	0	0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00
Total	335	335 100.00 335 100.00 91 27.16 244 72.84 335 100.00
		Other than Permanent employees
Male	0	0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00
Female	0	0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00
Others	0	0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00
Total	0	0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00

b) Details of measures for the well-being of workers:

Category		% of workers covered by
	Total (A)	Health insurance Accident insurance Maternity Benefits Paternity Benefits Day Care facilities
		Number (B) % (B / A) Number (C) % (C / A) Number (D) % (D / A) Number (E) % (E / A) Number (F) % (F / A)
		Permanent workers
Male	NA	NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Female	NA	NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Others	NA	NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Total	NA	NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
		Other than Permanent workers
Male	NA	NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Female	NA	NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Others	NA	NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Total	NA	NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

Annual Report 2023-24 155

c) Spending on measures towards well-being of employees and workers (including permanent and other than permanent) in the following format -

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
i) Cost incurred on well-being measures (well-being measures means well-being of 1,29,05,860 89,18,013
employees and workers (including male, female, permanent and other than permanent
employees and workers)
ii) Total revenue of the Company 7,42,89,01,000 5,44,06,75,000
iii) Cost incurred on well-being measures as a % of total revenue of the Company 0.17 0.16
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2. Details of retirement benefits :

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Deducted and Deducted and
Benefits No. of employees No. of workers deposited with No. of employees No. of workers deposited with
covered as a % of covered as a % of covered as a % of covered as a % of
total employees total workers the authority (Y/N/N.A.) total employees total workers the authority (Y/N/N.A.)
PF 100 NA Yes 100 0 Yes
Gratuity 100 NA Yes 100 0 Yes
ESI 0 NA NA 0 0 NA
Others – please specify
NA
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Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

3. Accessibility of workplaces

Are the premises/offices of the entity accessible to differently abled employees and workers, as per the requirements of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016?

Yes

4. Does the entity have an equal opportunity policy as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016?

Yes

If so, provide a web-link to the policy.

The equal opportunity policy as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 is a part of internal service rules document which is not in public domain and hence not uploaded on the website of the Company. The Company is committed to providing a safe, fair, and inclusive work environment where employees can excel without barriers. Our framework promotes equality and meritocracy, ensuring all individuals, regardless of gender, colour, religion, caste, race, age, community, physical ability, or sexual orientation, have equal opportunities.

5. Return to work and Retention rates of permanent employees and workers that took parental leave.

Gender Male Female Others Total	Permanent employees Permanent workers
	Return to work rate Retention rate Return to work rate Retention rate
	100% 100% NA NA
	100% 100% NA NA
	- - NA NA
	100% 100% NA NA

Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

6. Is there a mechanism available to receive and redress grievances for the following categories of employees and worker?

Yes

If yes, give details of the mechanism in brief.

Yes/No (If Yes, then give details of the Remark mechanism in brief) Permanent Workers Other than Not Applicable Permanent Workers Permanent Yes, we have a Grievance redressal mechanism as a part of Service rule. Employees The Company has implemented a Whistleblower Policy to enable Employees to report Other than Yes concerns regarding unethical behaviour, suspected fraud, or violations. This policy ensures Permanent a secure environment for reporting and safeguards whistleblowers against victimisation. Employees Whistleblowers can access the Chairperson of the Audit Committee for assistance.

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Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

7. Membership of employees and worker in association(s) or Unions recognised by the listed entity:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Total Total
employees/ No. of employees/workers in employees/ No. of employees/workers in
Category % %
workers in respective category, who are part workers in respective category, who are part
(B / A) (D / C)
respective of association(s) or Union (B) respective of association(s) or Union (D)
category (A) category (C)
Total Permanent - - - - - -
Employees
- Male - - - - - -
- Female - - - - - -
- Others - - - - - -
Total Permanent - - - - - -
Workers
- Male - - - - - -
- Female - - - - - -
- Others - - - - - -
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Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

8. Details of training given to employees and workers:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
On Health and safety On Health and safety
Category Total (A) measures On Skill upgradation Total (D) measures On Skill upgradation
No. (B) % (B / A) No. (C) % (C / A) No. (E) % (E / D) No. (F) % (F / D)
Employees
Male 244 10 4.10 229 93.85 211 - - 110 52.13
Female 91 4 4.40 85 93.41 68 - - 44 64.71
Others - - - - - - - - - -
Total 335 14 4.18 314 93.73 279 - - 154 55.20
Workers
Male - - - - - - - - - -
Female - - - - - - - - - -
Others - - - - - - - - - -
Total - - - - - - - - - -
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Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

9. Details of performance and career development reviews of employees and worker:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Category
Total (A) No. (B) % (B / A) Total (C) No. (D) % (D / C)
Employees
Male 244 229 93.85 211 203 96.21
Female 91 80 87.91 68 63 92.65
Others - - - - - -
Total 335 309 92.24 279 266 95.34
Workers
Male - - - - - -
Female - - - - - -
Others - - - - - -
Total - - - - - -
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Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

10. Health and safety management system:

a) Whether an occupational health and safety management system has been implemented by the entity? (Yes/ No/ NA).

Yes, Employee well-being and safety continue to be a priority of the Company. The Company conducts periodic trainings on fire safety and fire-fighting equipment along with the evacuation drills. Further, inspection of extinguishers is undertaken regularly. Apart from Health Insurance and Accident Policy, the Company is arranging annual Health check up facility for all employees free of cost.

b) What are the processes used to identify work-related hazards and assess risks on a routine and non-routine basis by the entity?

Since our Company is a financial services entity, it is not applicable. However, the Company undertook several precautions at its offices, which included:

a) Installation of hands-free sanitiser dispenser
b) The Company has made available instruments to monitor Blood Pressure, Diabetes and Oxygen levels.

157

Annual Report 2023-24

c) Whether you have processes for workers to report the work related hazards and to remove themselves from such risks.

If NA, provide details

Since our Company is a financial services entity, it is not applicable. A grievance redressal mechanism is in place under which the employees can report grievances resulting from working conditions due to poor safety and bad physical conditions. The employees are encouraged to offer their suggestions for improvements in safety, considering the nature of activity of the Company.

d) Do the employees/worker of the entity have access to non-occupational medical and healthcare services?

Yes, all employees of the Company are covered under our health insurance and accident policy. The Company has well-defined medical and healthcare policies and allied services. Apart from Health Insurance and Accident Policy, Company provides facility of annual Health check up facility for all employees free of cost. Certain employees are given periodic training on basic and advanced fire safety including evacuation drills.

