25 September 2025: WeWork India Management Limited (“WeWork India”), one of India’s leading premium flexible workspace operators, today went a step beyond conversations on sustainability to be a catalyst for change within and beyond the industry. At the third edition of its Sustainability Summit in Gurgaon, the company unveiled ‘WeWork India for Impact’, its flagship sustainability-focused movement designed to align real estate growth with the twin imperatives of climate action and community empowerment. The initiative was launched in the presence of celebrity speaker Bhumi Satish Pednekkar, actor, Founder – Backbay, climate warrior, and UNDP Advocate.
Unlike traditional CSR projects that work in silos, WeWork India for Impact integrates ecological restoration, wildlife conservation, access to education, and women’s economic empowerment into a single purpose-driven agenda. From reviving Tarahunise Lake and boosting groundwater for farmers, to training women entrepreneurs in waste upcycling and sustainable tailoring, to building coexistence models between leopards and communities at Sanjay Gandhi National Park, WeWork India for Impact demonstrates how business, biodiversity, and society can thrive together.
The program has already created measurable progress, namely:
– Since May 2022, planted 289+ saplings, and installed 40+ floating wetlands in an effort to enhance biodiversity and improve water quality at Tarahunise village.
– Since Oct 2023, organized 760+ clean-up drives – collecting 58,961 kgs of waste, and conducted responsible waste collection at Tarahunise village.
– Achieved a 97% waste segregation at Tarahunise village level.
– In Mumbai, since September 2022, Living with Leopards initiative fosters human-leopard coexistence through camera trapping, surveys, and awareness workshops.
– As of Aug 2025, 350 volunteers played a crucial role by creating medicinal herb gardens, building bird perches, and leading nature trails.
– Additionally, we offered upskilling sessions for women and organized clean-up efforts in Tarahunise and Mumbai.
Speaking at the Summit, Karan Virwani, Managing Director & CEO, WeWork India, said, “Real estate sits at the center of India’s climate challenge, but also its climate opportunity. Through ‘WeWork India for Impact,’ we are demonstrating that the sector can drive not just lower emissions, but greater possibilities for both people and nature. At WeWork India, sustainability is not an abstract concept, it is about water in a farmer’s borewell, safety in a community living alongside leopards, and dignity for a woman running her own enterprise. This is the kind of leadership India needs to reimagine growth, led by regenerative, inclusive, and accountable actions and impact.”
WeWork India’s 3rd edition of Sustainability Summit advanced this agenda with insightful discussions around greenwashing in India, cutting carbon emissions in real estate, and climate finance for a low-carbon built environment. Industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators converged to exchange frameworks and solutions to accelerate India’s path to net zero.
Actor, Founder – Backbay, climate warrior, and UNDP Advocate, Bhumi Satish Pednekkar, who graced the occasion, applauded WeWork India’s approach of blending climate goals with grassroots social change. She added, “As someone working closely with climate and social causes, I believe the future of sustainability lies in how we integrate it into everyday systems, how we build, live, work and that’s exactly what WeWork India is doing. I believe sustainability is about making better choices every day and creating positive change for both the environment and our communities. It is heartening to see how their efforts are already making a difference, and I hope it motivates more people and organizations to step up and contribute to a more sustainable, inclusive future.”
Notable industry leaders at the summit included Gaurav Kumar, MD, CBRE; Anubhav Gupta, COO, DLF; Sathyanarayanan Sankaran, Urban Strategy Lead, Rainmatter Foundation; Guruprakash Sastry, Head, Climate Action – Infosys; Sahil Vachani, Managing Director & CEO, Max Estates; Sriram Kuchimanchi, Founder & CEO, Smarter Dharma; Anu Talreja, Founder and CEO, Accacia.ai; Shiva Shankar, Climate VC, Ankur Capital; and Rijit Sengupta, CEO, Centre for Responsible Business, all of whom contributed to discussions on driving sustainable practices in real estate and climate-focused innovation.
With ‘WeWork India for Impact’, the company is embedding sustainability into every layer of its business and ecosystem. This initiative is focused on redefining real estate as a force for regeneration and resilience in India’s growing economy. With an intent to become an environmental champion, WeWork India created a sustainability policy and long-term sustainability goals in 2023, which included – diverting 90% of waste from landfill by 2027; sourcing 100% of energy from renewable sources by 2027; reducing and maintaining consumption of water to just 20 litres per person per day by 2027; and reducing our energy consumption by a whopping 20% from our 2019 baseline by 2026.
WeWork India is currently operational across eight cities, with over one lakh desks. With solutions for all kinds of businesses—solopreneurs to startups to Fortune 500 companies—WeWork India offers the perfect workspace solutions that deliver a premium experience.
