Delhi Climate Innovation Week 2026 highlights India’s growing role in global climate innovation

The inaugural Delhi Climate Innovation Week (DCIW) 2026 concluded after eight days of discussions, convening more than 110 events across multiple venues in the Delhi-NCR region. The event brought together founders, investors, policymakers, corporates, and climate ecosystem leaders to explore technology-led solutions for climate action and strengthen collaboration across the Global South.

Organised by the Climate Collective Foundation in association with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the event focused on accelerating climate innovation and solution deployment ahead of the upcoming COP30.

Participants included representatives from global institutions and organisations such as the European Union, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, Google, Mahindra Group, The Energy and Resources Institute, NITI Aayog, and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, among others.

Climate innovation and AI-driven solutions

Artificial intelligence emerged as a major theme across several sessions. Discussions examined how AI can support climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, including emissions monitoring, flood forecasting, agricultural resilience and urban sustainability.

During the AI for Climate Tech session, representatives from Google highlighted initiatives such as Flood Hub for riverine flood prediction, Project Greenlight for traffic-linked emissions reduction, and real-time air quality monitoring networks deployed across multiple Indian cities.

Google also announced the launch of the Google Centre for Climate Technology on the Manthan platform, developed in partnership with the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India. The initiative aims to support innovation in areas including low-carbon construction, sustainable aviation fuel and green workforce development.

“Delhi Climate Innovation Week 2026 highlighted that climate risk and resilience are no longer peripheral concerns,” said Kaela Montgomery, Sustainability Programme Manager at Google APAC. “Our focus is on building scale, strengthening trust, and forging ecosystem partnerships that position India as a global leader in climate resilience.”

Financing climate solutions

Climate finance and investment mechanisms formed another central theme during the week. Discussions explored blended finance instruments, risk-sharing frameworks and the role of private capital in scaling climate innovation across developing economies.

Speaking at the summit, Amitabh Kant emphasised the role of public procurement in accelerating the adoption of green technologies.

“The next phase of India’s sustainable growth story demands commercially viable models, de-risked financing structures, and large-scale procurement that drives green technologies at a discount, not a premium,” he said.

Several announcements were made during the event, including an industry decarbonisation collaboration between the Climate Collective Foundation and Mahindra Group, as well as the launch of new ecosystem analytics tools designed to strengthen climate policy decision-making.

Circular economy and industrial decarbonisation

Circular economy strategies were explored through a series of discussions led by the EU–India Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Initiative and partners including GIZ India. Sessions examined circular supply chains, right-to-repair frameworks and sustainable materials management across industries such as FMCG, electronics and construction.

Industry decarbonisation also featured prominently, with corporate sustainability leaders and researchers discussing pathways for integrating climate technologies into industrial value chains.

Climate resilience and workforce development

Several sessions focused on climate resilience, including disaster risk management, nature-based solutions and urban adaptation strategies. Stakeholders highlighted the need to strengthen climate preparedness systems while ensuring that solutions remain accessible and scalable across the Global South.

Discussions also emphasised the growing importance of workforce development in supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. Events such as the Climate Jobs Fair connected students and early-career professionals with climate technology employers, while ecosystem leaders highlighted the need for new skills and training programmes.

Platform for climate collaboration

According to organisers, the inaugural edition of Delhi Climate Innovation Week aims to establish a recurring platform that connects climate innovators with investors, policymakers and global institutions.

Pratap Raju, founding partner at Climate Collective Foundation, said the event demonstrated India’s capacity to lead climate innovation initiatives for developing economies.

“Over 110 events came together with one clear mandate — action. This week showed that India has the ecosystem, innovation and urgency to lead climate innovation for the Global South,” he said.

Organisers confirmed that Delhi Climate Innovation Week will return as an annual platform focused on accelerating the deployment of climate technologies and solutions.