Vinod Bhat

New Delhi: India’s renewable energy sector must focus not only on capacity expansion but also on grid integration and technology for smoother adoption, Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, said at the Leadership Spotlight Session on the third day of India Energy Week 2026 which is being held in Goa from 27^th January to 30^th January 2026.

Speaking at The Solar and Wind Opportunity: Realising the Dual Potential of Scaling India’s Renewables Outlook, Sarangi highlighted that India’s non-fossil fuel capacity has reached around 267 GW, with a target of over 600 GW by FY 2030.

He emphasized that future policies will focus on grid integration, distributed renewable energy management, and boosting domestic manufacturing across solar and wind value chains to reduce import dependence.

From an industry perspective, Gyanesh Chaudhary, Chairman and Managing Director, Vikram Solar, emphasised how India’s early adoption of renewable energy created both opportunity and learning. He added that while initial scaling exposed gaps in domestic manufacturing and supply chains, consistent policy direction and market creation have helped India emerge as one of the world’s leading renewable energy deployers.

Chaudhary emphasised that the next phase will require deeper vertical integration, access to advanced technology and stronger participation in global markets to realise India’s aspirations of becoming a long-term manufacturing hub.

Speaking from a global policy perspective, Erik Solheim, President, International Advisory Board, GH2 India, said that solar energy has become one of the cheapest sources of power globally, making the energy transition as much an economic decision as an environmental one.

Adding to this, Aditya Pyasi, CEO, Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association, spoke about the evolution of India’s wind industry from early deployment to deeper manufacturing and global integration.

He remarked that Indian manufacturers are increasingly serving both domestic and international markets, and that future growth will depend on policy stability, component-level indigenisation and continued focus on jobs and manufacturing in a geopolitically uncertain environment.

About India Energy Week

India Energy Week is the country’s flagship global energy platform, bringing together government leaders, industry executives and innovators to accelerate progress toward a secure, sustainable and affordable energy future. As a neutral international forum, IEW drives investment, policy alignment and technological collaboration shaping the global energy landscape.

Vinod Bhat

New Delhi: Coal will continue to play a central role in India’s energy mix as the country works towards tripling its per capita energy consumption on the path to Viksit Bharat 2047, said Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, at a leadership panel on the third day of India Energy Week 2026. The event is being organised in Goa from

Speaking at the session Coal’s evolving role in a secure energy mix: charting a balanced and pragmatic approach on the Resilience Stage, the Secretary emphasised the need for realism in energy transition debates.

“Coal is not going away in a hurry. For India, affordable and dependable baseload power is not a choice, it is an imperative. The mantra is not ‘phase out’, it is ‘phase down’ in calibrated steps that reflect ground realities,” he said. He added that coal underpins India’s development needs and will continue to do so even as renewables scale up alongside climate commitments.

Highlighting the global perspective, Kyle Haustveit, Assistant Secretary for Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, said coal remains critical for energy security worldwide.

“Coal powered the modern world and it is not going away. Reliable, affordable and secure energy matters, and coal provides that stability, regardless of weather or market volatility,” he said. Haustveit highlighted the strong potential for India–US collaboration in clean coal technologies, coal gasification, carbon utilisation and trade in high-quality metallurgical coal.

From an industry standpoint, B. Sairam, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Coal India Limited, said coal will act as a bridge and enabler in India’s transition. “India’s per capita energy consumption is barely a third of developed economies. As this demand triples, coal will provide firm, dispatchable power while renewables and storage mature,” he said. The Coal India CMD added that the higher domestic production can reduce imports and save foreign exchange.

Panelists also highlighted emerging opportunities in coal gasification, coal-to-chemicals and clean coal technologies. Secretary Dutt noted that government support, including viability gap funding and pilot projects in surface and underground coal gasification, is accelerating adoption. He added that revenues from coal can help fund green energy infrastructure, creating a balanced transition.

About India Energy Week

India Energy Week is the country’s flagship global energy platform, bringing together government leaders, industry executives and innovators to accelerate progress toward a secure, sustainable and affordable energy future. As a neutral international forum, IEW drives investment, policy alignment and technological collaboration shaping the global energy landscape.

