German Energy Agency (dena) strengthens Indo-German cooperation in cleantech
dena Managing Director Kristina Haverkamp presents the CleanTech Accelerator at the 4th Indo-German- Environment Forum
Facing growing geopolitical tensions and worsening climate change, Germany and India have agreed to significantly deepen their cooperation on key environmental and climate issues. This commitment emerged from the 4th Indo-German Environment Forum, the highest-level bilateral platform for environmental policy between the two countries.
Under the theme ‘Together for More Resilience’, Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider, his Indian counterpart Bhupender Yadav, and some 200 stakeholders from politics, business, science, and civil society met in New Delhi on 1 September. They explored ways to deepen cooperation in the circular economy, cleantech, and climate action and adaptation – and to leverage each other’s expertise. The forum was jointly organized by the two environment ministries, the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA), and Indian industry associations.
New dena initiative: Supporting German cleantech firms in the Indian market
dena Managing Director Kristina Haverkamp participated in the Federal Environment Minister’s official business delegation, joined by senior representatives from German companies. The forum aims to foster new business opportunities in the green economy. In this context, Kristina Haverkamp introduced the Indo-German Industrial Transition & CleanTech Accelerator as the opening keynote for a session on low-carbon industries.
The “Indo-German Industrial Transition & Clean-Tech Accelerator” initiative was developed by dena and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which represents more than 10,000 companies across the country. This support programme strengthens Indo-German cooperation in renewable energy and cleantech while helping German firms introduce their innovative technologies in India. The initiative primarily targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) offering solutions for industrial decarbonisation.
India: A rapidly growing economy with a need for decarbonisation technologies
India offers considerable growth potential. The world’s most populous country is experiencing rapid economic growth and, according to IMF projections, could become the world’s third-largest economy by 2030 (currently sixth). This growth is driving a steady rise in energy demand, requiring major investments in new power generation capacity, as well as grid expansion and modernisation. At the same time, India aims to significantly cut its carbon intensity – effectively decoupling economic growth from CO₂ emissions. Here, German companies are among global leaders, particularly in industrial decarbonisation, offering efficient solutions.
German companies are leaders in cleantech – a sector booming in India and helping to deliver affordable electricity and clean water.
More than 140 projects supported globally through RES programme
dena and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) bring complementary expertise to the table. As a centre of excellence for energy transition and climate action, dena supports industrial decarbonisation through a wide range of projects. dena also has extensive experience promoting German renewable energy technologies internationally. Under the Renewable Energy Solutions Programme (RES Programme) – part of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy’s Energy Export Initiative – dena experts have supported over 140 projects worldwide. These reference projects enabled German SMEs to demonstrate innovative energy solutions in practice. For its part, CII has already helped cleantech companies from various countries enter the Indian market. CII experts provide critical market insights and connect businesses with local partners and key stakeholders.
Building on this, dena and CII will connect suitable German technology providers – particularly SMEs – with Indian industry through a clear cooperation framework. This includes:
- selecting German companies with proven cleantech innovations relevant to India;
- preparing these companies for market entry through expert briefings and stakeholder analyses;
- organizing delegation visits to India with B2B matchmaking and moderated business roundtables.
By participating in the 4th Indo-German Environment Forum and the initiative presented, dena is advancing the Indo-German Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP) and driving the energy transition in the world’s most populous country.
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