The BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BRICS CCI) successfully concluded the BRICS CCI Energy Partnership Forum 2.0, held on July 14, 2024, at the Hotel Ashok, New Delhi. The event brought together prominent leaders, industry experts, policymakers, and stakeholders from the BRICS nations and beyond to discuss and strategize on advancing sustainable energy initiatives.
The forum began with a warm welcome note from Mr. Sameep Shastri, Vice Chairman, BRICS CCI. Mr. Shastri championed the cause of Responsible Business Practices, Quoting “At BRICS CCI, we aim to promote responsible business practices that should go hand in hand with growing trade relations. By advocating for ethical standards and sustainable practices, we ensure that economic growth does not come at the expense of environmental degradation or social inequality.”
Mr. Ruhail Ranjan, President - BRICS CCI Energy Vertical and Treasurer, BRICS CCI, introduced the Energy Vertical of BRICS CCI, setting the stage for the day's discussions. Mr. Ranjan quoted “As we convene for the second time, it is essential to recognize that the journey toward sustainability is not solely about grand initiatives and large-scale projects. While these are undoubtedly important, the cause of sustainability also hinges on the small, everyday efforts made by each and every one of us”
Dr. BBL Madhukar, Co-Chairman and Director General, BRICS CCI, delivered a special address, emphasizing the importance of a unified approach to overcoming energy challenges. “Today's discussions are not merely academic exercises; they are the building blocks of our future energy strategies. We must approach these dialogues with open minds and a willingness to innovate.” said, Dr. Madhukar.
Shri Rajesh Verma, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, also shared his insights on the importance of collaborative efforts in the energy sector.
Special remarks were delivered by distinguished guests including Mr. Roman Babushkin, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Russia in India; Mr. GAO Hongshan, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of China, New Delhi; and H.E. Alberto A. Guani, Ambassador of Uruguay, New Delhi.
The forum continued with the welcoming and felicitations of official representatives from the BRICS+ embassies and Guests of Honor, including Mr. Abdelali Bouillouta from the Algerian Embassy, Ms. Sofia Salas Monge from the Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica, Mr. Christian Villarreal from the Embassy of The Plurinational State of Bolivia, Ms. Zoe Woodlee from the Australian High Commission, H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Fouda from the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mr. Ahmed Aljneibi from the Embassy of UAE, and Mr. Said Hijri from the Embassy of Morocco.
Dr. Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Special Invitee National Executive, BJP, and Ex-Cabinet Minister, Punjab, delivered the Guest of Honor address, followed by keynote addresses from Shri R P Gupta, IAS (Retd.), CMD, SECI; Shri Rajat Gupta, Executive Director, NHPC; and Mr. PM Nanda, Executive Vice President, Engineering & Projects, Greenko.
The forum featured a panel discussion on the "Biofuel Policy: Current Landscape, Challenges, and Future Prospects," moderated by Mr. Ruhail Ranjan, with experts including Ms. Kaveri Ashok, Dr. Dilip Patel, Mr. Satbir Cheema, Mr. Pulkit Agarwal, and Mr. Harmit Singh sharing their perspectives.
A speaker session on "Green Hydrogen Fuel: Transforming the Renewable Energy Landscape" included presentations by Mr. Naveen Ahlawat from Jindal Steel & Power Limited, Mr. Aashish Mallik from Ohmium, and Mr. Anish Mandal from Deloitte Asia Pacific. Dr. Arun Sahay, a Distinguished Professor, at Fore School of Management, also addressed the attendees.
The event's final panel discussion on "Renewable Energy & Energy Storage" was moderated by Dr. Ajay Kumar Singh, with contributions from Mr. A K Saxena, Mr. Anil Kumar Choudhary, Mr. Mayank Gupta, and Shri Manoj Sardana.
The closing ceremony featured an address by the Chief Guest, Shri Ram Nath Thakur, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, followed by the felicitation of industry leaders and valedictory remarks by Mr. Surya Jeedigunta, Convener, BRICS CCI Energy Vertical. The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Ms. Ankita Sachdev, Joint Director, BRICS CCI.
The BRICS CCI Energy Partnership Forum 2.0 has set a new benchmark for international collaboration in the energy sector, reinforcing the collective resolve of BRICS nations to lead the way in sustainable energy development.
BRICS CCI Climate And Economic Resilience Forum
With the impulse of global Sustainability in sight, BRICS CCI, on June 8th, 2023, organized “Climate & Economic Resilience Forum”. With this, the Forum seemed to harness the collective strength and expertise of the BRICS countries to drive transformative action towards a more sustainable future.
The forum served as a platform for business leaders, policymakers, social activists and civil society representatives to exchange knowledge, best practices, and innovative ideas in the realm of climate change. It facilitated constructive dialogue on various aspects, including climate policy frameworks, renewable energy, sustainable industrial scopes, green finance, and more.