11. Details of safety related incidents, in the following format:

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Safety Incident/Number Category FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
- -
Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) (per one million-person hours Employees
worked)
Workers NA -
Total recordable work-related injuries Employees - -
Workers NA -
No. of fatalities Employees - -
Workers NA -
High consequence work-related injury or ill-health (excluding fatalities) Employees - -
Workers NA -
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Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

12. Describe the measures taken by the entity to ensure a safe and healthy work place.

Well-being and providing health, safe and secure workplace to all employees is a key priority for the Company. Considering nature of business, following are the key measures taken by the Company:

Premise Floorplans are displayed at crucial locations.
Frequent equipment checks are carried out to mitigate any wear and tear due to continued use, E.g.: Air Conditioners.
Fire alarm systems and smoke detectors are installed at all premises.
Health and Accident Insurance.
Mediclaim Insurance.

13. Number of Complaints on the following made by employees and workers:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Pending Pending
Filed during the resolution at the Remarks Filed during the resolution at the Remarks
year end of year year end of year
Working Conditions - - - -
Health & Safety - - - -
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14. Assessments for the year:

Percentage of your plants and offices that were assessed (by entity or statutory authorities or third parties) Health and safety practices - Working Conditions -

15. Provide details of any corrective action taken or underway to address safety-related incidents (if any) and on significant risks/concerns arising from assessments of health & safety practices and working conditions.

158

Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

Leadership Indicators

1. Does the entity extend any life insurance or any compensatory package in the event of death of

a) Employees (Y/N)

Yes, The Company provides life insurance cover.

b) Workers (Y/N).

2. Provide the measures undertaken by the entity to ensure that statutory dues have been deducted and deposited by the value chain partners.

Necessary due diligence is undertaken by the concerned department for appropriate steps to ensure that the statutory dues have been deducted before the settlement of dues.

3. Provide the number of employees/ workers having suffered high consequence work-related injury/ ill-health/ fatalities (as reported in Q11 of Essential Indicators above), who have been are rehabilitated and placed in suitable employment or whose family members have been placed in suitable employment:

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No. of employees/workers that are rehabilitated
Total no. of affected employees/workers and placed in suitable employment or whose family
members have been placed in suitable employment
FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Employees - - - -
Workers NA NA NA NA
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Not applicable, as CDSL solely provides Depository Services without any associated social or environmental concerns related to its offerings.

4. Does the entity provide transition assistance programmes to facilitate continued employability and the management of career endings resulting from retirement or termination of employment? (Yes/ No/ NA)

5. Details on assessment of value chain partners:

Percentage of value chain partners (by value of business done with such partners) that were assessed Health and safety practices - Working Conditions -

We are in the business of depository services and assessment of value chain partners are not required.

6. Provide details of any corrective actions taken or underway to address significant risks/concerns arising from assessments of health and safety practices and working conditions of value chain partners. NA

PRINCIPLE 4

BUSINESSES SHOULD RESPECT THE INTERESTS OF AND BE RESPONSIVE TO ALL ITS STAKEHOLDERS

Essential Indicators

1. Describe the processes for identifying key stakeholder groups of the entity.

Individuals and organisations having significant impact on the operations of the Company are considered as stakeholders of the Company. The key stakeholders identified by CDSL are:

a) Capital Market Investors

b) Employees

c) Shareholders

d) Regulatory Bodies

f) Depository Participants

g) Issuers
h) Registrar and Transfer Agents
i) Stock Exchanges/Clearing Corporations

e) Vendors and Bankers

Annual Report 2023-24 159

2. List stakeholder groups identified as key for your entity and the frequency of engagement with each stakeholder group.

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Whether
Stakeholder Group identified as Vulnerable & Channels of communication Details of Other Channels of communication Frequency of engagement Purpose and scope of engagement including key topics and concerns raised
Marginalised during such engagement
Group
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Capital Market	No	Other	Emails, Investor awareness	On need basis	To educate investor from the	Capital
Investors			programmes, SMSs, Social Media,		Market point of view in particular to
			Website		take informed decision
Employees	No	Other	Direct, Email, Town Halls,	On need basis	- Training & Development;
			whistleblower mechanism,		- Update on Organisation’s
			Annual performance appraisals		development/ changes/ progress;
			and Other employee engagement		- Update on employee-related	policy
			events		changes;
					- Update on Employee Wellness/
					welfare measures.
Shareholders	No	Other	Email, SMS, Newspaper,	Quarterly,	- Awareness about developments and
			Advertisement, Notice, Website,	Annual and	performance of the Company;
			Annual General Meeting,	Event based	- To address concerns/grievances.
			intimation to stock exchange,
			press release, investors meeting,
			and annual report
Regulatory	No	Other	Emails, Meetings, Website,	Quarterly,	- To make them aware	about
Bodies			Quarterly/Annual and event	Annual and	developments in the Company;
			based filing	Event based	- To make them aware about material
					changes in the Company;
					- Compliances with regulatory
					requirements.
Vendors and	No	Other	Email, SMS, Calls, Digital	Event based	- Due diligence during Onboarding
Bankers			Platforms		product and Service Support;
					- Commercial Services.
Depository	No	Other	Email, SMS, Calls, Communiques,	Quarterly/	Inspection/Compliances and support
Participants			Digital Platforms	Half yearly/
				Annually and
				Event based
Issuers	No	Other	Email,SMS,Calls,Communiques	Event based	StatutoryCompliances
Registrar and	No	Other	Email, SMS, Calls, Digital	Quarterly and	Compliances, Data storage
Transfer Agents			Platforms	Event based
Stock	No	Other	Email, SMS, Calls, Digital	Quarterly and	- Statutory and Regulatory compliances;
Exchanges/			Platforms	Event based	- Clearing and settlement of all trades
Clearing
Corporations

Leadership Indicators

1. Provide the processes for consultation between stakeholders and the Board on economic, environmental, and social topics or if consultation is delegated, how is feedback from such consultations provided to the Board.

CDSL recognises the importance of engaging with stakeholders regarding economic, environmental, and social matters, valuing their feedback in guiding our operations and decisions. To support this engagement, CDSL has developed a thorough consultation framework. This process includes consistent interactions and communications with stakeholders such as vendors, market participants, and other relevant parties. These engagements offer CDSL crucial insights and perspectives on a variety of issues, allowing the Company to better understand its stakeholders’ concerns and expectations.

Furthermore, the Company has established a reporting mechanism to provide feedback from these consultations to the Board. This includes timely reports that summarise the main findings, concerns, and suggestions gathered during the consultations. By sharing this information with the Board, we ensure they remain informed about stakeholders’ views on economic, environmental, and social topics.

The Company conducts Investor/Analysts calls from time to time to address the queries/concerns of the investors.

Ultimately, CDSL is committed to fostering an inclusive and transparent consultation process, ensuring effective communication between stakeholders and the Board on issues related to the economy, environment, and society.

2. Whether stakeholder consultation is used to support the identification and management of environmental, and social topics (Yes/No).

Yes

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Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

If so, provide details of instances as to how the inputs received from stakeholders on these topics were incorporated into policies and activities of the entity.

Enhancing stakeholder value is a continuous endeavour at CDSL. The Company engages regular consultations with a diverse group of stakeholders, including investors, market participants, regulatory bodies, and community representatives. These interactions provide CDSL with essential insights and viewpoints on significant environmental and social matters.

