New Delhi: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, today unveiled Him-CONNECT, a dedicated innovation platform aimed at accelerating sustainable technologies and innovations emerging from the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR).
The initiative was inaugurated by Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, during the Silver Jubilee edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) hosted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) at the Taj Palace. Bhupender Yadav stated, “Their collective effort has helped bring forward innovations and solutions from the Himalayan region and has strengthened the link between research and real-world impact. Him-CONNECT has been conceived as a structured platform to translate research supported under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies into solutions that can be implemented at scale. It creates a bridge between science and society by bringing together researchers, start-ups, entrepreneurs, investors, development agencies, and policymakers”.
Bridging Research and Enterprise
Him-CONNECT is anchored under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (NMHS) — a flagship MoEFCC programme that has supported over 230 projects across the IHR over the past decade. The platform seeks to bridge the gap between laboratory research, field-based solutions, and market deployment by connecting research institutions with start-ups, industry leaders, investors, and policymakers.
The Indian Himalayan Region, highly vulnerable to climate change impacts such as landslides, glacial retreat, flash floods, and ecosystem degradation, requires scalable and context-specific technological interventions. Him-CONNECT is designed to catalyse such solutions and facilitate their adoption at scale. During the event, Ms Nameeta Prasad, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said, “Where science meets society, Him-CONNECT builds pathways for sustainable Himalayan futures.”
Over 30 Technologies and Initiatives Across Eight Thematic Areas
Him-CONNECT showcases more than 30 technologies and innovations across eight thematic domains namely, Waste-to-Wealth; Climate-Resilient Infrastructure; Innovative Water Management & Treatment; Agri-Innovations; Sustainable Bio-Resource Utilisation; Dairying Innovations; Processing Innovations; and Harnessing Green Energy. Minister was taken for a guided tour by officials from MOEFCC and TERI.
Participating institutions include premier national research and academic organisations such as Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Indian Institute of Technology Ropar, Kumaun University, TERI, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, and CSIR-Central Road Research Institute.
Key innovations include AI-enabled real-time landslide prediction systems, disaster-resilient vernacular housing technologies, low-cost seismic vulnerability assessment tools, plastic waste-to-graphene conversion technologies, bio-resource-based regenerative healthcare solutions, solar-powered hydroponics using treated wastewater, and climate-resilient road construction technologies.
TerraZone Platform at WSDS 2026
Him-CONNECT is being showcased at TerraZone, the innovation and sustainability exhibition space of WSDS 2026. The platform enables live demonstrations, structured business-to-business engagements, and policy dialogues to accelerate lab-to-market linkages.
Thirty participating organizations, including EIACP centres and projects supported under the Small Grants Programme of United Nations Development Programme, are part of the exhibition.
Towards Resilient Mountain Development
Him-CONNECT reflects the Government of India’s commitment to strengthening climate resilience, promoting circular economy approaches, and fostering inclusive green development across Himalayan and North-Eastern states.
By integrating research, entrepreneurship, finance, and policy support, the initiative aims to transform innovative solutions into scalable models for sustainable mountain development.
The platform will remain open to delegates and stakeholders during WSDS 2026 from February 25–27, 2026.
