India’s cold chain infrastructure has a 3 million MT deficit, with limited capacity for diverse perishables, leading to ₹92,000 crore in annual losses from food waste. Micro Cold Rooms, suited for small farmers, face cost challenges. This session highlights carbon credits as a transformative solution for financing and enhancing cold chain sustainability.

Energy efficiency is becoming a cornerstone of Industry 4.0, driving significant productivity gains. A tiered approach accommodates organizations of all sizes, from simple, no-cost initiatives like behavioral nudges and awareness campaigns to advanced, high-cost solutions like integrated smart manufacturing systems. By leveraging digital technologies such as IoT, AI, and analytics, businesses can optimize energy consumption, reduce costs, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

India's HVAC&R sector is experiencing rapid growth; however, the industry's heavy reliance on imported components exposes it to supply chain disruptions, fluctuating costs, and limited access to advanced technologies. Localising the manufacturing of critical components such as compressors, motors, heat exchangers, and electronic control devices would not only mitigate these risks but also promote energy efficiency, innovation, job creation, and industrial growth. Additionally, by encouraging Indigenous manufacturing, India can address the demand for customized, region-specific solutions. This session will explore supply chain challenges and strategies to promote domestic manufacturing, fostering a resilient and climate-aligned HVAC&R industry.

As urbanization drives cooling demand, District Cooling Systems (DCS) offer energy efficiency, reduced emissions, and urban heat island mitigation, making them vital to India's sustainable cooling strategy. District Cooling Systems (DCS) are critical for sustainable urban cooling but face scalability challenges due to inadequate regulatory and tariff frameworks. Unlike conventional cooling, DCS requires tailored electricity tariffs reflecting time-of-use and efficiency benefits, along with policies for land allocation, taxation, and environmental standards. A dedicated regulator is essential to oversee these aspects and ensure economic viability. The session highlights the need for inter-ministerial collaboration (MoP, MoEFCC, MoHUA, MoF) to reform tariffs, draft actionable guidelines, and establish District Cooling Codes. Clear regulations can drive DCS adoption, enabling energy efficiency and climate goals across urban and industrial clusters.

Decarbonizing existing buildings is crucial for achieving a net-zero future, as the sector accounts for 33% of India’s energy use, growing at 8% annually. Retrofitting can reduce energy consumption by 15-20%, with deeper retrofits offering even greater savings and resilience. Essential measures include envelope upgrades, appliance resizing, and replacement. These initiatives align with climate goals, enhance energy security, improve occupant comfort, and generate green jobs. However, the potential remains largely untapped due to policy and market barriers. This session will examine achievements, enabling policies, market drivers, future opportunities, and challenges in scaling retrofitting for sustainable decarbonization across diverse building sectors.

MSMEs, the backbone of India’s economy, face challenges like outdated technologies, high operational costs, and limited financial access, compounded by external demands for emissions reduction and stronger ESG performance. This session will chart a new course, focusing on scalable solutions to empower MSMEs through demand aggregation, innovative ESCO-backed financing with third-party verification, and the leadership role of industry associations. Key discussions will also include policy interventions, capacity building, and learning from past failures. Join us to explore practical pathways that drive productivity, reduce costs, and accelerate MSMEs toward a sustainable, low-carbon, and resilient future.

India’s rising electricity demand, low load factor, and increasing variability due to renewable in the energy mix necessitate a paradigm shift in grid management. Demand-side flexibility offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution, but its success hinges on programs executed on ground with supportive business models, involvement of aggregators, and enabling regulatory frameworks. The session explores the key aspects of building a demand flexibility market in India. It will focus on essential elements of market creation, including the role of demand aggregators in facilitating demand flexibility, enabling mechanisms for aggregators (such as demand-side resource acquisition strategies and program types), and various business models that support market development.