Empowering India's Green Transition: Insights on the 2025-26 Union Budget
Key Ideas
- The budget aims to boost renewable energy investments, focusing on solar, wind, and hydroelectric projects, alongside storage solutions and decentralized systems.
- A balanced energy policy from NITI Aayog is expected to support the transition to low-carbon operations, emphasizing just transitions for impacted workers and communities.
- Expanding the PLI scheme to sectors like green hydrogen production, energy storage, and EV components can drive supply chain decarbonization and domestic manufacturing.
- Incentivizing the green hydrogen economy with financial incentives, tax breaks, and a Green Hydrogen Fund can accelerate the adoption of hydrogen technologies in hard-to-abate sectors.
The anticipation for the 2025-26 Union Budget in India is palpable as it holds the potential to be a defining moment in the country's journey towards a net-zero economy. With a focus on key areas such as renewable energy, green hydrogen, sustainable mobility, and community-level projects, the government aims to establish a robust framework for decarbonization. The budget is set to bolster renewable energy investments, including solar, wind, and hydroelectric projects, with an emphasis on enhancing infrastructure and grid modernization. Additionally, the budget is expected to introduce a balanced energy policy led by NITI Aayog to facilitate the transition to low-carbon operations while ensuring a just shift for workers affected by the move away from coal.
The expansion of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to incentivize sectors critical for supply chain decarbonization, such as green hydrogen production, energy storage, and EV components, is a key expectation from the budget. By encouraging domestic manufacturing in these areas, India aims to reduce import dependency and emerge as a global leader in hydrogen technologies. Furthermore, the budget is projected to introduce incentives for companies investing in green hydrogen projects, with a particular focus on hard-to-abate sectors like steel and cement.
In the mobility sector, the budget could introduce measures to promote electrically motorized bicycles and e-bikes to cater to urban commuters, enhancing last-mile connectivity and contributing to decarbonization efforts. Additionally, policies to sustain the momentum in EV adoption, like interest-free loans and incentives for EV charging infrastructure, are anticipated.
Lastly, the budget is expected to address sustainable agriculture and water conservation, crucial areas for reducing India's GHG emissions. By fostering a conducive environment for green initiatives and technologies, the 2025-26 Union Budget has the potential to propel India towards a more sustainable and inclusive green economy.
Topics
Policy
Training
Renewable Energy
Manufacturing
Sustainable Development
Water Conservation
Economic Growth
Agriculture
Mobility Solutions
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