New Delhi: In a city better known for traffic snarls than freight strategy brainstorms, policymakers and industry leaders gathered at the India International Centre to talk about something far bigger than congestion — how to decarbonise India’s long-haul freight sector before emissions run ahead of ambition.
Convened by Riding Sunbeams and Purpose as part of Delhi Climate Innovation Week, the closed-door roundtable brought together senior government officials, researchers, financiers and private sector leaders to align regulation, technology and finance for integrated road–rail freight decarbonisation.
Because while India’s freight movement powers economic growth, it also fuels rising air pollution and oil imports. And without decisive intervention, freight emissions could more than double by mid-century — not exactly the kind of growth story climate planners want to headline.
From “Islands of Excellence” to National Alignment
Opening the session, Rahul Kapoor, Director (Finance) at the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd, stressed that policy silos won’t deliver systemic transformation.
“Policy cannot be looked at in isolation. To scale up islands of excellence 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,” Kapoor noted, adding that the aim should be not just innovation — but affordable innovation.
In other words, shiny pilot projects are great. But scaling them across India’s vast logistics network is the real test.
Three Themes, One Hard-to-Abate Sector
The roundtable was structured across three key themes:
- Fuel efficiency norms and regulatory ecosystems
- Technology readiness and innovation pathways
- Investment frameworks for systemic action
Freight, often called one of the “hardest-to-abate” sectors, now finds itself under growing scrutiny as India accelerates toward its net-zero commitments.
Amit Bhatt, Managing Director at ICCT India, highlighted the need for long-term policy clarity.
“There is a growing appetite for freight decarbonisation with massive changes happening in the regulatory system. Incentives are good for an initial kickstart, but sustaining long-term change requires strategic policy pathways that define the strength of various modes and deliver clear targets for different technologies.”
Translation: subsidies can start the engine, but policy certainty keeps it running.
Electrifying Road Freight — But Is the Grid Ready?
Kaustubh Gosavi, Program Lead for Electric Mobility at WRI India, turned attention to the grid implications of electrifying heavy-duty vehicles.
“With electrification of road freight, close to 10,000 trucks are expected in the next five years. What does this mean for the load on our grid? What solutions do we need to prepare our energy ecosystem, and how do we integrate renewable energy while ensuring viability?”
It’s a critical question. An electric truck may be emissions-free at the tailpipe, but powering thousands of them requires grid upgrades, charging corridors, and renewable integration — preferably before the trucks line up at charging stations like peak-hour toll plazas.
A Working Session, Not Just Another Panel
Mahak Agrawal, India Lead at Riding Sunbeams, clarified that this wasn’t designed as a ceremonial discussion.
“If we are serious about net zero pathways, freight must move from the margins to the mainstream of climate strategy.”
Participants examined:
- Readiness of electric and alternative fuel heavy-duty vehicles
- Charging and grid infrastructure gaps
- Multimodal optimisation between road and rail
- Role of concessional and catalytic finance
- Demand certainty and risk mitigation for early adopters
The emphasis remained clear: decarbonisation cannot happen in fragments. It requires coordinated public–private collaboration, credible targets, and investable roadmaps.
What Comes Next?
The convening concluded with consensus to prepare a concise post-roundtable briefing note capturing key insights, areas of convergence and immediate next steps.
If India’s passenger vehicle market is racing ahead with EV adoption, freight now appears ready to enter the fast lane — cautiously, strategically, and with spreadsheets as important as steering wheels.
Because in the race to net zero, it’s not just cars that matter. It’s the trucks hauling goods across highways and the freight trains slicing through industrial corridors — quietly carrying the economy, and increasingly, the climate conversation.
And this time, the discussion suggests, freight might finally move from the sidelines to centre stage.
