Policymakers and Industry Leaders Come Together to Advance Integrated Road–Rail Freight Decarbonisation

2026-07-16 03:53:51 Events / Trade Shows

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February 26, 2026, New Delhi, India – Riding Sunbeams and Purpose convened a high level closed door roundtable at the India International Centre in New Delhi, bringing together senior policymakers, industry leaders, researchers and financiers to chart practical pathways for long haul freight decarbonisation in India. Held as part of Delhi Climate Innovation Week, the dialogue focused on aligning supply side regulations, technology, and finance to unlock near-term action in one of the country's hardest to abate sectors.

Freight in India is projected to grow rapidly as economic activity expands driving air pollution and fuel import dependency. Without decisive intervention, freight emissions could more than double by mid century, undermining national climate and air quality goals. Rahul Kapoor, Director Finance, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd, Government of India further emphasised this in his opening address stating, "Policy cannot be looked at in isolation. To scale up islands of excellences happening all over India, an overall structured approach that considers technology, policy ecosystem, human resource, economics, livelihoods and aligns central and various state governments is required. This will help foster not just innovation but affordable innovation".

The roundtable was structured across three themes: exploring fuel efficiency norms and regulatory ecosystems, innovation and technology readiness, and investment pathways for systemic action.
Speaking on the policy environment that can provide long-term demand certainty to the industry while keeping India's decarbonisation goals in mind, Amit Bhatt, Managing Director, ICCT India stated, "There is a growing appetite for freight decarbonisation with massive changes happening in the regulatory system. This change needs to be driven at scale, incentives are good for an initial kickstart but sustaining long term change requires strategic policy pathways that defines the strength of various modes and delivers clear targets for different technologies". Shifting focus to the viable technologies and the potential to scale them, Kaustubh Gosavi, Program Lead for Electric Mobility, WRI India added that, "With electrification of road freight, close to 10,000 trucks are expected in the next 5 years, what does this mean for the load on our grid? What solutions do we need to get our energy ecosystem for this demand and how do we integrate renewable energy while achieving viability."

"This roundtable was designed not as a panel discussion, but as a working session to surface practical bottlenecks and identify investable solutions. If we are serious about net zero pathways, freight must move from the margins to the mainstream of climate strategy." stated Mahak Agrawal, India Lead at Riding Sunbeams.

The roundtable successfully evoked exchanges where participants examined the readiness of electric and alternative fuel heavy duty vehicles, grid and charging infrastructure needs, multimodal logistics optimisation, and the role of concessional and catalytic finance.

Discussions emphasised the importance of creating demand certainty, derisking early adoption, and fostering stronger collaboration between public and private stakeholders.

The convening concluded with agreement to develop a concise post roundtable briefing note capturing key insights, areas of convergence and immediate next steps.

About Purpose:

Purpose is a global social impact organisation that builds and supports movements to tackle the world's most pressing challenges. It works across climate, health and social justice to shape narratives, inform policy and mobilise collective action. In India, Purpose partners with institutions, philanthropies and networks to enable ambitious climate action through strategic communication, coalition building and systems thinking.

About Riding Sunbeams:

Riding Sunbeams is a United Kingdom born climate initiative pioneering the direct integration of solar power into railway traction systems. Working with Network Rail and Transport for Wales, it has demonstrated the world's first solar powered railway traction supply, connecting clean energy directly to train lines. Riding Sunbeams India builds on this foundation to support India's ambition for a net zero railway system by 2030. It works through solar traction pilots, feasibility studies, policy research and strategic partnerships that bridge global expertise with local implementation. In India, Riding Sunbeams acts as a bridge between policy, research and innovation, helping partners move from ambition to bankable, scalable action in rail decarbonisation.