New Delhi: India’s green hydrogen goals are moving decisively from ambition to execution, driven by competitive pricing, long-term demand creation and sectoral integration, Abhay Bakre, Mission Director, National Green Hydrogen Mission, said at the Leadership Spotlight Session on the third day of India Energy Week 2026.

Speaking on the Resilience Stage at the session titled Scaling Green Ammonia: Value Chain Synergies and the Hydrogen Ecosystem, Bakre said India’s target of producing 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030 has found impetus through successful price discovery, enabling projects to advance toward final investment decisions.

“These three years—2025, 2026 and 2027—are very important for the ecosystem to actually act as a launchpad”, said Bakre. He added that green hydrogen and ammonia prices are increasingly approaching parity with conventional alternatives, a crucial development towards large-scale domestic adoption and exports.

From a technology and industry perspective, Gary Godwin, Vice President, Sustainable Technology Solutions and Global Lead, Critical Minerals, KBR said that green ammonia technologies are now commercially viable and capable of operating at global scale. He noted that the next priority is building robust supply chains and long-term offtake arrangements to unlock deployment across power, shipping and heavy industry.

Speaking on market development, Dr. R K Malhotra, President, Hydrogen Association of India, emphasised that India’s competitive renewable energy prices and emerging electrolyser manufacturing base are creating a strong foundation for green hydrogen and ammonia scale-up.

Offering an international policy perspective, Han Feenstra, Senior Policy Advisor, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Kingdom of the Netherlands said that European hydrogen markets are shifting toward demand mandates and import frameworks. He added that the development is opening long-term opportunities for reliable partners like India, whose cost competitiveness and policy clarity make it a natural contributor to Europe’s decarbonisation ambitions.

About India Energy Week

India Energy Week is the country’s flagship global energy platform, bringing together government leaders, industry executives and innovators to accelerate progress toward a secure, sustainable and affordable energy future. As a neutral international forum, IEW drives investment, policy alignment and technological collaboration shaping the global energy landscape.

Vinod Bhat

New Delhi: Shri Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA), today participated in two panel discussions at India Energy Week 2026 in Goa.

Speaking at the panel on “Empowering Economic Policy with Energy Data: Steering India’s Growth towards Viksit Bharat,” Shri Das said that Viksit Bharat will be built not on slogans, but on reliable data, realistic policy and patient capital. He noted that energy data today is not merely a technical input, but a strategic economic instrument that guides investment, pricing and policy choices.

Highlighting IREDA’s approach, he said the institution ensures capital flows not only to large infrastructure projects but also to decentralised and community-level solutions, making the transition inclusive, durable and sustainable. He added, Institutions like IREDA translate India’s energy vision into bankable reality by aligning growth, sustainability and affordability.

At the panel on “Startup Climate Technology Innovations: From R&D Margins to Market Mainstream,” Shri Das outlined IREDA’s role in building a robust clean energy financial ecosystem.

He said IREDA was created not just as a lender, but as a sector-focused financial institution mandated to deepen markets and reduce the cost of capital for clean energy. Through long-tenor, sector-aligned debt, standardised appraisal frameworks and co-lending with banks, IREDA has helped scale mainstream renewables such as solar, wind and hydro, while supporting distributed segments like rooftop solar and PM-KUSUM in aggregator mode.

He further noted that IREDA has expanded from financing mature assets to enabling emerging sectors, including early support for pumped storage hydropower, and structured financing for green hydrogen and green ammonia projects linked to phased commissioning and evolving offtake arrangements.

Jammu, Jan 29 : Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Arun Palli, on Thursday released the Activity Calendar 2026 of the J&K Legal Services Authority, aimed at strengthening legal aid, awareness and access to justice across the Union Territory.

