Accelerating clean energy innovation: global needs and opportunities for India

On 13 July 2020, the ETP Special Report on Clean Energy Innovation was presented and discussed live online in a conversation between IEA and senior Indian decision-makers. The event was co-hosted with the Clean Energy International Incubation Centre (CEIIC) in support of Mission Innovation, and in partnership with the School of Public Policy, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.

High-level speakers included Professor K Vijay Raghavan (Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India), Dr Fatih Birol (IEA Executive Director), Dr Renu Swarup (Secretary at India’s Department of Biotechnology, Government of India) and Mr Praveer Sinha (CEO and Managing Director of Tata Power).

Among others, high-level remarks included mentions of India’s strategic role in the global energy dialogue and in clean energy transitions, as well as the importance of the partnership between the IEA and India, including on energy innovation with joint activities under the IEA Clean Energy Transitions Programme (CETP).

Dr Timur Gül (Head of the Energy Technology Policy Division, IEA) presented the Special Report on Clean Energy Innovation. Several esteemed experts from the public, private sectors and academia then shared insights in a panel discussion moderated by Dr G Ganesh Das (CEO, CEIIC). Panellists included Dr Sangita Kasture (Scientist F, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India), Professor Ambuj Sagar (Head, School of Public Policy, IIT Delhi), Mr Ganesh Srinivasan (CEO, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited), Mr Amit Kumar (Senior Director, Social Transformation, The Energy and Resources Institute), Mr Manoj Kumar (CEO, Social Alpha) and Dr Simon Bennett (Energy Supply and Investment Outlook Division, IEA).

The event’s discussions drew the link between the critical needs for faster innovation globally and the specific challenges facing India’s energy system. Speakers examined opportunities for India in key early-stage technology areas (e.g. smart grids, bioenergy and hydrogen) and discussed ways public and private sector actors may work together to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem and develop home-grown clean energy technologies. They also shared thoughts about how to address the arising risks from the Covid-19 pandemic and stimulate clean energy innovation through the economic recovery in India.

The organisation of this event was made possible through the Clean Energy Transitions in Emerging Economies programme, which received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 952363.