India and US to jointly support clean energy innovations

The program will identify and support ‘technology showstoppers’ or promising joint India-US S&T-based entrepreneurial initiatives.

‘Technology-based Energy Solutions: Innovations for Net Zero,’ the programme to support India-US S&T-based entrepreneurial initiatives that address the development and implementation of next-generation clean and renewable energy, energy storage and carbon sequestration have been announced to tackle climate and clean energy challenges.

The programme constitutes a call for Ignition Grants by the United States-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF) in partnership with Social Alpha, a non-profit organisation promoting S&T entrepreneurship. It will identify and support ‘technology showstoppers’ or promising joint India-US S&T-based entrepreneurial initiatives in this area.

Climate Change is one of the biggest challenges facing our world today, spurring the call for global collaborations to tackle this crisis. The launch of the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership in April 2021 reiterated the commitment of both nations to work together to achieve their ambitious climate and clean energy targets and to strengthen bilateral collaborations.

The new program aligns with the goals of the U.S.-India strategic Clean Energy Partnership and will be administered by the bi-national Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF). The IUSSTF is a bilateral organisation under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, and U.S. Department of State.

“The role of collaboration in science and technology to deliver innovative solutions to address a global challenge is appreciable. A good demonstrable technology innovation to address a specific challenge in the focus areas having commercial viability is expected under the partnership of IUSSTF with Social Alpha,” said Sanjeev Varshney, Adviser & Head, International Bilateral Cooperation, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India.

John Speaks, Minister Counselor for Energy, Environment, Science and Technology (Acting), U.S. Embassy stressed that USISTEF’s new initiative targeting innovations for net-zero is another example of the robust U.S.-India comprehensive global strategic partnership. It would use the power of the joint efforts of the United States and India to trigger the development of new joint clean energy technologies to address the urgent climate crisis.

“We have to grow the innovation pipeline at an unprecedented pace and invest heavily to reduce green premiums on critical clean technologies and attract entrepreneurial talent to create new markets and industries to transition to Net Zero, while making sure everyone has access to clean, affordable and reliable energy,” Manoj Kumar, Founder and CEO, Social Alpha pointed out.

Dr. Nandini Kannan, Executive Secretary USISTEF and Executive Director IUSSTF, said that the programme urges the entrepreneur and research communities in India and the United States to come together and develop transformative solutions to tackle critical climate and sustainability challenges.

A panel of experts discussed the critical role of stakeholders, including industry, academia, financial institutions, government agencies, policy, and foundations, in the development of an enabling ecosystem to address clean energy and sustainability challenges.  

For more information about the Ignition Grants can be accessed at www.iusstf.org