The feedback gathered from these consultations is carefully reviewed and analysed by our team. We assess its relevance and importance, considering how it fits with our strategic objectives and commitments. This valuable information is then integrated into the development and evaluation of our policies and activities related to environmental and social issues.

For example, if stakeholders voice concerns about the environmental or social impacts of our operations, we take these concerns seriously, evaluate them, and look for ways to improve.

This process helps us identify areas that need improvement, incorporate a range of perspectives, and ensure our actions align with stakeholder expectations, promoting a more sustainable future.

3. Provide details of instances of engagement with, and actions taken to, address the concerns of vulnerable/ marginalised stakeholder groups.

CDSL is committed to enriching lives and building a better future through its Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. We focus on creating positive impacts in the society by contributing to the social causes like promoting education and healthcare, empowering women, and support children/elderly, fostering environmental sustainability and also committed towards research & innovation projects. These initiatives strive to create a positive ripple effect and fosters a bright future.

Healthcare:

Smile Foundation: CDSL, in collaboration with Smile Foundation, has deployed one fully equipped mobile healthcare unit navigating the challenging terrains of Jaisalmer and Ladakh each. These units bring essential medical services to the doorsteps of remote communities, staffed by skilled medical professionals dedicated to addressing the healthcare needs of women, children and individuals in need. The aim is to reduce out-of-pocket expenses by providing outpatient services, encourage healthier behaviours, increase demand for quality healthcare, and ensure safe motherhood for pregnant and lactating mothers.

Medical support provided to ~11,400 beneficiaries from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan and 4,000+ from Ladakh

Lions Charitable Trust: CDSL has collaborated with Lions Charitable Trust to provide a life support Ambulance service, catering to underprivileged below-poverty-line patients on a daily basis. The ambulance has been deployed for medical camps in Mumbai as well as rural areas across Maharashtra.

3,000+ lives have been benefitted from Life Support Ambulance Service

Narayana Hrudayalaya Charitable Trust (NHCT): We collaborated with NHCT to delivering medical support to individuals from marginalised backgrounds across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat. These patients are facing life-threatening conditions and life-altering disorders. Through our combined efforts, we provided them with hope and a chance for a better future.

168 patients from marginalised backgrounds were provided with Medical Support

Education:

Educate Girls: Our dedication lies in ensuring that every girl has access to education. In pursuit of this goal, we collaborate with “Educate Girls” to deploy programmes aimed at reaching out-of-school girls in educationally disadvantaged regions of Maharajganj district ,Uttar Pradesh. Working alongside Team Balika, their field staff actively identify and engage with girls who have never been enrolled in school or had to interrupt their primary education.

Enrollment, Retention and Learning provided to 8,900+ out-of-school girls.

Rotary Charitable Trust: CDSL has collaborated with Rotary Charitable Trusts to introduce Adult Literacy Programme for Women, targeting the empowerment of illiterate tribal women in Palghar, Maharashtra. This initiative focuses on teaching them functional literacy and digital skills in their native language. Trained educators referred to as “Prerikas”, utilise computer-based learning methods to educate these women, equipping them to thrive, with the world and navigate changing circumstances.

Educated ~11,500 non-literate adult women of Palghar, Maharashtra.

AARTH by Rotary: AARTH by Rotary, CDSL’s online financial education initiative in partnership with Rotary, delivers comprehensive financial knowledge to learners in the age group of 18-25 years and underprivileged section of the society living in Tier II and Tier III cities. Through our platform, learners can easily access in-depth resources and take free online exams to earn certifications, enhancing their understanding of finance.

100 Webinars/Seminars conducted PAN India

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Annual Report 2023-24

Yuva Unstoppable: CDSL partnered with Yuva Unstoppable to launch a School Transformation Project, utilising modern technology to deliver education through Smart Classrooms with audio-video interactive learning platforms across various region including Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Delhi and Andaman & Nicobar. Yuva Unstoppable ensures that all students comprehend the curriculum while digital technology aids teachers in addressing new challenges and improving their performance.

27 Govt. Schools transformed benefitting 17,000+ under-privileged students.

Environment:

SankalpTaru Foundation: By partnering with the SankalpTaru Foundation, we have participated in an impactful tree plantation initiative, planting saplings across different locations in Kutch, Pune & Hyderabad. Through the visionary Urban Plantation Programme, we are tackling the serious problem of pollution in urban cities by strategically planting native plant species that are prolific oxygen producers in Pune and Hyderabad. Furthermore, through the Barren Community Land Transformation Programme, we are dedicatedly converting barren lands into thriving, biodiverse forests, positively impacting both communities and wildlife in the border areas of Kutch.

5,400+ native trees were planted.

Research Projects :

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay: We supported Project Vajra initiated by IIT Bombay, an initiative aimed at empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with limited financial resources to defend against cyberattacks. Vajra involves transitioning from a developed version to a production version to enhance cybersecurity defences and mitigate potential damages.

Vajra has been released for use.

Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), Gandhinagar: We collaborated with Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) to introduce a programme centred on the Prevention of Victimisation from Forgeries and Financial Frauds. This initiative aims to enhance awareness and equip law enforcement agencies, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), defence personnel, and the public with essential knowledge to effectively protect their finances.

Conducted 8 Awareness Programmes, 4 Workshops and released a Research paper on Gender Dynamics in Reporting Financial Crimes.

PRINCIPLE 5

BUSINESSES SHOULD RESPECT AND PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS

Essential Indicators

1. Employees and workers who have been provided training on human rights issues and policy(ies) of the entity, in the following format:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Category No. of employees/ No. of employees/
Total (A) % (B / A) Total (C) % (D / C)
workers covered (B) workers covered (D)
Employees
Permanent 335 267 79.70 279 209 74.91
- - - - - -
Other than permanent
Total Employees 335 267 79.70 279 209 74.91
Workers
Permanent - - - - - -
- - - - - -
Other than permanent
Total Workers - - - - - -
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Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

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2. Details of minimum wages paid to employees and workers, in the following format:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Equal to Minimum More than Minimum Equal to Minimum More than Minimum
Category
Total (A) Wage Wage Total (D) Wage Wage
No. (B) % (B / A) No. (C) % (C / A) No. (E) % (E / D) No. (F) % (F / D)
Employees
Permanent 335 - - 335 100.00 279 - - 279 100.00
Male 244 - - 244 100.00 211 - - 211 100.00
Female 91 - - 91 100.00 68 - - 68 100.00
Others - - - - - - - - - -
Other than - - - - - - - - - -
permanent
Male - - - - - - - - - -
Female - - - - - - - - - -
Others - - - - - - - - - -
Workers
Permanent - - - - - - - - - -
Male - - - - - - - - - -
Female - - - - - - - - - -
Female - - - - - - - - - -
Other than - - - - - - - - - -
permanent
Male - - - - - - - - - -
Female - - - - - - - - - -
Female - - - - - - - - - -
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Note: The Company does not have any ‘worker’, as defined in the guidance note on BRSR, issued by SEBI.