The BRICS CCI Climate Forum proved to be a testament to the commitment of the BRICS nations in fostering sustainable development and combatting climate change. It symbolizes a collective effort to create a better future for generations to come, where economic growth goes hand in hand with environmental stewardship. The Forum was felicitated by prominent figures from government, academia, and the business community.
The event was embraced by the auspicious presence of H.E. Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma, Ambassador, Embassy of Nepal; H.E. Mr. Abdulrahman Mohamed Ahmed Al Gaoud, Ambassador, Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain & H.E. Mr. Claudio Ansorena Montero, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica. Representatives from the embassies of Russia, China, Sudan, Australia, Brazil and South Africa graced the Forum with their valuable presence.
The distinguished line-up of speakers and panelists at the BRICS CCI Climate Forum included Dr. Anil Prakash Joshi, Padma Bhushan, HESCO Dehradun; Shri Shyam Sunder Paliwal, Padma Shri, Social Activist; Mr. Tang Zhishao, First Secretary, The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India; Mr. Sandeep Chandna, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tech Mahindra; Shri R P Sharma, Secretary and Director General of the Recycling and Environment Industry Association of India (REIAI); Ms. Kalpana Sharma, Former, Additional Secretary to Lok Sabha, Parliament of India.
BRICS CCI brought together the stakeholder from varied industries, including Mr. Arvind Bali, CEO, Telecom Sector Skill Council; Mr. Vishal Sharma, General Manager - Sustainability Initiatives, Esri India; Mr. Abhinav Prakash Singh, Vice President, BJYM; Assistant Professor, Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi; Prof. Shallini Taneja, Head of Center for Sustainable Development, Fore School Of Management; Shri Suresh K Goel, Former Ambassador of India to Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
The event was co-powered by Saisha Group of Companies, Terasoft Technologies, Fore School of Management, Silvercraft, Sheatwork, GRC India, Fuschia, La Bella Torte, Ekomart.Co, Geetveda and TV BRICS.
BRICS CCI Energy Partnership Forum: For Sustainable Development
BRICS CCI hosted the BRICS Energy Partnership Forum, aimed at deliberating coherent and pragmatic solutions to the rising energy demand for India and realize the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat towards a brighter future. The Forum brought in industry professionals from varied backgrounds ranging from government, and industry leaders to start-ups under one roof.
Ashwani Kumar IAS graced the event as the special guest. He spoke about the need to work with coherent and pragmatic solutions to the rising energy demand for India to realize the vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat” towards a brighter future.
Sameep Shastri, Vice Chairman, BRICS CCI, stated “Renewable energy is expected to form 70 percent of fresh capacity expansion expected over the next 5 years. This would help achieve India’s commitment to increase the renewable share in the total generation to 40 percent by fiscal 2030 from the current 25 percent as part of the Paris climate deal.”
Ruhail Ranjan (Additional Director General & Head of Energy Vertical, BRICS CCI) reiterated that driving the agenda of all the BRICS nations forward, the BRICS CCI Energy Vertical primarily focuses on Renewables and works closely with the Government of India to prioritize policy reforms, mobilize investment, boost manufacturing, and promote sustainable development goals to achieve the ambitious RE target.
Evgeny Griva (Dy. Trade Commissioner, The Trade Representation of the Russian Federation in the Republic of India) stated that Cooperation is growing not only in supplies of oil and gas, but also in terms of growing interest among major Russian thermal, nuclear, and hydropower generating companies in the establishment of cooperation with counterparts from BRICS countries.
Tang Zhishao (First Secretary, The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in India) stated that China is committed to sustainable energy development, and we look forward to a stronger partnership with India and other BRICS countries,
Two one-of-kind panels of eminent Industry experts from across the sector graced the event, both moderated by Surya Jeedigunta (Convenor, Energy Vertical, BRICS CCI). The first panel comprised Abhishek Ranjan (Renewable Sector Professional), Vikas Mathur (Country Manager, 3E), Prashant Choubey (President – BD & HR, Avaada Group), Amit Singla (Vice President, Ecoppia), Nitesh Nath (Head – Projects, Procurement, Land & PMO, Hero Future Energies Pvt Ltd), S. N. Tripathi (Executive Director, NTPC Ltd.)
The second panel included Suneet Arora (DGM – Strategy, Azure Power), Arijit Mitra (Deputy General Manager, LONGi Solar Technology Co. Ltd.), Goutam Samanta (Head PV Technology, Juniper Green Energy Pvt Ltd), Venugopal Mothkoor (Senior Specialist, Niti Aayog).
The power-packed event had an audience including diplomats, Energy Sector professionals, and young Renewable startup founders who congratulated BRICS CCI for being at the forefront of promoting Renewables and Sustainability.
The event was co-powered by LONGi Solar Technology, Hero Future Energies, Sunkind Energy, Suntuity REI, in association with Mercom India and TV BRICS, and Media Partner ET Energy World; came to a phenomenal conclusion with a Vote of Thanks by Hanish Gupta, Member, Steering Committee, BRICS CCI Energy Vertical.
