Category Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development

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BRICS Tourism Cooperation under India’s 2026 Chairship: Priorities and the Jaipur Declaration, August 2026

The BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Meeting under India’s 2026 Chairship concluded on 21 August 2026 with the adoption of the BRICS Tourism Ministers’ Communiqué 2026, known as the Jaipur Declaration, following Tourism Working Group meetings in May and August. Nine BRICS member states participated in the ministerial meeting, with four represented at the ministerial level and four by the Heads of Delegation, alongside India. The Declaration’s 15 clauses combine more specific areas of cooperation on travel facilitation, connectivity and digital technologies with broader commitments on artificial intelligence, sustainability, skilling, qualifications recognition and tourism exchanges (BRICS Tourism Ministers, 2026). The central challenge is implementation. Tourism is delivered largely through businesses, local communities and workers, while the Declaration relies substantially on voluntary cooperation, national priorities and available resources. The key task for India is therefore to convert the more concrete commitments into working arrangements while giving its broader priorities enough institutional structure to survive the transition to China's chairship in 2027.

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Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Development Initiatives and Quick Impact Projects (2023–24): Elevating India–Pacific Partnerships

The Forum for India–Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) was established in November 2014 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Fiji, marking a transformative shift in India's diplomatic and economic engagement with the South Pacific. Comprising India and 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs): Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, FIPIC was created to address the unique development priorities of these island nations through structured, action-oriented plurilateral cooperation.

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Sustainable Agrarian Mission on Use of Agro-Residue in Thermal power Plants (SAMARTH), 2021

The estimated biomass generation in India is 750-754 MT per year of which 228-230 MT is surplus after utilizing biomass for conventional purposes like fodder, manure and for industries (Administrative Staff College of India, cited in Ministry of Power, 2023). Most of this surplus, especially paddy straw and other crop residues from northern states, has traditionally been burned in the open, which is a major source of seasonal air pollution in Delhi-NCR and neighbouring areas (Ministry of Power, 2023).

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India Electric Mobility Index 2025: Measuring State-Level Progress in Electric Mobility.

India's transport sector sits at the centre of its climate commitments and energy security goals. Road transport accounts for roughly 12 per cent of the country's energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and an estimated 18 per cent of its nitrogen oxide emissions, even as the automotive sector contributes close to 7.1 per cent of national GDP and employs about 19 million people (NITI Aayog, 2026a). Because vehicle registration, road transport and electricity distribution are largely State subjects, the pace of the shift to electric vehicles (EVs) varies considerably across States and Union Territories, shaped by differences in industrial base, fiscal capacity and policy priorities.

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Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

India enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act (1999) under Article 22 of the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. It required member states to protect signs identifying goods as originating from a specific territory – where a given quality, reputation or characteristic is essentially attributable to that origin. The Act was brought into force on 15 September 2003. This was done once the Geographical Indications Registry was established at Chennai. Under the Office of the Controller General of Patents , Designs and Trade Marks, Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade , Ministry of Commerce & Industry (Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999).

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National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM), 2015

The journey of smart grid in India is not new and it's even pre-dating the National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM). The Ministry of Power (MoP) has set up the India Smart Grid Task Force (ISGTF) and the India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) in 2010 to give policy guidance for smart grid technologies.

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Energy Conservation and Sustainable Building Code (ECSBC) 2024: Making India’s Buildings More Energy Efficient and Economically Sustainable.  

India’s building sector is moving into a phase of rapid expansion. Rising urbanisation, higher household incomes and growth in commercial activity are increasing the demand for residential and commercial floor space. India’s building sector is moving into a phase of rapid expansion. Rising urbanisation, higher household incomes and growth in commercial activity are increasing the demand for residential and commercial floor space. NITI Aayog estimates that India’s total building floor space will rise from 17.8 billion square metres in 2020 to 42.5 billion square metres by 2070, indicating that the country’s total building floor space could be around 2.4 times its 2020 level (NITI Aayog, 2026). This projected expansion highlights the importance of improving building efficiency at the design and construction stage, particularly because a substantial share of India’s future building stock is yet to be constructed.

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