New Delhi: The Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association’s (IVCA) GreenReturns Summit 2025 entered its second day today, convening investors, policymakers, climate innovators, and industry leaders to deliberate on India’s climate priorities and the investment pathways required for a resilient, low-carbon future.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) to the Government of India, underscored the importance of aligning India’s climate action with its growth trajectory. He emphasized that climate mitigation efforts are inseparable from the country’s fiscal outlook, developmental needs, and long-term competitiveness.
“India’s climate agenda must strengthen—not slow down—our growth priorities. As a fast-growing economy that has not yet reached peak energy consumption, we have to ensure the availability of affordable and reliable energy while steadily lowering the energy intensity of our growth. The transition must be designed around our development needs, not at their expense,” Dr Nageswaran stated.
Highlighting the centrality of adaptation for developing economies, he added: “Adaptation has to come first for countries like India, because most climate-related losses arise from vulnerability rather than emissions. Strengthening coastal protection, water systems, heat resilience, and climate-smart agriculture will reduce systemic risks and make our transition more stable. As we invest and innovate, we must be fact-based and complete in our assessments, ensuring that our climate pathway is both environmentally sound and economically durable.”
The Summit showcased India’s growing climate-tech ecosystem through startup presentations, sectoral deep-dives, and discussions on financing instruments for clean energy, resilience, and industrial decarbonisation. Investors and founders stressed the importance of stable policies, demand-side efficiency solutions, and innovations that reduce the energy intensity of growth.
The gathering also highlighted India’s approach of sequencing climate action—prioritising resilience, strengthening domestic capabilities, and leveraging innovation to drive a transition that supports economic growth, job creation, and sustainable development.
The IVCA GreenReturns Summit 2025 ultimately served as a call for collaborative efforts between government, industry, and investors to build a climate-resilient, future-ready India.