3. Details of remuneration/ salary/ wages, in the following format:

a) Median remuneration/wages:

	Male Female
	Number Median remuneration/ salary/ wages of respective category Number Median remuneration/ salary/ wages of respective category
Board of Directors(BoD)*	1 4,44,25,530 - -
KeyManagerial Personnel@	15 73,63,053 2 1,15,26,104
Employees other than BoD and KMP	229 10,51,877 89 7,72,438
Workers	- - - -

Note: Non-Executive Director do not draw any remuneration from the Company except the Sitting fees.

* includes Managing Director and CEO.

@ Key Management Personnel refers to KMP as defined under Section 203 (1) of the Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI (Depositories & Participants) Regulations, 2018, and does not include MD & CEO

b) Gross wages paid to females as % of total wages paid by the entity, in the following format:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Gross wages paid to females 11,43,43,413 8,68,62,778
Total wages 61,60,42,285 53,39,51,242
Gross wages paid to females (Gross wages paid to females as % of total wages) 18.56 16.27
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4. Do you have a focal point (Individual/ Committee) responsible for addressing human rights impacts or issues caused or contributed to by the business? (Yes/No)

Yes, there are committees responsible for human rights impacts and issues. For instance, the Company has zero tolerance for sexual harassment at workplace and is compliant with provisions relating to the constitution of Internal Complaints Committee under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

5. Describe the internal mechanisms in place to redress grievances related to human rights issues.

Policy on prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) is in place as a part of Service Rules of the Company wherein, it is mentioned that Complainants or Witnesses will not be victimised or discriminated against while dealing with complaints.

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6. Number of Complaints on the following made by employees and workers:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Filed Pending Filed Pending
during the resolution at the Remarks during the resolution at the Remarks
year end of year year end of year
Sexual Harassment - - NA 1 - Disposed Off
Discrimination at workplace - - NA - - Not Applicable
Child Labour - - NA - - Not Applicable
Forced Labour/Involuntary Labour - - NA - - Not Applicable
Wages - - NA - - Not Applicable
Other human rights related issues - - NA - - Not Applicable
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7. Complaints filed under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, in the following format:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Total Complaints reported under Sexual Harassment on of Women at Workplace (Prevention, - 1
Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH)
Total female employees/workers 91 68
Complaints on POSH as a % of female employees/workers - 1.47
Complaints on POSH upheld - -
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8. Mechanisms to prevent adverse consequences to the complainant in discrimination and harassment cases.

Our policies and Code of Conduct strictly prohibits any kind of discrimination and harassment and also spells out action that can be taken against any such activity. The Company has formulated a Whistle Blower Policy to encourage employees to report matters without the risk of subsequent victimisation, discrimination or disadvantage which is available on our website.

In addition to the above, the Company has instituted several policies to ensure adherence to existing statutory laws and regulations such as the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace Policy (POSH) as part of Service Rule which is available on Company’s Intranet Portal.

The Company’s Code of Conduct and Ethics complies with all the governed laws and regulations; including mechanisms to resolve ethical issues & unethical conduct, legitimate handling of conflicts of interest and fostering culture of transparency, honesty, and accountability.

9. Do human rights requirements form part of your business agreements and contracts? (Yes/No)

Yes, the business agreements and contracts which are entered into by the Company with any party include affirmation of the applicable regulatory requirement, including those pertaining to Human Rights as and where relevant.

10. Assessments for the year:

Percentage of your plants and offices that were assessed (by entity or statutory authorities or third parties)

Child labour
Forced/involuntarylabour
Sexual harassment	During the reporting period, no external audits were carried out by the Company or statutory authorities
Discrimination at workplace	or third parties
Wages
Others -please specify

11. Provide details of any corrective actions taken or underway to address significant risks/concerns arising from the assessments at Question 10 above.

Leadership Indicators

1. Details of a business process being modified/introduced as a result of addressing human rights grievances/complaints.

The Company recognises its Human assets as a critical resource essential for the growth of the Company. It, therefore, accords high importance to human resource development and consciously endeavours to enhance the quality and competence of its employees across cadres. It conducts an induction programme for new entrants. Nominating employees for training at reputed institutions and for attending seminars in capital market related areas, particularly relating to depositories, has always been a part of human resource development programme of the Company.

The Company regularly sensitises its employees regarding the basis principles of human rights and on the Code of Conduct through various training programme.

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Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

2. Details of the scope and coverage of any Human rights due-diligence conducted. NA

3. Is the premise/office of the entity accessible to differently abled visitors, as per the requirements of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016?

4. Details on assessment of value chain partners:

Percentage of value chain partners (by value of business done with such partners) that were assessed

Child labour Forced/involuntary labour Sexual harassment The Value chain partners are expected to comply to all the applicable rules and regulations. No particular Discrimination at workplace assessment has been carried out during the reporting period. Wages Others - please specify

5. Provide details of any corrective actions taken or underway to address significant risks/concerns arising from the assessments at Question 4 above. NA

PRINCIPLE 6

BUSINESSES SHOULD RESPECT AND MAKE EFFORTS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE THE ENVIRONMENT

Essential Indicators

1. Details of total energy consumption (in Joules or multiples) and energy intensity, in the following format:

Whether total energy consumption and energy intensity is applicable to the Company?

Yes

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Parameter Please specify unit FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
From renewable sources
Total electricity consumption (A) Joule 0 0
Total fuel consumption (B) Joule 0 0
Energy consumption through other sources (C) Joule 0 0
Total energy consumed from renewable sources (A+B+C) Joule 0 0
From non-renewable sources
Total electricity consumption (D) Joule 513434000 1831291200000
Total fuel consumption (E) Joule 0.0029411765 0.2
Energy consumption through other sources (F) Joule 11536200000 10270440000
Total energy consumed from non-renewable sources (D+E+F) Joule 12049634000 1841561640000
Total energy consumed (A+B+C+D+E+F) Joule 12049634000 1841561640000
Energy intensity per rupee of turnover (Total energy consumed/Revenue from Joule 1.87994 408.69136
operations)
Energy intensity per rupee of turnover adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity Joule 0 0
(PPP) (Total energy consumed/Revenue from operations adjusted for PPP))
Energy intensity in terms of physical output Joule 0 0
Energy intensity (optional) - the relevant metric may be selected by the entity 0 0
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Note: Indicate if any independent assessment/ evaluation/assurance has been carried out by an external agency? (Y/N)

2. Does the entity have any sites/facilities identified as designated consumers (DCs) under the Performance, Achieve and Trade (PAT) Scheme of the Government of India? (Y/N) No

