ESG Investing In Mauritius: Unlocking Green Finance & Sustainable Returns
Webinar
With Thanks To Our Event Sponsor:
Background: This webinar aims to explore the growing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in shaping the future of Mauritius' economy, financial sector, and corporate landscape. As global investors and regulators increasingly prioritize sustainability, Mauritian businesses, financial institutions, and policymakers must align with international ESG standards to remain competitive and resilient.
Agenda:
11:00 - 11:05 BST - Introductory remarks, Prakash Seewoosunkur
11:05 - 11:10 BST - The ESG Landscape, Vishwadeo Seebaluck
11:10 - 11:15 BST - Initiatives of the BOM on climate change, Neetyanand Kowlessur
11:15 - 11:20 BST - ESG Investing in Mauritius, Aicha Zakraoui
11:20 - 11:25 BST - Sharing of experience, Saurav Chatterjee
11:25 - 11:30 BST - Sharing of experience, Harsheenee Aujayeb
11:30 - 11:35 BST - Sharing of experience, Pradeep Rawa
11:35 - 11:40 BST - Sharing of experience, Deva Marianen
11:45 - 11:55 BST - Q&A
11:55 - 12:00 BST - Concluding remarks, Hugh Morris
Speakers:
Vishwadeo Seebaluck, Senior Manager at Financial Services Commission, Mauritius, currently oversees the Investment Funds Cluster at the Commission. During his career span, he has been, through different functions, involved in the licensing, supervision and compliance related matters for different types of funds and intermediaries (investment managers, asset managers, custodians, fund administrators, amongst others). He holds a BSc (Hons) Finance with Law, Commonwealth Executive MBA and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (UK).
Neetyanand Kowlessur has around 30 years of working experience at the Bank of Mauritius (Bank). He is an Economist by profession and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and a Master’s Degree in Financial Economics. Mr. Kowlessur has worked in the Economic Analysis and Research Department of the Bank for several years. In the past few years, he also served as the Head of the Governor’s Office and subsequently led the Corporate Services Division of the Bank. Since August 2023, he has been appointed as the Head of the Bank’s Climate Change Centre
Aicha Zakraoui is a Partner and Head of Impact & Sustainability at AfricInvest, where she leads the firm’s Impact and Sustainability (I&S) strategy, aligned with AfricInvest’s three-pronged approach to investing across risk, return, and impact. She contributes, with the support of a dedicated I&S team, to embedding this framework across the investment cycle and to driving long-term value by advancing environmental resilience, promoting inclusive growth, enhancing product and service quality and accessibility, and strengthening economic returns through positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes. Aicha joined AfricInvest after advancing sustainable innovation across the private, public, and non-profit sectors, including leading Research & Development initiatives at ECOTI in Tunis to promote waste valorization and the circular economy, and contributing to the advancement of renewable natural gas solutions as a Research Associate at Energy Vision in New York City. Aicha has a Master of Science & MBA degree from ISG Paris.
Saurav Chatterjee is the Director & Chief Executive Officer of CARE Ratings (Africa) Private Limited since March 2016. He has been associated with CARE Ratings Limited, India (a premier Rating Agency in India) in senior roles for major part of his career with a stint in corporate banking operations of Standard Chartered Bank. He is a seasoned risk professional with vast experience in Indian and African markets. His core competencies include financial engineering, risk assessment and technical analysis. Mr. Chatterjee has been instrumental in setting up and scaling operations for the Rating agency in Mauritius. He is well versed with statutory and legal framework for various jurisdictions of African Union. A versatile and dynamic personality, he deep dives into various aspects of governance and risk whilst assessing corporates. He has served as member of Rating Committee of CARE Ratings for more than a decade. His vision is to make capital markets accessible to stakeholders in African Union through disclosures, transparency and price discovery by adopting global best practices. He was also instrumental in obtaining a credit rating license for CareEdge group in Kenya from CMA and its subsidiary in South Africa from FSCA. He takes personal interest in mentoring young analysts to be risk specialists and future leaders. He is also committed and passionate about making education affordable to children hailing from vulnerable society. He holds a Master’s in Financial & Business Administration and a fellow charter from the CFA Society, India.
Harsheenee Aujayeb has spent the last 13 years turning sustainability theory into real‑world impact. As the founder and general manager at ESG Intellis Solutions Ltd, she works hand‑in‑hand with clients—from banks to conglomerates—to embed environmental and social considerations into every decision. Armed with an MSc in Sustainable Development (University of Surrey), she designs clear decarbonisation roadmaps, leads stakeholder‑driven materiality assessments, and builds intuitive ESG dashboards that teams actually use. A certified Carbon Footprint Analyst and active member of the GRI community, Harsheenee’s favourite part of the job is demystifying frameworks like GRI, SASB and IFRS Sustainability Standards in engaging, hands‑on workshops.
Pradeep Rawa joined Cim Finance in September 2009 as Treasurer, where he successfully set up the Treasury Function. He was promoted to Manager, followed by Senior Manager, before being appointed as Head of Treasury of the Group. As the current Head of Treasury, Pradeep is responsible for leading the Group’s relationships with its banking partners and investors in Mauritius. Pradeep has more than 23 years of experience in the banking and financial services sector. Before joining Cim Finance, he worked at Deutsche Bank Mauritius, prior to which he worked at State Bank of Mauritius Lease Ltd. Pradeep holds a BSc (Hons) in Accounting & Finance from the University of Mauritius and is a Fellow Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. He is also a member of MIPA and a Fellow of the Mauritius Institute of Directors.
Deva Marianen is the founder of the SAFYR Group of Companies in Mauritius (‘Safyr’), which is a leading investment banking group through its 100% owned subsidiary, Safyr Capital Partners. He founded Safyr in 2013, who now directly employs more than 100 people in Mauritius and through Safyr’s portfolio of investments, employ more than 450 staffs. Through his leadership, Safyr has become a significant player in Mauritius contributing to the growth of the financial services sector, servicing a range of African centric clients from banking institutions to asset managers, family offices and High Net Worth Individuals. Deva is also the Vice Chairman of Artemis Hospitals in Mauritius which has led the raise of the first Green Bond in the healthcare space in Mauritius. Deva specializes in Capital Markets with a strong focus on Private Equity, serving as an advisor to several large institutions and family offices. Deva serves on several board of directors some of which has been chairman of listed companies. He is also a member of the Listing Executive of the Stock Exchange in Mauritius. Throughout his career, he has personally led various mergers and acquisitions globally, in sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, financial services, fintech and health care. He holds a degree in Economics and finance and is qualified as a Chartered Secretary
Speaker(s):
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Prakash Seewoosunkur
Officer In Charge
FSC Mauritius
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Vishwadeo Seebaluck
Senior Manager
FSC Mauritius
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Neetyanand Kowlessur
Head of Climate Change Centre
Bank of Mauritius
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Aicha Zakraoui
Head of Impact & Sustainability
AfricaInvest Group
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Saurav Chatterjee
CEO
Care Ratings
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Harsheenee Aujayeb
General Manager
ESG Intellis Solutions
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Pradeep Rawa
Head of Treasury
CIM Financial Services Ltd
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Deva Marianen
Managing Director
Safyr Capital Partners
Chairman:
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Hugh Morris
Senior Research Partner
Z/Yen Group