India pushes clean energy transition with focus on indigenous technologies, global leadership

The government is accelerating India’s transition to clean energy with a strategic focus on strengthening indigenous capabilities, reducing import dependence, and positioning the country as a key global player in sustainable development, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Friday.

Addressing the Planet C3 Summit on Climate, Circularity and Community, Singh said the clean energy transition forms part of a broader national strategy aimed at aligning technological growth with sustainability goals. He noted that the agenda spans securing critical resources such as lithium and rare earth-based permanent magnets, scaling up domestic manufacturing, accelerating innovation, and introducing targeted policy interventions.

The minister highlighted that sectors including electric mobility, renewable energy, electronics, space, and defence are increasingly dependent on critical materials, much of which India currently imports. He said the country is taking steps to build domestic capacity, including the establishment of its first indigenous permanent magnet plant in Visakhapatnam, with further expansion planned to meet rising demand.

Singh cautioned that demand for such materials is expected to grow sharply in the coming years, potentially outpacing supply, and stressed the need for faster scaling of domestic production. He added that recent policy initiatives, including a dedicated rare earth magnet policy, are aimed at strengthening supply chains and ensuring long-term resource security.

Emphasising the importance of energy security, the minister said reliable and continuous power supply will be critical for emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence. In this context, nuclear energy is being developed as a dependable source, with the Nuclear Energy Mission targeting a substantial increase in capacity by 2047 through a phased approach.

He said the government’s decision to enable broader participation in the nuclear sector reflects a shift toward a more integrated development model, bringing together public and private stakeholders to accelerate progress in strategic areas.

Singh also outlined a mission-driven approach underpinning India’s clean energy and technology ambitions, citing initiatives such as the National Green Hydrogen Mission, India AI Mission, and National Quantum Mission as part of an interconnected framework. These efforts are supported by increased public investment in research and innovation, including the establishment of the National Research Foundation to strengthen the country’s research ecosystem.

The minister said structured mechanisms have been created to facilitate collaboration between industry, academia, and government, replacing earlier fragmented approaches and enabling faster scaling of technologies aligned with market needs.

Highlighting the growth of India’s innovation ecosystem, Singh said the country has seen a surge in startups contributing to employment generation and technological advancement, with a notable increase in women-led enterprises.

He underscored that meeting the rising demand in critical sectors will require both urgency and coordination, adding that India’s approach combines self-reliance with global engagement to ensure its progress contributes to both national priorities and international sustainability goals.