Team size: 15

How has the increasing consciousness of climate change and sustainability affected your company and the team’s priorities?

The responsibility and accountability to contribute to the protection of the environment has precipitated several initiatives at our company. As a leading fintech player in the payments’ space, we at Pinelabs have leveraged our technological capabilities for our Go Green initiative, which enables retailers to issue digital charge slips to customers, thereby reducing paper consumption. Pinelabs also has a strict e-waste policy that includes responsibly recycling obsolete electronic equipment and old POS terminals. The organisation has other initiatives like digital onboarding, and virtual issue resolution which contributes to the cause of doing business sustainably.

How important is choosing to work with external lawyers who align with your company’s values? Are you likely to reconsider what firms you work with based on this?

Trust, integrity, and ethical conduct are key values for me, and I have become increasingly conscious of the sustainable and social impact of my actions, in the world we live in. Throughout my career, I have been extremely privileged to work with organisations that focused on doing business the right way, ensured high standards of corporate governance, fostered a culture of diversity, inclusiveness and encouraged social impact and sustainable action.

In furtherance of those values, Pinelabs only engages law firms with a demonstrated record of a similar core ideology, and it is critical that our external lawyers’ advice does not breach any ethics, regulatory or legal principles, aligns with our corporate governance standards, and does not put the organisation at long-term risk for short-term gains. Our D&I and ESG vision also envisages engaging firms that are themselves working towards building a diverse and inclusive workforce with a view to making a positive social impact in our communities, along with sustainable practices that are mindful of actions that could harm the environment.

What is a cause, business or otherwise, you are passionate about and why?

There are two causes that have been inspiring as regards their potential for long-term impact in the legal sector. The first initiative is IDIA, which identifies high-performing students from underprivileged communities in smaller towns and villages and trains them to write the Common Law Entrance examinations. Successful candidates are financially supported through law school, with additional support for internships and employment. This initiative is inspiring in its impact on inclusive legal education.

I worked on a project on a pro bono basis, during the course of which, I engaged with start-ups in the legal ecosystem. I was inspired by the impact that some of these organisations are making in the legal ecosystem by providing cost efficient online dispute resolution which not only eases the backlog of the lower courts but is increasing efficiencies for the likes of the police and Lok Adalats, to name but a few.