When British PM Keir Starmer gets down to the official end of his 2-day visit to India today, the spotlight will be on India-Britain partnership in climate action and energy transition. This visit, set against the backdrop of July's Vision 2035 roadmap, reaffirms the commitment of both nations to a forward-looking, climate-resilient future.
Both countries are among the few major economies that have not only set ambitious targets but are also actively delivering on them. Britain met its goal of reducing emissions by 50% from 1990 levels ahead of its 2025 deadline. India, too, has achieved its target of 50% non-fossil fuel capacity in the power sector, five years ahead of its 2030 commitment. These milestones underscore the credibility of both countries in global climate negotiations and set the stage for deeper collaboration.
One such collaboration, for instance, channels British capital into India's solar manufacturing sector by supporting production of high-efficiency solar modules and cells. This is projected to create about 2,000 direct and indirect jobs.
These modules will support initiatives like the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana that aims to bring rooftop solar to millions of households. It also aligns with PM KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan) scheme, which promotes solar pumps and decentralised solar power for farmers, linking clean energy growth directly to rural incomes and local development. Through this partnership, millions of Indian homes should be lit by clean energy generated from domestic equipment.
International clean energy partnerships aren't just about big-picture issues like carbon emissions, investment flows, advanced technologies or geopolitics. They should be about improving daily lives - creating opportunities for people to grow, take charge of their futures and thrive in a changing world.
Both India and Britain are working to ensuring innovators and entrepreneurs can build globally-competitive solutions, industries can produce and export while keeping emissions low, and skilled talent leads the way in shaping technologies like quantum computing, rather than merely adapting to them. India is rapidly expanding access to air conditioning, driven by rising living standards and extreme heat. Less known is that even cold countries like Britain are now adopting cooling solutions, as climate extremes reshape everyday needs. We have an increasing number of shared objectives.
Therefore, this partnership must be of healthy competition and bold co- creation. For co-creation, there are at least three foundational complementarities:
Britain's innovation ecosystem brings cutting-edge expertise in new solar technologies (perovskites, organic cells), offshore wind, battery storage and digital energy platforms. Combined with India's manufacturing scale and engineering talent, British innovation can help seize global clean energy supply chain opportunities, making joint success not just feasible but formidable.
India needs capital; Britain is a channel for it. This complementarity is at the heart of a powerful climate finance partnership. London remains a top global financial centre for sustainable finance, with steady ESG fund inflows even as other markets face headwinds. Post-Brexit, it has rebounded, benefiting from shifts in US policy that have impacted Nasdaq and NYSE.
Meanwhile, India's energy transition demands nearly $1 tn annually. Its clean energy firms are actively raising capital through IPOs, bonds and QIPs, with a wave of refinancing and capital recycling expected - well aligned with London's institutional investor base. With nuclear gaining traction in sustainable finance frameworks in Britain, India's ambitious targets offer significant opportunities for long- term capital deployment.
India is emerging as a global digital leader, powered by its innovators, entrepreneurs and a skilled tech workforce. Ranked second in open-source AI contributions and home to 20% of the world's semiconductor design talent, it's building a digital energy stack - from smart grids to predictive analytics and decentralised systems.
Britain, with its readiness to adopt strategic technologies early, is a natural partner. Together, the two countries have the potential to channel capital into scaling real-world applications of AI to make energy systems smarter and more efficient. They can lead the world in using next-gen computing to solve complex challenges in battery design, climate modelling and management of big data sets for energy demand and supply management.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com)
Both countries are among the few major economies that have not only set ambitious targets but are also actively delivering on them. Britain met its goal of reducing emissions by 50% from 1990 levels ahead of its 2025 deadline. India, too, has achieved its target of 50% non-fossil fuel capacity in the power sector, five years ahead of its 2030 commitment. These milestones underscore the credibility of both countries in global climate negotiations and set the stage for deeper collaboration.
One such collaboration, for instance, channels British capital into India's solar manufacturing sector by supporting production of high-efficiency solar modules and cells. This is projected to create about 2,000 direct and indirect jobs.
These modules will support initiatives like the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana that aims to bring rooftop solar to millions of households. It also aligns with PM KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan) scheme, which promotes solar pumps and decentralised solar power for farmers, linking clean energy growth directly to rural incomes and local development. Through this partnership, millions of Indian homes should be lit by clean energy generated from domestic equipment.
International clean energy partnerships aren't just about big-picture issues like carbon emissions, investment flows, advanced technologies or geopolitics. They should be about improving daily lives - creating opportunities for people to grow, take charge of their futures and thrive in a changing world.
Both India and Britain are working to ensuring innovators and entrepreneurs can build globally-competitive solutions, industries can produce and export while keeping emissions low, and skilled talent leads the way in shaping technologies like quantum computing, rather than merely adapting to them. India is rapidly expanding access to air conditioning, driven by rising living standards and extreme heat. Less known is that even cold countries like Britain are now adopting cooling solutions, as climate extremes reshape everyday needs. We have an increasing number of shared objectives.
Therefore, this partnership must be of healthy competition and bold co- creation. For co-creation, there are at least three foundational complementarities:
Britain's innovation ecosystem brings cutting-edge expertise in new solar technologies (perovskites, organic cells), offshore wind, battery storage and digital energy platforms. Combined with India's manufacturing scale and engineering talent, British innovation can help seize global clean energy supply chain opportunities, making joint success not just feasible but formidable.
India needs capital; Britain is a channel for it. This complementarity is at the heart of a powerful climate finance partnership. London remains a top global financial centre for sustainable finance, with steady ESG fund inflows even as other markets face headwinds. Post-Brexit, it has rebounded, benefiting from shifts in US policy that have impacted Nasdaq and NYSE.
Meanwhile, India's energy transition demands nearly $1 tn annually. Its clean energy firms are actively raising capital through IPOs, bonds and QIPs, with a wave of refinancing and capital recycling expected - well aligned with London's institutional investor base. With nuclear gaining traction in sustainable finance frameworks in Britain, India's ambitious targets offer significant opportunities for long- term capital deployment.
India is emerging as a global digital leader, powered by its innovators, entrepreneurs and a skilled tech workforce. Ranked second in open-source AI contributions and home to 20% of the world's semiconductor design talent, it's building a digital energy stack - from smart grids to predictive analytics and decentralised systems.
Britain, with its readiness to adopt strategic technologies early, is a natural partner. Together, the two countries have the potential to channel capital into scaling real-world applications of AI to make energy systems smarter and more efficient. They can lead the world in using next-gen computing to solve complex challenges in battery design, climate modelling and management of big data sets for energy demand and supply management.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com)
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