Annual Report 2023-24 165

3. Provide details of the following disclosures related to water, in the following format:

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Parameter Please specify unit FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Water withdrawal by source (in kilolitres)
(i) Surface water kilolitres 0 0
(ii) Groundwater kilolitres 0 0
(iii) Third party water kilolitres 120 99.28
(iv) Seawater/desalinated water kilolitres 0 0
(v) Others kilolitres 0 0
Total volume of water withdrawal (in kilolitres) (i + ii + iii + iv + v) kilolitres 120 99
Total volume of water consumption (in kilolitres) kilolitres 0 0
Water intensity per rupee of turnover (Total water consumption/Revenue kilolitres 0.00 0
from operations)
Water intensity per rupee of turnover adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity kilolitres 0 0
(PPP)(Total water consumption/Revenue from operations adjusted for PPP)
Water intensity in terms of physical output kilolitres 0 0
Water intensity (optional) - the relevant metric may be selected by the entity kilolitres 0 0
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Note: Indicate if any independent assessment/ evaluation/assurance has been carried out by an external agency? (Y/N)

4. Provide the following details related to water discharged:

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Parameter Please specify unit FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Water discharge by destination and level of treatment (in kilolitres)
(i) To Surface water kilolitres 0.00 0.00
- No treatment kilolitres 0 0
- With treatment - please specify level of treatment kilolitres 0 0
(ii) To Groundwater kilolitres 0.00 0.00
- No treatment) kilolitres 0 0
- With treatment - please specify level of treatment kilolitres 0 0
(iii) To Seawater kilolitres 0.00 0.00
- No treatment kilolitres 0 0
- With treatment - please specify level of treatment kilolitres 0 0
(iv) third party water kilolitres 0.00 0.00
- No treatment kilolitres 0 0
- With treatment - please specify level of treatment kilolitres 0 0
(v) Others kilolitres 0.00 0.00
- No treatment kilolitres 0 0
- With treatment - please specify level of treatment kilolitres 0 0
Total water discharged (in kilolitres) kilolitres 0.00 0.00
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Note: Indicate if any independent assessment/ evaluation/assurance has been carried out by an external agency? (Y/N)

5. Has the entity implemented a mechanism for Zero Liquid Discharge?

6. Please provide details of air emissions (other than GHG emissions) by the entity, in the following format:

Whether air emissions (other than GHG emissions) by the entity is applicable to the Company?

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Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

7. Provide details of greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions) & its intensity, in the following format:

Whether greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions) & its intensity is applicable to the Company?

8. Does the entity have any project related to reducing Green House Gas emission?

CDSL has implemented several initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with its operations, in alignment with the “Green Initiative” in Corporate Governance promoted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Here are the key projects focused on GHG reduction:

CDSL provides companies with services for electronically delivering documents to Shareholders. This initiative aims to minimise paper usage and promote paperless transactions, contributing to a greener and more sustainable business environment.
CDSL has installed energy-efficient equipment such as Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems and 5-star rated inverter Air Conditioners (ACs) in its offices. LED lighting systems have also been implemented. These measures help to lower electricity consumption and indirectly reduce GHG emissions.

Through these initiatives and a shift towards electronic operations, CDSL actively promotes environmental sustainability, supports a transition to a greener future. These efforts underscore the Company’s commitment to mitigating GHG emissions and practicing responsible corporate citizenship.

9. Provide details related to waste management by the entity, in the following format:

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Parameter Parameter FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Total Waste generated (in metric tonnes)
Plastic waste (A) metric tonnes 0 0
E-waste (B) metric tonnes 0 0
Bio-medical waste (C) metric tonnes 0 0
Construction and demolition waste (D) metric tonnes 0 0
Battery waste (E) metric tonnes 0.03555 0.5
Radioactive waste (F) metric tonnes 0 0
Other Hazardous waste. Please specify, if any. (G) metric tonnes 0 0
Other Non-hazardous waste generated (H). Please specify, if any. (Break-up by metric tonnes 0 0
composition i.e. by materials relevant to the sector)
Total (A+B + C + D + E + F + G + H) metric tonnes 0.04 0.50
Waste intensity per rupee of turnover (Total waste generated/Revenue metric tonnes 0.00 0.00000
from operations)
Waste intensity per rupee of turnover adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity metric tonnes 0 0
(PPP) (Total waste generated/Revenue from operations adjusted for PPP)
Waste intensity in terms of physical output metric tonnes 0 0
Waste intensity (optional) - the relevant metric may be selected by the entity metric tonnes 0 0
For each category of waste generated, total waste recovered through recycling, re-using or other recovery operations (in metric
tonnes)
Category of waste
(i) Recycled metric tonnes 0 0
(ii) Re-used metric tonnes 0 0
(iii) Other recovery operations metric tonnes 0 0
Total metric tonnes 0.00 0.00
For each category of waste generated, total waste disposed by nature of disposal method (in metric tonnes)
Category of waste
(i) Incineration metric tonnes 0 0
(ii) Landfilling metric tonnes 0 0
(iii) Other disposal operations metric tonnes 0 0
Total metric tonnes 0.00 0.00
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Note: Indicate if any independent assessment/ evaluation/assurance has been carried out by an external agency? (Y/N)

Annual Report 2023-24 167

10. Briefly describe the waste management practices adopted in your establishments. Describe the strategy adopted by your Company to reduce usage of hazardous and toxic chemicals in your products and processes and the practices adopted to manage such wastes.

Our waste consists of E-Waste, used paper and single-use plastic water bottles waste. E-Waste contains off data storage devices which are digitally degaussed to destroy the data. Used plastic water bottles and waste paper are disposed off to authorised recycling facilities.

11. If the entity has operations/ offices in/ around ecologically sensitive areas (such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, wetlands, biodiversity hotspots, forests, coastal regulation zones etc.) where environmental approvals/clearances are required, please specify details in the following format:

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||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Sr. No.|Location of operations/|Type of|Whether the conditions of environmental|If no, the reasons there of and|
|offices|operations|approval/clearance are being complied with? (Y/N)|corrective action taken, if any.|
|Not Applicable|

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12. Details of environmental impact assessments of projects undertaken by the entity based on applicable laws, in the current financial year:

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|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Name and brief|EIA Notification|Date|Whether conducted by independent|Results communicated in public|Relevant Web|
|details of project|No.|external agency (Yes/No)|domain (Yes/No)|link|
|Not Applicable|

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13. Is the entity compliant with the applicable environmental law/ regulations/ guidelines in India; such as the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, Environment protection act and rules thereunder (Y/N/NA). Yes

Leadership Indicators

1. Water withdrawal, consumption and discharge in areas of water stress (in kilolitres):

Water withdrawal, consumption and discharge in areas of water stress

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|||
|---|---|
|(i) Name of the area|NA|
|(ii) Nature of operations|NA|

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(iii) Water withdrawal, consumption and discharge in the following format:

