Asking India to be fully renewable in the short term is not realistic: Robin Sukhia, President, SIBC
The India Sweden Innovation partnership is based on the mutual commitment to drive prosperity and meet global challenges such as climate change and sustainable development through innovation. Financial Express Online spoke exclusively with Robin Sukhia President, Sweden-India Business Council SIBC around India Sweden Innovation Day with the theme “Accelerating Green Transition-India Sweden Innovation Partnership”. He talked about green transition, goals for sustainable development, transport, energy transition and Bilateral cooperation between India & Sweden. Excerpt from the interview:
Tell us something about Sweden Indian Innovation Day.
This is one of the most inspiring days of the year, where the Swedish and Indian ecosystem in innovation meet to discuss, network and create the very basis for collaborations, and also report on the progress of existing collaborations. We make sure to involve large companies, startups, authorities, universities, incubators and others. The day has become a symbol of the many commitments Sweden and India have in innovation. The Sweden India Joint Declaration for Innovation on a Sustainable Future is the basic guideline, which involves ministers and government funding, among other things.
How can India and Sweden set the benchmark for sustainable industrial development on the global platform?
The Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) brings together countries and companies committed to action to achieve the Paris Agreement. It was launched by the governments of Sweden and India at the UN climate summit in September 2019 and is supported by the World Economic Forum. Sweden and India were asked to take the lead on this initiative by the UN Secretary General and it is going really well, the very idea is that the results of the work should be shared with the world.
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What are the existing challenges and bottlenecks in India in moving towards green transition and sustainable development?
In fact, India already has strong environmental laws. Implementation is a challenge, but one that can be overcome with resources and incentives. We see a strong will from both government and industry to move forward in this area so that is very positive.
The fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) will place great emphasis on environmental sustainability and green production. What are your views on that? What steps do we need to take to make it successful?
Major international Indian companies like Tatas, L&T and Bharat Forge, is already doing a great job here and leading the way in many ways. As Sweden is at the forefront of environmental technology, processes and tenders, joint collaborations can play a big role here, especially in mining, “green steel” and in transport. Swedish companies in India, such as Epiroc and Volvo Group (trucks and construction machinery), truly pursues sustainable production and operation of its products. Collaborations such as Volvo Eicher show joint collaborations for sustainable future work. Digitization in industry will have great significance for sustainable companies, from using less energy to various measurable aspects of efficiency. Companies are already looking at the best sustainable energy sources for their needs, and solar energy is at the center, which India has plenty of and a big government push for.
The issue moving forward is to encourage the larger base of medium and small companies to move in this direction as well. The popular will is there, but perhaps not the incentives on a wider scale yet. We do see movement in tender processes, but to have a greater impact, all government tenders, large industrial projects, new and old manufacturing facilities should preferably have new rules that contain sustainability requirements.
How can a green economy strategy ensure job creation and rapid innovation in both countries?
I have to give the Prime Minister Narendra Modi a round of applause here. His personal interest and pursuit of renewable energy, considering coal and economic growth, is truly encouraging. Asking India to be fully renewable in the short term is not realistic, but if the Paris Agreement commitment is there, we will see progress in all environmental areas. This push means that funding will be available, and you can already see a lot of innovation from agriculture to other small industries, which will generate new jobs. Maybe not on the scale the government wants, but the cleaner and more sustainable the country becomes, the more tourists will come, and here are the greatest opportunities to create jobs in my opinion. Pre-Covid India had about 10 million foreign tourists, while Dubai had 16.73 million. It is an untapped goldmine for India thanks to environmental measures being worked on now.
How do you see the emergence of revolutionary technologies such as artificial intelligence to improve production efficiency and promote green transition?
Super interesting. I would add 5G here too and how faster and more stable mobile broadband will improve efficiency and broaden the scope of things to be measured, including energy efficiency. Today you have companies like Ericsson working hard with industry to support such solutions, but also construction companies like Atlas Copco with compressors that are remotely monitored and use 30-40% less energy, and Indian startups like Utvyakta working on IoT (Internet of Things) solutions for remote monitoring of energy efficiency features. Data collected in any of these solutions is collected and with the help of data analytics, AI solutions are a possibility and of interest to all. These companies and technologies therefore work in a natural symbiosis for a better environment.
What can Indian companies learn from their Swedish counterparts in terms of efficiency, sustainability and productivity?
There are two interesting parts here. Firstly, there are Indian startups in Sweden with entrepreneurs who have worked with large Indian engineering or IT giants in Sweden with Swedish clients, where they have both added and gained significant experience. Realizing and acting on new business ideas, they leave and create a company, like the Data Analytics startup Cuelebre, and its founders, who then created tons of jobs through a subsidiary in India, with a clear knowledge transfer model in both directions. Secondly, the Swedish approach is more comprehensive and integrated in not only the code of conduct, but in the entire business offering, from supplier, transport and manufacturing to the final product and its distribution. In our dealings with Indian companies, sustainability is only seen as a CSR issue, important but not overarching.
How do you see government and industry cooperation shaping up between India and Sweden in the coming years?
The foundation is laid so that it can only grow. The government’s support with funding for the co-creation of innovative products and solutions is a strong way to make things happen. The Innovation Agency – Vinnova and the Department of Natural Sciences and Technology have several successful calls for grants and the latest and largest is in Circular Economy. This co-creation model proves the success of the innovation program and the interest from companies to collaborate. We also see government, academia and business collaboration in Road Safety consisting of 15 organizations working together with various innovative solutions for road safety, even those partially funded by the above organizations and industry. This so-called triple Helix setup is also a success factor. I only see this relationship growing year by year and wider and deeper because it is based on respect and common needs.