India’s Climate Transition Must Drive Growth, Competitiveness and Resilience: Adviser, DEA, MoF
October 06, 2026
FICCI conclave highlights carbon markets, climate finance and clean technology as key drivers of India’s future economy
NEW DELHI, 06 October 2026: Ms Chandni Raina, Adviser, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Govt of India today while addressing the 16th India Climate Policy and Business Conclave organized by FICCI, said that India’s climate transition must be integrated with its development strategy to ensure that economic growth, competitiveness, resilience and climate action reinforce one another.
Ms Raina further stated that India’s climate challenge is to build resilience by placing adaptation at the centre of all actions. “The defining climate challenge for India is simply not how we address our emissions, but how we shape the economy that can grow, compete, innovate, create opportunities while becoming progressively climate resilient,” she added.
She emphasised the need for affordable and accessible climate finance, technological innovation, domestic R&D and international cooperation. She also stressed that climate resilience must be integrated into infrastructure and economic planning.
Mr Saurabh Diddi, Director, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power, said carbon markets are increasingly becoming an important instrument for industrial competitiveness. Highlighting India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme and Indian Carbon Market, he stressed the importance of credible carbon credits and robust monitoring, reporting and verification systems. “Carbon market is not a pill which will change everything. It is just a push for making those changes,” he added.
Mr Diddi also highlighted the strategic importance of Article 6, CBAM and CORSIA and called for digital MRV systems to strengthen the credibility of Indian carbon markets.
Dr Rambabu Paravastu, Co-Chair, FICCI Environment & Climate Change Committee and Chief Sustainability Officer, Greenko Group, said India should view decarbonisation as an opportunity to achieve energy independence and create new economic growth engines. “The process of decarbonisation, the process of actually going towards net zero, we need to frame it as a process to build India as an electro state,” he added.
He said India’s experience with the Clean Development Mechanism provides a strong foundation for leveraging Article 6 markets to mobilise investments in green hydrogen, green ammonia, green steel, energy storage and other clean technologies.
Mr Prabodha Acharya, Co-Chair, FICCI Environment & Climate Change Committee and Chief Sustainability Officer, JSW Group, said sustainability has moved from being a corporate responsibility to becoming a core business and competitiveness issue. “Sustainability has moved from morality to materiality. Now, economisation of sustainability,” he added.
He further said India has an opportunity to emerge as a global hub for clean manufacturing, green technologies, low-carbon materials and sustainable infrastructure, while ensuring an equitable and inclusive transition.
During the event FICCI report on ‘CDM-to-PACM Transition and Future Carbon Market Readiness for Indian Industry’, was released. The publication examines India’s transition from the CDM era to the emerging carbon-market architecture and highlights the preparedness required by Indian industry.
The conclave also highlighted the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, reinforcing the importance of collective environmental stewardship alongside climate action.
The two-day conclave will deliberate on climate action and trade, global competitiveness, climate finance, next-generation carbon markets, circularity, nature-based solutions, digital MRV and international cooperation under Article 6.