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Parameter Please specify unit FY (Current PY (Previous
Financial Year) Financial Year)
Water withdrawal by source (in kilolitres)
Surface water kilolitres 0 0
Groundwater kilolitres 0 0
Third party water kilolitres 0 0
Seawater/desalinated water kilolitres 0 0
Others kilolitres 0 0
Total volume of water withdrawal (in kilolitres) kilolitres 0 0
Total volume of water consumption (in kilolitres) kilolitres 0 0
Water intensity per rupee of turnover (Water consumed/turnover) kilolitres 0 0
Water intensity (optional) - the relevant metric may be selected by the entity kilolitres 0 0
Water discharge by destination and level of treatment (in kilolitres)
(i) Into Surface water kilolitres 0 0
- No treatment kilolitres 0 0
- With treatment - please specify level of treatment kilolitres 0 0
(ii) Into Groundwater kilolitres 0 0
- No treatment kilolitres 0 0
- With treatment - please specify level of treatment kilolitres 0 0
(iii) Into Seawater kilolitres 0 0
- No treatment kilolitres 0 0
- With treatment - please specify level of treatment kilolitres 0 0
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----- Start of picture text -----

Parameter Please specify unit FY (Current PY (Previous
Financial Year) Financial Year)
(iv) third party water kilolitres 0 0
- No treatment kilolitres 0 0
- With treatment - please specify level of treatment kilolitres 0 0
(v) Others kilolitres 0 0
- No treatment kilolitres 0 0
- With treatment - please specify level of treatment kilolitres 0 0
Total water discharged (in kilolitres) kilolitres 0 0
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Note: Indicate if any independent assessment/ evaluation/ assurance has been carried out by an external agency? (Y/N)

2. Please provide details of total Scope 3 emissions & its intensity, in the following format: Whether total Scope 3 emissions & its intensity is applicable to the Company?

3. With respect to the ecologically sensitive areas reported at Question 10 of Essential Indicators above, provide details of significant direct & indirect impact of the entity on biodiversity in such areas alongwith prevention and remediation activities.

4. If the entity has undertaken any specific initiatives or used innovative technology or solutions to improve resource efficiency, or reduce impact due to emissions/ effluent discharge/ waste generated, please provide details of the same as well as outcome of such initiatives, as per the following format:

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Sr. No. Initiative Details of the initiative (Web-link, if any, may be provided Outcome of the Corrective action
undertaken along-with summary) initiative taken, if any
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5. Does the entity have a business continuity and disaster management plan? Yes

Details of entity at which business continuity and disaster management plan is placed or weblink.

CDSL has been accredited with the ISO 22301:2019 certification for its business continuity management systems. CDSL has a Business Continuity Management (BCM) framework to ensure resilience and continuity of its Depository services, e-voting Services. CDSL conducts Business impact analysis and risk assessment annually to assess the likely impact on the Company’s business processes due to adverse events like, natural disaster, pandemic, technical disruption etc.

6. Disclose any significant adverse impact to the environment, arising from the value chain of the entity. What mitigation or adaptation measures have been taken by the entity in this regard. NA

7. Percentage of value chain partners (by value of business done with such partners) that were assessed for environmental impacts.

Annual Report 2023-24 169

PRINCIPLE 7

BUSINESSES, WHEN ENGAGING IN INFLUENCING PUBLIC AND REGULATORY POLICY, SHOULD DO SO IN A MANNER THAT IS RESPONSIBLE AND TRANSPARENT

Essential Indicators

1. a) Number of affiliations with trade and industry chambers/ associations.

- 5

b) List the top 10 trade and industry chambers/ associations (determined based on the total members of such body) the entity is a member of/ affiliated to.
- 5

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Sr. No. Name of the trade and industry chambers/ associations Reach of trade and industry chambers/
associations (State/National)
1 ACG-Asia Pacific Central Securities Depository Group International
2 Association of Eurasian Central Securities Depositories (AECSD) International
3 International Securities Services Association International
4 Association of National Exchanges Members of India (ANMI) National
5 Bombay Stock Exchange Brokers Forum (BBF) National
Provide details of corrective action taken or underway on any issues related to anti-competitive
conduct by the entity, based on adverse orders from regulatory authorities.
Name of authority Brief of the case Corrective action taken
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2. Provide details of corrective action taken or underway on any issues related to anti-competitive conduct by the entity, based on adverse orders from regulatory authorities.

During FY 2023-24, the Company has not received any adverse orders from regulatory authorities

Leadership Indicators

1. Details of public policy positions advocated by the entity:

Sr. No. Public policy advocated Method resorted for such advocacy Whether information available in public domain? (Yes/No) Frequency of Review by Board (Annually/ Half yearly/ Quarterly/ Others - please specify) Web Link, if available
Not Applicable

PRINCIPLE 8

BUSINESSES SHOULD PROMOTE INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT

Essential Indicators

1. Details of Social Impact Assessments (SIA) of projects undertaken by the entity based on applicable laws, in the current financial year.

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Name and brief SIA notification Date of Whether conducted by Results communicated in Relevant Web
details of project No. notification independent external agency public domain (Yes/No) Link
(Yes/No)
Not Applicable
Provide information on project(s) for which ongoing Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) is being
undertaken by your entity, in the following format:
Sr. No. Name of Project for which State District No. of Project Affected Percentage of PAFs Amounts paid to PAFs in the
R&R is ongoing Families (PAFs) covered by R&R FY (In INR)
Not Applicable
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2. Provide information on project(s) for which ongoing Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) is being undertaken by your entity, in the following format:

3. Describe the mechanisms to receive and redress grievances of the community.

The Company has adequate grievance redressal mechanism in place to understand and resolve complaints from all stakeholders

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4. Percentage of input material (inputs to total inputs by value) sourced from suppliers:

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FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Directly sourced from MSMEs/ small producers 0 0
Directly from within India 0 0
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Not applicable considering the nature of business.

5. Job creation in smaller towns - Disclose wages paid to persons employed (including employees or workers employed on a permanent or non-permanent/on contract basis) in the following locations, as percentage of total wage cost

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Location FY 2023-24 FY 2022-23
Rural
i) Disclose wages paid to persons employed (including employees or workers employed on a 0 0
permanent or non-permanent/on contract basis)
ii) Total Wage Cost 0 0
iii) % of Job creation in Rural areas 0.00 0.00
Semi-urban
i) Disclose wages paid to persons employed (including employees or workers employed on a 0 0
permanent or non-permanent/on contract basis)
ii) Total Wage Cost 0 0
iii) % of Job creation in Semi-Urban areas 0.00 0.00
Urban
i) Disclose wages paid to persons employed (including employees or workers employed on a 1,04,04,313 99,78,679
permanent or non-permanent/on contract basis)
ii) Total Wage Cost 61,60,42,285 53,39,51,242
iii) % of Job creation in Urban areas 1.69 1.87
Metropolitan
i) Disclose wages paid to persons employed (including employees or workers employed on a 60,56,37,972 52,39,72,563
permanent or non-permanent/on contract basis)
ii) Total Wage Cost 61,60,42,285 53,39,51,242
iii) % of Job creation in Metropolitan area 98.31 98.13
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Leadership Indicators

