Kolkata, July 06: The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) today organised the 5th East and North-East India Energy Conclave on the theme “Towards a Resurgent Multi-Dimensional Energy & Employment Hub”, bringing together policymakers and industry leaders to deliberate on strengthening the region’s role in India’s energy transition, industrial growth and employment generation. The inaugural session featured addresses by Mr. Anil Razdan, Former Secretary, Power, Government of India and Chair, ICC National Expert Committee on Energy; Mr. Srinivas Popuri, Vice President (QA/QC), Greenko; Mr. Kush Singh, Managing Director, Enecovery; Mr. Swapnendu Panda, Director (Technical), DVC; and Mr. Anupam Mukhopadhyay, CEO, Bengal Gas Company Limited, who highlighted opportunities in renewable energy, energy storage, waste-to-energy, gas infrastructure, clean technologies and regional industrial development to position Eastern and North-Eastern India as a future energy and employment hub. The Inaugural session was followed by a session of discussion by notable discussants, Mr. Subhajit Chaudhuri, Managing Director, MMD Heavy Machinery (India) Private Limited, Shri Pushkar, Zonal Chief General Manager (Marketing), GAIL India Limited, Mr. Surajit Banerjee, ED, Eastern Regional Load Despatch Centre, Dr. Niladri Chakraborty, Professor, Dept. of Power & Engineering, Jadavpur University, Mr. Subrata Ray, Director Sustainability Solutions, Architect, Capgemini.
In the welcome address, Mr. Anil Razdan, Former Secretary, Power, Government of India, and Chair, ICC National Expert Committee on Energy, said, “We are meeting in the shadow of a new era in the east and northeast, renewed vigor, new hopes, and new aspirations. We have to find a way out. We want the eastern region to take this opportunity by the horns, set up manufacturing facilities in renewable energy. We’re also moving into an era of hydrogen. That’s another opportunity for investors to get in. Let’s talk of artificial intelligence. Let’s talk of data centers. So this holistic development, not to think only in compartments, to think fresh, to look for new opportunities, not shy away, take risks wisely, and then enjoy the fruits.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Srinivas Popuri, Vice President (QA/QC), Greenko, said, “The question before us is not whether India will transition to clean energy. That transition is already underway. But the real question is: Where will the next phase of India’s energy and economic growth come from? My conviction is simple. The East and Northeast India can emerge as India’s premier energy and employment hub of the twenty-first century. Industry does not consume renewable energy. They consume reliable energy. If India is to achieve both its industrial ambition and climate ambition, we must deliver clean energy twenty-four by seven and seven days a week. Energy’s transition is not merely an environmental imperative. It’s an employment opportunity, it’s an economic opportunity, and it is a nation-building opportunity.”
Mr. Kush Singh said, “I don’t see waste in a dustbin as some commodity which needs to be incinerated or thrown. I see waste as something which has got huge molecular value. This is what the country needs today. The country needs today technologies. The country needs today policy makers who have to evaluate technologies by virtue of what is the net carbon yield the technology is bringing, what is the net hydrogen yield the technology is bringing out of things like coal and waste. We need to be self-sufficient, we need to be self-dependent. Treat all these waste commodities as not just waste. They are MRIs, molecular resource inventory. Let us all join hands together and pledge to have this country host the national flag in 2047, August 15 as a developed nation.”
Mr. Swapnendu Panda also added to the occasion, “The theme reflects India’s leadership in sustainable energy generation, growth and empowering community and generating employment. It is all possible on the strong plains of eastern and northeastern states. The best part is that in this area, we have got everything like coal, water, oil and gas, ports, manpower, seaways, everything. But what is the point which will make us success? It is the entrepreneurial mindset. It is the industry enabled environment. We need to have a setup… to give India the adequate resource required, and red carpet for all the investors and real implementation of ease of doing business. Innovation has to be internal. We have to use our own resources. And that is all possible by doing innovation, innovation, and innovation.”
Finally, Mr. Anupam Mukhopadhyay, CEO, Bengal Gas Company Limited, spoke on, “City Gas Distribution is primarily dealing with the urban energy centers. Energy consumption points should move away from highly polluting fuels like solid fuels and liquid fuels to natural gas. Till we get away with all the fossil fuels, we should consume the cleanest fuel which will burn with least amount of pollutant. We need cooperation from citizens and government as well. A little inconvenience for a few weeks and you will have a next generation fuel at your hand. We require immediately at least 4000 plumbers exclusively for establishing this PNG infrastructure. That is the scale of employment generation we are talking about.”
Mr. Anil Razdan closed the Inaugural session with, “There’s nothing known as waste. Waste is the inadequacy of our own mind and our brain to find useful solutions to a problem. We have to know what all chemicals we can derive from what we consider as waste. So it’s the full life cycle. This holistic development, not to think only in compartments, to think fresh, to look for new opportunities, not shy away, take risks wisely, and then enjoy the fruits. I sincerely hope that Bengal, as also Assam and other Northeast states, seize this opportunity by the horns and go ahead. And the Indian Chamber of Commerce would be the happiest to hold your hand in all this economic rejuvenation of Bengal, Orissa, Assam, and the other Northeast states.”