Reinforcing India’s clean energy goals, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and WRI India, officially launched the “CI-NERGY Alliance – Steering Energy Transitions” at Connect Karo 2025 in New Delhi. The Alliance marks the beginning of a unified, national effort to accelerate India’s commercial and industrial (C&I) sector’s transition to clean energy, supporting India’s targets of 50% installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2070.
Speaking at the launch, BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, NITI Aayog “The commercial and industrial sector is at the heart of India’s growth story, but it also accounts for a significant share of energy demand. A clean energy transition in this sector is vital for India’s climate competitiveness. CI-NERGY, launched by WRI India and CII, will catalyze this transition by bringing together government, businesses, innovators, financiers, and policymakers to drive industrial decarbonization.”
India’s C&I sector is pivotal to driving the country’s clean energy transition. As one of the largest consumer categories of electricity and a significant contributor to national greenhouse gas emissions, it has the potential to lead decarbonization through renewable energy, enhanced energy efficiency and electrification, and innovative clean energy procurement models and technologies. By advancing grid modernisation, storage solutions, and new technologies, the C&I sector can help build a resilient, low-carbon economy.
“There is an urgent need for clean electrification across the C&I sector. This Alliance is a timely effort to nurture collaboration and help drive frameworks and models towards procurement at scale. It can enable large and small stakeholders transition towards low-carbon pathways” said Sujoy Ghosh, Co-Chairman, Renewable Energy Council, CII- Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre.
The CI-NERGY Alliance is envisioned as a self-sustaining, national-level, industry-run platform to amplify the sector’s voice and create an enabling ecosystem for clean and green power adoption. It aims to create a competitive marketplace through demand aggregation, and standardized power purchase agreements (PPAs) and procurement options. Promoting market transparency with data tools to track energy use and decarbonization progress, the Alliance will expand access to green finance by partnering with financial institutions, especially for MSMEs, while demonstrating scalable business models or projects.
Bharath Jairaj, Executive Director, Energy, WRI India said, “At WRI India, we believe that collaboration and innovation are key to accelerating India’s clean energy transition. Anchored by WRI India and CII, the CI-NERGY Alliance unites industry, policymakers, financiers, and technology providers to address barriers and unlock opportunities for clean power adoption. By promoting transparency, access to finance, and scaling practical solutions, the Alliance will help the C&I sector steer the transition and enable cutting emissions while strengthening productivity, competitiveness, and resilience. This reflects our collective commitment to advancing India’s energy and climate goals.”
The Alliance will strengthen peer learning and capacity building by building a shared knowledge database that continuously updates members on energy efficiency, procurement pathways, technologies, and best practices.
While the Alliance is open to all industries, its initial focus will be on textiles, pharma and data centres where clean energy action can make a significant impact. As India scales its climate ambitions, the CI-NERGY Alliance is positioned to serve as a critical enabler of industrial transformation through collaboration and innovation.
Other Energy initiatives launched at Connect Karo
WRI India and BRPL Sign MoU to Accelerate Clean Energy Adoption
WRI India and BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative framework aimed at advancing clean energy adoption through joint research and innovation.
As knowledge partners, WRI India will support BRPL in its clean energy transition efforts. The collaboration will focus on co-developing research themes, conducting analyses, and generating innovative ideas that prioritize people-centric approaches to sustainability.
Abhishek Ranjan, CEO, BRPL said, “We are proud to partner with WRI India to accelerate BRPL’s clean energy transition. This collaboration will enable us to co-create innovative, people-first solutions, pilot new approaches in our service areas, and advance energy that is fair, affordable, and reliable. Together, we seek to build resilient, inclusive energy systems that empower communities and strengthen India’s sustainability goals.”
Key objectives of this MoU include fostering informed decision-making through joint research and analysis aligned with the evolving clean energy landscape, co-creating innovative mechanisms to be piloted within BRPL’s service areas, promoting fair, affordable, and reliable energy solutions and identifying future opportunities to enhance clean energy adoption and support a just energy transition.
This MoU marks a significant step toward building resilient and inclusive energy systems that benefit communities and contribute to India’s sustainability goals.
About WRI India
WRI India, an independent charity legally registered as the India Resources Trust, provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being.
