Ms. Rachana Lunawat | Sustainability Strategies | Best Researcher Award
Rachana Lunawat | Kingston University | United Kingdom
Ms. Rachana Lunawat is an emerging scholar and finance professional with a strong academic foundation and practical experience in financial control, reporting, and sustainability-driven investment analysis. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting and Finance with Distinction from Kingston University, London, and a Master of Commerce from Savitribai Phule Pune University. Her academic and professional journey reflects a blend of analytical expertise and sustainability-oriented research. Having worked across the UK and India, Rachana has contributed to financial control, reconciliations, and audit preparedness in both public and private sectors, demonstrating her capability in enhancing reporting accuracy and operational efficiency. Her research interests lie at the intersection of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and corporate financial performance. She co-authored a peer-reviewed article titled “Integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Factors into the Investment Returns of American Companies,” published in MDPI’s international journal Sustainability. The study, indexed in Scopus and the Web of Science, employs panel data regression models using Bloomberg and Refinitiv datasets to assess how ESG engagement influences market valuation and long-term financial outcomes. This publication underscores her commitment to bridging sustainable finance and empirical financial analysis, offering insights that inform corporate strategy and responsible investment practices. Beyond research, Rachana has been actively involved in industry-oriented financial analysis projects, including portfolio optimization and ESG-financial performance evaluation of S&P 500 firms. These projects reflect her ability to translate academic concepts into data-driven decision-making relevant to global markets. Her collaborations with scholars from the University of St Andrews and Aston Business School have further enriched her interdisciplinary perspective on corporate sustainability and financial performance dynamics.
Featured Publication :
Lunawat, R. M., Elmarzouky, M., & Shohaieb, D. (2025). Integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into the investment returns of American companies. Sustainability, 17(19), 8522.