Srivathsan Karunanithi
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Case study · ESG consulting

Building an ESG baseline for a manufacturing SME.

Apex Industrial Products Pvt Ltd, Trichy, India. First ESG assessment covering governance, environmental data, social indicators and material business risk.

274,822 kWhannual electricity use quantified
199.8 tCO2eScope 2 electricity emissions baselined
266tmetallic scrap verified
5material ESG topics prioritised
30 kWsolar option modelled

Context

Apex Industrial Products is a manufacturing company headquartered in Trichy, India, producing water well drilling and HTD components with sales operations extending to North America. The company had no prior sustainability reporting, no formal ESG ownership and limited data infrastructure, which created the need for a structured starting point.

The engagement established the company's first ESG baseline, quantified key environmental impacts and identified governance and social gaps that created material business risk.

Scope of work

Governance

Leadership structure, policy maturity, employment contract review, grievance mechanisms and ESG oversight.

Environmental

Scope 1 and 2 emissions, electricity use, fuel use, waste quantification, water monitoring gaps and renewable energy analysis.

Social

Workforce demographics, employment structure, benefits analysis, recruitment gaps and employer branding.

Materiality

Material topics were identified using impact severity, business risk and stakeholder concern.

Approach

The assessment was developed in reference to GRI Standards and used stakeholder interviews, operational data review and documentation analysis. A materiality scoring framework evaluated each topic against impact severity, business risk and stakeholder concern.

Quantitative work included electricity and emissions calculations, fleet fuel analysis, government e-invoiced scrap transactions and solar sizing scenarios.

GRI 2GRI 302GRI 303GRI 305GRI 306

This case study is based on an ESG baseline assessment developed in reference to GRI Standards where relevant. It is not external assurance, certification or a formal GRI-compliant sustainability report.

Key findings

  • Electricity was the dominant emissions source, at approximately 199.8 tCO2e annually.
  • A 30 kW rooftop solar system could offset around 15% of annual electricity consumption.
  • The top two vehicles accounted for 54% of total diesel use.
  • 266 tonnes of metallic scrap were verified through traceable invoice records.
  • Employment contracts lacked IP, confidentiality, probation and termination clarity.
  • Single customer concentration and US tariff exposure were identified as material business risks.
  • Water use was not monitored, creating a data visibility gap.
  • Recruitment and employer branding were identified as material due to hiring challenges.

Material topics

  1. Energy consumption and generator dependency
  2. Single customer concentration and geopolitical trade risk
  3. Raw material waste and procurement inefficiency
  4. Recruitment and employer branding
  5. Water use and monitoring gap

Impact

Before

  • No Scope 1 or 2 emissions baseline
  • No ESG owner or reporting cycle
  • Waste data was not consolidated
  • Water monitoring was invisible
  • Fleet fuel use was not analysed by vehicle
  • Material business risks were not formally prioritised

After

  • Scope 1 and 2 baseline established
  • ESG roadmap produced across three time horizons
  • Scrap volumes verified with invoice trail
  • Raw material tracker handed over
  • Electricity and fuel trackers created
  • Governance and policy gaps documented
  • Priority ESG topics identified

What was delivered

ESG baseline reportESG dashboardElectricity trackerFuel trackerRaw material trackerWaste trackerMateriality assessmentGovernance and policy reviewSolar option modellingImplementation roadmapClient presentation

Implementation roadmap

Stabilise data capture

Assign ESG ownership, create utility and raw material trackers, start water monitoring, review critical contract clauses and set up LinkedIn visibility.

Improve controls

Formalise policy register, begin fleet optimisation, review customer concentration risk, strengthen recruitment process and prepare periodic KPI reporting.

Invest and scale

Evaluate solar implementation, supplier engagement, structured ESG reporting cycle, material efficiency projects and wider operational resilience planning.