1. Provide details of actions taken to mitigate any negative social impacts identified in the Social Impact Assessments (Reference: Question 1 of Essential Indicators above):

Details	of	negative	social	impact	identified Corrective	action	taken
					Not Applicable

2. Provide the following information on CSR projects undertaken by your entity in designated aspirational districts as identified by government bodies:

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Sr. No. State Aspirational District Amount spent (In INR)
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1	Karnataka	Raichur	3,63,879
2	Karnataka	Yadgir	1,28,364
3	West Bengal	Nadia	85,000
4	Bihar	Katihar	80,000
5	Odisha	Balangir	75,000
6	Jharkhand	Dumka	70,000
7	Uttar Pradesh	Fatehpur	69,578
8	Kerala	Wayanad	62,500
9	West Bengal	Dinajpur	50,000
10	Bihar	Purnea	50,000
11	Jharkhand	Ranchi	37,500
12	Uttarakhand	Udham Singh Nagar	37,500
13	Andhra Pradesh	Y S R Kadapa	37,500
14	Chhattisgarh	Mahasamund	35,000
15	Jammu & Kashmir	Baramulla	25,000
16	Maharashtra	Osmanabad	12,500
17	Jammu & Kashmir	Kupwara	12,500

Annual Report 2023-24 171

3. (a) Do you have a preferential procurement policy where you give preference to purchase from suppliers comprising marginalised/vulnerable groups? (Yes/No)

  - Equal opportunity is provided to all our vendors. In this regard, the Company does not have a preferential procurement policy

(b) From which marginalised/vulnerable groups do you procure?
- Not Applicable
(c) What percentage of total procurement (by value) does it constitute?

Not Applicable

4. Details of the benefits derived and shared from the intellectual properties owned or acquired by your entity (in the current financial year), based on traditional knowledge:

Sr.	No. Intellectual knowledge	Property based on traditional Owned/ Acquired	(Yes/No) Benefit shared (Yes/No) Basis of calculating benefit share
1	Nil	No	No Nil

5. Details of corrective actions taken or underway, based on any adverse order in intellectual property related disputes wherein usage of traditional knowledge is involved.

	Name of authority	Brief of the Case	Corrective action taken	Corrective action taken
	Nil	Nil	Nil
Details of beneficiaries of CSR Projects:
Sr. No.	CSR Project		No. of persons benefitted from CSR Projects	% of beneficiaries from vulnerable and marginalised groups
1	Smile Foundation		15,565	100
2	Lions Charitable Trust		3,079	100
3	Narayana Hrudayalaya Charitable Trust		168	100
4	Educate Girls		8,953	100
5	RotaryCharitable Trust		11,500	100
6	Yuva Unstoppable		17,303	100

6. Details of beneficiaries of CSR Projects:

PRINCIPLE 9

BUSINESSES SHOULD ENGAGE WITH AND PROVIDE VALUE TO THEIR CONSUMERS IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER

Essential Indicators

1. Describe the mechanisms in place to receive and respond to consumer complaints and feedback.

The grievance redressal policy for customers includes redressal framework to ensure prompt and effective resolution of grievances. We have a centralised investor grievance redressal team, who is responsible for addressing all grievances effectively in a time bound manner. We offer multiple channels to report grievances such as e-mail, letter, website, SEBI’s SCORES portal, SMART ODR portal and social media. We offer the best possible solution after a review of the customer’s complaint and after taking feedback from the Depository Participant/RTA (as applicable). If an investor is not satisfied with the resolution, he or she can escalate it to our Multi-level complaint resolution mechanism available with CDSL such as SMARTODR (Level 1), Arbitration (Level 2) and Appellate Arbitration (Level 3).

2. Turnover of products and/ services as a percentage of turnover from all products/service that carry information about:

==> picture [475 x 15] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----

As a percentage to total turnover
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Environmental and socialparameters relevant to theproduct	0
Safe and responsible usage	0
Recyclingand/or safe disposal	0

These fields are not applicable as the Company does not provide any physical products

172

Corporate Overview Statutory Reports Financial Statements

3. Number of consumer complaints in respect of the following:

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----- Start of picture text -----

FY 2023-24 (Current Financial Year) FY 2022-23 (Previous Financial Year)
Received during resolution at end Pending Remarks Received during resolution at end Pending Remarks
the year of year the year of year
Data privacy 0 0 - 0 0 -
Advertising 0 0 - 0 0 -
Cyber-security 0 0 - 0 0 -
Delivery of essential 1687 32 - 1030 16 -
services
Restrictive Trade Practices 0 0 - 0 0 -
Unfair Trade Practices 0 0 - 0 0 -
Other 0 0 - 0 0 -
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*All pending complaints as on March 31, 2024 stands resolved.

4. Details of instances of product recalls on account of safety issues:

	Number	Reasons for recall
Voluntaryrecalls	0	NA
Forced recalls	0	NA

5. Does the entity have a framework/ policy on cyber security and risks related to data privacy? (Yes/No)

CDSL has formed and periodically reviews its Information Security Policy, Cyber Security Policy, Business Continuity Policy, and Personal Data-Information Privacy Policy. These policies are accessible on the Company’s intranet portal.

6. Provide details of any corrective actions taken or underway on issues relating to advertising, and delivery of essential services; cyber security and data privacy of customers; re-occurrence of instances of product recalls; penalty/ action taken by regulatory authorities on safety of products/ services.

No penalties/regulatory action has been levied or taken on the above-mentioned parameters.

7. Provide the following information relating to data breaches:

a) Number of instances of data breaches along-with impact 0
b) Percentage of data breaches involving personally identifiable information of customers 0
c) Impact, if any, of the data breaches 0

Leadership Indicators

1. Channels/platforms where information on products and services of the entity can be accessed (provide web link, if available).

Channels and platforms where information on the products and services of the Company can be accessed are below mentioned:

==> picture [18 x 19] intentionally omitted <==

2. Steps taken to inform and educate consumers about safe and responsible usage of products and/or services.

The Company is committed to educating investors to make an informed decisions regarding Capital Market. During FY 2023-24, CDSL IPF conducted 2,345 Investor Awareness Programmes (IAPs) in English, Hindi and 16 other Indian languages reaching out to more than 1.45 Lakh investors across India.

We utilised social media channels to connect with a younger audience and enhance investor awareness. The ‘NoShakNiveshak’ campaign served as the focal point of our digital strategy, featuring a variety of content types including quizzes, videos, static posts, and more to offer interesting and informative material.

SEBI, CDSL, and other MIIs have jointly prepared an informative booklet, ‘Securities Market Understanding from Investor’s Perspective,’ in 13 regional languages. It’s been distributed to investors for future reference and knowledge.

173

Annual Report 2023-24

In addition to IAPs, CDSL utilises various social media platforms like Facebook: @cdslindia, X (formerly known as Twitter): (@cdslindia), LinkedIn (@cdslindia), Koo App (@cdslindia,), Instagram: (@cdslindia) and YouTube (@CDSLIndiaLtd) to engage with investors. Posts including pictures, GIFs & videos related to IAPs and CDSL services are regularly uploaded for the benefit of investors.