In a significant step towards reinforcing access to justice and strengthening legal awareness across the Union Territory of J&K, Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and Patron-in-Chief, J&K Legal Services Authority, today released the Activity Calendar (Wall Calendar) 2026 of the J&K Legal Services Authority in presence of Justice Sanjeev Kumar, Executive Chairman, J&K Legal Services Authority, Justice Rajnesh Oswal, Justice Sanjay Dhar, Justice Mohd. Akram Chowdhary, Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal, Justice Rajesh Sekhri and Justice Sanjay Parihar, Judges of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh.

The release of the Activity Calendar 2026 marks an important milestone in charting a structured and coordinated roadmap for legal services activities to be undertaken during the year across the UT of J&K. The calendar encapsulates key programmes and initiatives, including National and Special Lok Adalats, legal awareness and outreach activities, training programmes for legal aid stakeholders, helpline services for enhanced accessibility, and initiatives aimed at strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms.

While releasing the calendar, the Chief Justice appreciated the sustained efforts of the J&K Legal Services Authority in ensuring that legal aid and justice delivery mechanisms effectively reach the marginalized, underprivileged and vulnerable sections of society. His Lordship emphasized that the Activity Calendar would serve as a guiding and monitoring tool for all legal services institutions and functionaries to ensure timely and effective implementation of legal aid initiatives in alignment with the constitutional mandate of access to justice.

On the occasion, Executive Chairman, J&K Legal Services Authority, highlighted the importance of systematic planning and coordinated execution of legal services programmes. His Lordship underscored that the Activity Calendar would function as a strategic instrument for organizing legal literacy programmes, Lok Adalats, victim support initiatives, prison legal aid activities and pro bono legal services across the Union Territory.

The Activity Calendar 2026 lays special emphasis

on priority areas such as legal assistance to prisoners, empowerment of women and children, awareness on cyber laws, environmental justice, rehabilitation of victims of crime, and implementation of special campaigns launched by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

The event was also attended by M. K. Sharma, Registrar General; Shazia Tabasum, Member Secretary, J&K Legal Services Authority; Naseer Ahmad Dar, Director, J&K Judicial Academy; Rajiv Gupta, Registrar Vigilance and other officers of the High Court Registry, who appreciated the comprehensive and forward-looking approach of the J&K Legal Services Authority in planning and execution of legal aid activities.

The unveiling of the Activity Calendar 2026 reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the J&K Legal Services Authority towards enhancing legal awareness, strengthening justice delivery mechanisms and ensuring that legal services remain accessible, inclusive and effective for every citizen, irrespective of socio-economic background.

Deal unites the world’s largest trading bloc with the fastest-growing major economy

VINOD BHAT

NEW DELHI, Jan 29: The conclusion of the long-awaited India–European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has triggered an overwhelmingly positive global response, with leading international media outlets, foreign political leaders, business organisations and policy experts describing it as one of the most significant trade agreements of the decade.

The deal, finalised after nearly two decades of negotiations, is being widely portrayed as historic in scale, strategic in intent and timely amid global economic uncertainty and rising protectionism. Covering a combined market of nearly two billion people and accounting for almost a quarter of global GDP, the agreement is expected to reshape global trade flows and deepen India–EU economic integration.

International Media Applauds ‘Mother of All Trade Deals’

Major global media outlets have prominently highlighted the scale and geopolitical implications of the agreement. The Telegraph, in an article by James Crisp titled “Modi is real winner in ‘mother of all trade deals’ with EU”, described the FTA as the “mother of all trade deals,” noting that India has emerged as the real strategic winner. The report underlined that tariffs on 96.6 per cent of EU exports to India will be eliminated or reduced, while the EU will cut tariffs on 99.5 per cent of Indian goods over a seven-year period.

Bloomberg, in an analysis by Dan Strumpf titled “All Roads Lead to Modi as World Hedges Trump”, described the India–EU agreement as part of a broader global pattern in which New Delhi is increasingly seen as the go-to strategic partner. The report also pointed to deeper supply-chain integration, noting that duties on cars will fall to as low as 10 per cent from earlier levels exceeding 100 per cent, while tariffs on auto components will be completely eliminated.

