With adequate capital and a focused approach, Indian can be made self-reliant in manufacturing clean technology to address the climate crisis, ministers and experts said at the launch of the Bharat Climate Forum on Friday.
The Indian government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign embodies the country’s drive for “economic sovereignty and technological leadership through innovation and collaboration”, Union minister for information and technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said at the event.
Union minister for commerce and industry Piyush Goyal, who was also present at the event, said that India is one of the best performing countries under the Paris Agreement.
“India is one of the best performing countries when it comes to meeting the contributions under the Paris Agreement and we are very committed to meeting those contributions, so much so that on every goal we are well ahead and on renewable energy we are committed to 45% capacity from renewable energy by 2030. We achieved it years ahead of schedule. Our story speaks of our commitment and resilience,” Goyal said, acknowledging the need for investments in the manufacturing sector.
“Of course, we need to invest in manufacturing… every sector in India which has remained independent of the government has been successful. Look at the IT sector and its success story. Short term support but getting independent also important in the long-term. It’s important to look at scale and skill in India,” Goyal said.
The Bharat Climate Forum — a national platform dedicated to unifying stakeholders from policy, industry, finance, and research to accelerate cleantech manufacturing in India — was launched on Friday.
Speaking at the launch, NK Singh, chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, said that a national environment council under the Prime Minister may be helpful in having a uniform, focused approach to the issue, especially in view of global disruption through trade and other protectionist policies being considered by countries globally.
“Global uncertainties are getting worse every day. You have powers which have shown greater skepticism on the science and the scientific world. Looking at the global uncertainties and looking at the fact that multilateral institutions like WTO which look at trade and hence deal with the whole issue of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)… uncertainties are very large. As I look back on my 25 years of engagement what are some of the broad themes? Issues of climate are a will-o-wisp because you are perhaps chasing shadows, as you identify one, the scene would have already changed,” said Singh.
European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and deforestation regulations are measures for taxing imported goods based on the amount of carbon they produce or how clean the supply chains are.
The Bharat Climate Forum 2025 aims to position India as a global leader in clean tech manufacturing, fostering self-reliance (Atmanirbharta) as the cornerstone of its journey toward a Net-Zero and Viksit Bharat.
“Climate change is a reality now. We have used fossil fuels for everything driving up this crisis. EV, solar and hydrogen among other tech are all on the table. We are hearing US may withdraw from Paris Agreement. At COPs, people try to promote their technology. Countries and companies are not willing to give up their patent rights… this is the time. Whole world is trying to sell their climate change technology to us. Now India is ready to become atmanirbhar in climate technology,” said Ashwani Mahajan, National Co-Convener of Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Member-Secretary of the Bharat Climate Forum.
“Atmanirbharta is not just a climate and an economic imperative. It is also necessary to reduce reliance on imports, secure supply chains, and harness India’s potential as a global cleantech manufacturing hub. The Bharat Climate Forum 2025 seeks to catalyse these efforts by bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, funders, and global allies to drive investments, foster innovation, and build partnerships that align India’s netzero ambitions with a vision for sustainable development, inclusive growth, and self-reliance,” organisers, Council for International Economic Understanding, a think thank and Dalberg Advisors, a strategic advisory firm said.