Sustainability as a Profitable Opportunity | Akhil Katara

What happens when sustainability stops being a reporting exercise and starts becoming a finance decision? In Episode 9 of Risk and Reality , Deepika Santdasani sits down with Akhil Katara , Co-Leader of the Corporate Finance and Founders Office at Fourth Partner Energy, for a conversation about the intersection of sustainability, finance, investment, risk and long-term business value. For years, sustainability has often been associated with ESG reports, CSR initiatives and compliance. But the conversation is changing. The real question is becoming: does sustainability create financial value? Akhil breaks down how finance professionals can look at sustainability through the language of risk, capital, returns and the balance sheet. The conversation explores why sustainable businesses can potentially access cheaper capital, how investors evaluate renewable energy, why energy storage could become the next major opportunity, and what the transition to a low-carbon economy could mean for finance professionals. We also explore: • Why sustainability needs to be understood as a financial risk • How sustainability can influence cost of capital • Why CFOs should think beyond ESG reporting • Renewable energy as an investment opportunity • Why energy storage could be the next big opportunity • Carbon credits and the growing carbon economy • The future of renewable energy in India • Why innovation matters beyond simply installing solar • The challenges of regulation, land and infrastructure • What sustainability could look like by 2035 • Why CO₂ emissions could become a financial metric • How Chartered Accountants can shape the future of sustainability reporting ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Sustainability Through a Finance Lens 00:44 Meet Akhil Katara 01:42 What Does Sustainability Mean to a Finance Professional? 02:52 How to Sell Sustainability to a CFO 03:41 From ESG Compliance to Financial Value 04:53 Can Sustainability Attract Investors? 05:12 Why Renewable Energy Makes Commercial Sense 06:19 The Next Big Opportunity: Energy Storage 07:40 Carbon Credits & The New Green Economy 08:22 India's Renewable Energy Opportunity 09:40 The Biggest Challenges Facing Renewable Energy 11:25 What Will Sustainability Look Like in 2035? 12:17 Greenwashing, Storage & The Sustainability Myth 13:03 The One Metric Every CFO Should Track 13:20 Books Every Finance Professional Should Read 14:33 Are Electric Cars Really Green? 15:39 Advice for Young CAs Entering Renewable Energy 16:06 The Legacy of the Next Generation of Accountants 17:31 Final Thoughts ABOUT THE GUEST Akhil Katara co-leads the Corporate Finance and Founders Office at Fourth Partner Energy. A Chartered Accountant and finance professional, he brings experience across fundraising, capital structuring, financial modelling, M&A and investor relationships, with a focus on renewable energy and sustainable business growth. ABOUT RISK AND REALITY Risk and Reality is a podcast hosted by Deepika Santdasani, exploring the realities behind finance, leadership, governance, risk, compliance, business transformation and the people shaping the corporate world. Subscribe for more conversations that go beyond the obvious and challenge conventional thinking. #RiskAndReality #Sustainability #Finance