Kolkata, 9th November 2025: The Environment Conservation Society (SwitchON Foundation), in partnership with the Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCC&I), successfully organized a multi-stakeholder event titled “Decarbonizing Steel: Pathways to a Low-Carbon Future” on 7th November 2025. The event aimed to empower India’s secondary steel industry to transition toward sustainable and low-carbon production practices.
The conference brought together industry leaders, policymakers, financial institutions, technical experts, and MSME steel producers to explore practical strategies for decarbonising one of India’s most energy-intensive sectors. The session also marked the release of two pivotal reports— “Low-Carbon Steel Sector: Perspectives on Interventions & Challenges” and “Decarbonisation Challenges and Opportunities in India’s Secondary Steel Sector: A Stakeholder Perspective.”
These reports underscored India’s dual challenge and opportunity as the world’s second-largest steel producer, targeting 300 million tonnes of production by 2030. They emphasized the urgent need for collaborative action across government, industry, and civil society to reduce emissions, enhance competitiveness, and safeguard livelihoods in the face of climate imperatives.
The deliberations led to several key outcomes that will shape the steel sector’s sustainable transition:
Financing Pathways: Participants explored access to low-cost green loans, carbon credit utilization, and the integration of MSMEs with financial institutions and carbon markets.
Technology Adoption: The event showcased Best Available Technologies (BAT), green hydrogen, and emerging low-carbon innovations tailored for MSMEs.
Capacity Building: The discussions mapped MSME readiness gaps and connected them with energy auditors, renewable energy providers, and government support schemes to enhance technical capabilities.
Market Development: A structured dialogue began on building a domestic low-carbon steel market, encouraging demand for sustainably produced steel.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anupam Ray, Senior Advisor, SwitchON Foundation, said:
“Hydrogen and Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) technologies are advancing rapidly. However, immediate decarbonisation can be achieved through renewable energy integration, increased use of scrap, and enhanced energy efficiency — all of which are cost-effective solutions.”
Adding the MSME perspective, Mr. Supriyo Ghosh, Chairperson, National MSME Committee, BCC&I, stated:
“Secondary steel producers are the backbone of India’s steel ecosystem. For a greener future, MSMEs must have access to the right technical support and affordable finance. Only then can we ensure an inclusive and competitive low-carbon transition.”
During the event, SwitchON Foundation and EarthON Foundation, in collaboration with the Rajiva Sinha Foundation, announced the launch of the Greenovation Challenge on Green Steel — an initiative to identify and support innovative, pilot-ready solutions for decarbonising India’s steel sector. The challenge seeks scalable, cost-effective interventions in renewable energy, green hydrogen, carbon capture, circularity, and energy-efficient process technologies.
As India’s steel output is projected to double by 2030, this initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon, energy-efficient, and circular industrial practices, fostering collaboration among startups, research institutions, and MSMEs to drive India’s green industrial transformation.
The event reaffirmed the importance of innovation, renewable integration, circular economy principles, and green finance in shaping India’s industrial decarbonisation journey. The reports released will serve as strategic reference points for policymakers, industry leaders, and academia in charting a just and sustainable low-carbon pathway for India’s steel sector.
