As India’s Purpose Economy Takes Shape, Union Minister Chirag Paswan to Join Storyboard18’s Power of Purpose 2026

In India’s evolving business landscape, “purpose” is no longer a soft ambition or a communications strategy. It is increasingly being treated as economic infrastructure — shaping how companies grow, how policy is designed and how citizens measure progress. That shift will take centre stage at Storyboard18’s Power of Purpose 2026, where Union Minister Chirag Paswan will join business leaders and policymakers to examine what a purpose-driven economy means for India’s next phase of growth.

The flagship platform, returning to New Delhi on February 6, has established itself as one of the country’s most influential congregations of decision-makers engaging with purpose as a strategic force in business and governance. Power of Purpose has tracked the movement of purpose from corporate intent to boardroom accountability, reflecting deeper changes in capital markets, regulation and public expectations.

This year’s theme, The Purpose Economy, signals a further evolution. The focus is no longer on whether businesses should be purpose-led, but on how purpose is being operationalised — through leadership choices, technology adoption, policy frameworks and measurable outcomes.

It is in this context that Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s participation carries particular significance. As Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, he is expected to speak about the role of sustainability as a foundational pillar in building a Viksit Bharat, positioning purpose not as a moral ideal but as a national economic imperative.

His address is expected to highlight how the food processing sector — one of India’s most critical links between agriculture, industry and consumption — can become a model for sustainability-led growth. From minimising waste across the value chain through technology, to strengthening value addition at the farm gate, Paswan is likely to outline how policy and innovation can work together to create resilience, efficiency and inclusive opportunity.

A central theme of his remarks is expected to be the role of corporates as catalysts in embedding a culture of purpose. As India’s brands scale domestically and globally, the expectations on business leadership are expanding — not only to deliver profits, but to enable inclusive growth, community empowerment and long-term value creation.

Paswan is also expected to emphasise partnerships and collaboration as critical levers of the purpose economy. Whether between government and industry, startups and incumbents, or technology providers and manufacturers, the argument is increasingly that no single institution can deliver sustainable outcomes alone.

The broader summit will explore how purpose-led leadership is shaping talent development, how policy is reinforcing India’s sustainability ecosystem, and how emerging technologies are accelerating measurable impact. A key lens will be how corporations are aligning their purpose with India’s development priorities — not as compliance, but as competitive advantage.

Backed by the Network18 Group and its leading brands, including CNBC-TV18, CNN-News18, Firstpost, Moneycontrol and Forbes India, Power of Purpose 2026 reflects the growing role of media platforms not just as chroniclers of change, but as conveners of national conversation.

As India navigates a complex intersection of growth, sustainability and social equity, the presence of policymakers alongside corporate leaders at Power of Purpose underscores a larger reality: the purpose economy is no longer emerging. It is being built — in boardrooms, ministries and supply chains — in real time.

Read more: Storyboard18 Power of Purpose Returns in 2026 as India’s Leaders Confront the Purpose Economy