The Wall Street Journal framed the deal as a response by major middle powers to global tariff disruptions, highlighting how India and the EU are expanding alliances amid uncertainty created by U.S. trade policies. The New York Times stressed that the agreement brings together the world’s largest economic bloc and the fastest-growing major economy after nearly two decades of negotiations.

The Washington Post termed it a historic agreement, headlining it as “India and EU clinch the ‘mother of all deals’ in a historic free trade agreement.” The Guardian and the BBC echoed similar sentiments, repeatedly referring to the deal as the “mother of all trade deals.”

Reuters called it a landmark agreement, reporting that tariffs would be slashed on most goods, while Associated Press highlighted the scale of the pact, noting that it represents nearly one-third of global trade.

Regional Impact and Competitive Shifts

Commenting on Fox News, Pakistani journalist Qamar Cheema said India is set to be a major beneficiary of the agreement, with tariffs reduced to zero in several key sectors. He noted that neighbouring countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh may struggle to compete with India in the European market following the FTA’s implementation.

European Leaders Welcome the Deal

Several senior European political leaders publicly welcomed the agreement. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the conclusion of negotiations as a “very positive sign” and urged swift implementation to boost growth and prosperity.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb termed the India–EU FTA historic and the largest trade deal ever concluded by either side, stating that it would significantly intensify economic and political ties. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the agreement marks the launch of a new era of cooperation, strengthening prosperity, competitiveness and security through trade and partnership.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said the deal creates a free trade zone benefiting nearly two billion people and called it a major step for Europe’s resilience in a rapidly changing global order. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen termed it geopolitically crucial, highlighting the first-mover advantage in a combined market of two billion people.

France’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Nicolas Forissier, described the agreement as a major political step, stressing that “this is not an agreement like the others.” Italian MEP Sandro Gozi said the deal reflects the EU’s need to diversify partnerships and increase autonomy, identifying India as a key global actor.

Business Leaders See ‘Big Moment’ After 20 Years

European and global business leaders operating in India reacted with strong optimism. Jürgen Westermeyer, President and Managing Director for India and South Asia at Airbus and President of the Federation of European Business in India, called the FTA a “big moment” after 20 years of discussions, saying it would accelerate opportunities for both sides.

Wouter van Wersch, President of Airbus International, termed the agreement a “fantastic day,” reiterating Airbus’ long-term commitment to Make in India, technology transfer, defence, space and advanced manufacturing.

Jan Noether, Director General of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, said the agreement brings together nearly two billion people and almost a quarter of global GDP, describing it as the “mother of all free trade agreements.” Sebastian Stiezel, President of the Berlin Chamber of Commerce, said India is no longer a market of the future but a market of the present.

Leading German carmakers including Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz praised the deal’s potential to boost exports to India and strengthen global supply chains. BusinessEurope and the Croatian Employers’ Association called it one of the EU’s most important trade moves amid rising global protectionism. Swedish and Irish business organisations also welcomed the agreement, citing reduced tariffs and improved market access.

Think Tanks Call It Strategically Timed

Global policy experts and think tanks described the agreement as strategically well-timed. Richard Rossow of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the deal brings together a quarter of the world’s population and a massive share of global trade, adding that India’s recent FTAs signal deeper and more ambitious trade commitments.

Michael Kugelman of the Atlantic Council called it the “right deal at the right time,” stressing that it goes beyond cushioning U.S. tariffs and instead consolidates a broader, fast-growing strategic partnership. Geopolitical strategist Velina Tchakarova described it as one of the most consequential geoeconomic agreements of the decade.

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy projected that deeper EU–India integration could boost bilateral trade by 41 to 65 per cent and raise real incomes on both sides. The European Council on Foreign Relations termed it one of the largest trade agreements in recent years, while the International Institute for Strategic Studies said India’s trade push would help achieve long-term development goals.

A Defining Moment in Global Trade

As global media, leaders and experts converge in praise, the India–EU Free Trade Agreement is being widely seen as a defining moment in global trade diplomacy—one that strengthens India’s position as a central economic partner while reinforcing Europe’s strategic diversification in an increasingly fragmented world.