Furthermore, investors can access valuable information on the ‘Investors Corner’ section of the CDSL website at https://www.cdslindia.com/Investors/InvestorCorner.aspx

3. Mechanisms in place to inform consumers of any risk of disruption/discontinuation of essential services.

E-mail/Website:

Investors can email us at our dedicated Email ID - [email protected] for any queries, complaints or feedback. CDSL has also provided facility to post the complaints through CDSL website. A user friendly format is made available on the website to enable the investors to send their complaints with ease on the ‘Post your Grievance’ link available on the website ( https://www.cdslindia.com/Footer/grievances.aspx ).

Call centre: Investors can call us from 10.00 am to 6.15 pm (Monday to Friday) on the tollfree number 1800-21-09911.

SCORES/SEBI Letter: The investors can also send their complaints directly to SEBI or upload through dedicated website - www.scores.sebi.gov.in. SEBI also forwards the letters received from the investors by them to CDSL for redressal.

Mechanism for processing of consumer complaints:

The Company has a digital grievance management platform to upload, respond and monitor disposal of customer grievances. All complaints received across various above-mentioned sources are auto uploaded into a Complaint Management Platform which has a rule-based allotment to the Depository Participants and RTA who respond to investors. All complaints are handled by the Investor Grievance Redressal team to ensure a prompt, and an effective resolution. The team takes a decision for the resolution of the complaint. Feedback is also provided to the relevant department to ensure that the same problem does not recur.

Mechanism to respond to consumer complaints:

The officials of the Investor Grievance Cell, reviews the response/resolution provided by the intermediary and informs the investor accordingly. If the investor is not satisfied with the resolution, they can escalate the matter/ complaint to our Multi-level complaint resolution mechanism available at CDSL.
The Grievance team monitors the redressal of all complaints and the response provided to the investor. The team also monitors pendency and regularly shares its analysis with the Company. The summary of grievances is reported to Regulatory Oversight Committee and to the Governing Board of the Company.

4. Does the entity display product information on the product over and above what is mandated as per local laws? (Yes/No/Not applicable) Yes

If yes, provide details in brief.

The information on various services offered by the Company is available on https://www.cdslindia.com / and detailed description of our services is mentioned on https://www.cdslindia.com/About/overview.html

Did your entity carry out any survey with regard to consumer satisfaction relating to the major products/services of the entity, significant locations of operation of the entity or the entity as a whole? (Yes/No)

174

AI assistant

Central Depository Services (India) Limited — Environmental & Social Information 2024

62111_rns_2024-07-26_fa97f2fb-2802-4525-a4bb-c078fbb978fa.pdf

CDSL/CS/NSE/MJ/2024/16 9 July 26, 2024

Subject: Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report for the financial year 2023-24

Business Responsibility & Sustainability Report

SECTION A: GENERAL DISCLOSURES

Details of the listed entity

III. Operations

17. Number of locations where plants and/or operations/offices of the entity are situated:

18. Markets served by the entity:

IV. Employees

19. Details as at the end of Financial Year:

b) Differently abled Employees and workers:

20. Participation/ Inclusion/ Representation of women

21. Turnover rate for permanent employees and workers

V. Holding, Subsidiary and Associate Companies (including joint ventures)

22. (a) Names of holding/ subsidiary/ associate companies/ joint ventures

VI. CSR Details

23. CSR Details

VII. Transparency and Disclosures Compliances

24. Complaints/Grievances on any of the principles (Principles 1 to 9) under the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct:

25. Overview of the entity’s material responsible business conduct issues

SECTION B: Management and Process Disclosures

5. Specific commitments, goals and targets set by the entity with defined timelines, if any.

Governance, leadership and oversight

7. Statement by director responsible for the business responsibility report, highlighting ESG related challenges, targets and achievements

8. Details of the highest authority responsible for implementation and oversight of the Business Responsibility policy (ies).

10. Details of Review of NGRBCs by the Company:

Section C: Principle Wise Performance Disclosure

PRINCIPLE 1

BUSINESSES SHOULD CONDUCT AND GOVERN THEMSELVES WITH INTEGRITY, AND IN A MANNER THAT IS ETHICAL, TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE.

Essential Indicators

1. Percentage coverage by training and awareness programmes on any of the Principles during the financial year:

Non-Monetary Imprisonment

3. Of the instances disclosed in Question 2 above, details of the Appeal/ Revision preferred in cases where monetary or non-monetary action has been appealed.

4. Does the entity have an anti-corruption or anti-bribery policy?

If yes, provide details in brief

Provide a web-link if the entity has anti-corruption or anti-bribery policy

- - https://www.cdslindia.com/Anti BriberyandAnti CorruptionPolicy.pdf

6. Details of complaints with regard to conflict of interest:

8. Number of days of accounts payables :

Leadership Indicators

If Yes, provide details of the same.

PRINCIPLE 2

BUSINESSES SHOULD PROVIDE GOODS AND SERVICES IN A MANNER THAT IS SUSTAINABLE AND SAFE

Essential Indicators

Leadership Indicators

If NA, provide details

PRINCIPLE 3

BUSINESSES SHOULD PROVIDE GOODS AND SERVICES IN A MANNER THAT IS SUSTAINABLE AND SAFE

Essential Indicators

1. a) Details of measures for the well-being of employees:

b) Details of measures for the well-being of workers:

2. Details of retirement benefits :

3. Accessibility of workplaces

If so, provide a web-link to the policy.

5. Return to work and Retention rates of permanent employees and workers that took parental leave.

If yes, give details of the mechanism in brief.

7. Membership of employees and worker in association(s) or Unions recognised by the listed entity:

8. Details of training given to employees and workers:

9. Details of performance and career development reviews of employees and worker:

10. Health and safety management system:

a) Whether an occupational health and safety management system has been implemented by the entity? (Yes/ No/ NA).

b) What are the processes used to identify work-related hazards and assess risks on a routine and non-routine basis by the entity?

If NA, provide details

d) Do the employees/worker of the entity have access to non-occupational medical and healthcare services?

11. Details of safety related incidents, in the following format:

12. Describe the measures taken by the entity to ensure a safe and healthy work place.

13. Number of Complaints on the following made by employees and workers:

14. Assessments for the year:

Leadership Indicators

a) Employees (Y/N)

b) Workers (Y/N).

PRINCIPLE 4

BUSINESSES SHOULD RESPECT THE INTERESTS OF AND BE RESPONSIVE TO ALL ITS STAKEHOLDERS

Essential Indicators

Leadership Indicators

If so, provide details of instances as to how the inputs received from stakeholders on these topics were incorporated into policies and activities of the entity.

3. Provide details of instances of engagement with, and actions taken to, address the concerns of vulnerable/ marginalised stakeholder groups.

Central Depository Services (India) Limited Environmental & Social Information 2024