World Trade Center Mumbai and TERI Advance Dialogue on India’s Low-Carbon Transition

“India’s net-zero journey must be driven by a model where sustainability and economic growth reinforce each other.” - Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries.

In the Picture from (L to R): Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI and Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries

Mumbai | 28 January 2026: World Trade Center Mumbai, in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), convened a High-Level Transformative Leadership Roundtable on India’s low carbon transition. The event brought together senior business leaders, investors, and sustainability practitioners to deliberate on accelerating India’s low-carbon transition while sustaining economic growth. The discussions highlighted the immediate need for transformative leadership and collective action in shaping India’s climate and development pathway, particularly at a time when significant share of the country’s future infrastructure is still in early stages of development.

Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, speaking at the session said, “Ambition today must move beyond scale alone. As India’s clean energy economy expands, so does its demand for materials, minerals, and infrastructure. Resource efficiency and circular economy approaches are no longer optional, they are strategic necessities for energy security, cost stability, and long-term resilience.”

“The global sustainability landscape today is fundamentally different from even the recent past. Climate ambition is no longer constrained by intent, but by the pace and scale of implementation, shifting the question from whether India will lead to how decisively and credibly that leadership is demonstrated. While India’s net-zero commitment sets a clear national direction, achieving this goal will depend equally on private sector leadership, investment, and innovation, alongside public policy.” Added Dr. Vibha

Speaking from the perspective of industry and institutional leadership, Dr. Vijay Kalantri, Chairman, World Trade Center Mumbai and President, All India Association of Industries, said “As India moves towards its net-zero target by 2070, our responsibility is to pursue a transformative vision of development where sustainability and economic growth reinforce each other. This transition will be driven by advanced technologies, innovation, and a shared ideology that views climate action not as a constraint, but as an opportunity for long-term, inclusive, and sustainable development.”

Moderating the discussion, Mr. Arupendra Nath Mullick, Associate Director, TERI, noted, “We invite not just participation, but the collective intellect of our partners to co-create a platform that harnesses the power of networks, expertise, and implementation, while grounding solutions in real-world perspectives.”

Mr. Krishna Kumar Gangadharan, Partner, India Japan Fund, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), highlighted that NIIF has already invested USD 6 billion in infrastructure development in India and emphasized the importance of cohesive supply chain ecosystems in scaling climate-focused business models.

Ms. Raakhee Kulkarni, Managing Director and Head of ESG at South Asia Advisors, GEF Capital Partners, noted that GEF’s investments across climate mitigation and adaptation sectors in India reflect a growing shift where the business value of sustainability is driving intent into implementation.

The roundtable featured active participation from leaders across industry, finance, impact investing, and sustainability-focused organizations. Discussions underscored the interdependence of industry sectors in advancing India’s low-carbon transition, the need to accelerate renewable energy deployment, strengthen standards and certifications, and mobilize capital through banks, impact investors, and asset managers while emphasizing the importance of collective action across stakeholders.

 

In the picture: Participants engage in discussion at the World Trade Centre Mumbai–TERI dialogue on India’s low-carbon transition.

For further information

Ms. Priya Pansare, 

Director – Trade and Investment Promotion, 

World Trade Centre,

events@wetrade.org