The 25th CII Energy Efficiency Summit 2026 concluded in Hyderabad, bringing together government stakeholders, industry leaders, policymakers, technology providers, cleantech startups, academia, researchers and sustainability experts to chart the next phase of India’s energy transition. The Summit was held under the theme, “Accelerating the transition to a Net Zero economy through energy efficiency, clean technologies, and sustainable practices”.

A key message emerging from the Summit was that energy efficiency has moved beyond being a cost-saving or compliance measure to become a strategic lever for India’s economic growth and Net Zero transition. Discussions highlighted the need to combine energy efficiency with electrification, renewable energy, clean technologies, digital intelligence, innovative financing and resource efficiency to build a more competitive and resilient industrial economy.

The Summit hosted the 27th CII National Award for Excellence in Energy Management 2026, recognising organisations and professionals for leadership and innovation in energy efficiency. The Awards recorded 315 recognitions, with 263 industries across more than 15 sectors sharing best practices, innovative technologies and approaches to energy efficiency. Excellence was recognised across categories including National Energy Leader, Excellent and Energy Efficient Units, Most Innovative Project and Useful Presentation, and Young and Emerging Leaders in Energy Efficiency.

The Summit also featured a range of parallel events and sector-focused platforms covering key areas of India’s energy transition.

The CII Power Plant Summit 2026, in its 22nd edition, focused on improving thermal power plant efficiency, flexibility, sustainability and digitalisation. The CII Thermal Power Plant Benchmarking Report 2026 was released during the Summit, establishing benchmarks across thermal power plants and highlighting performance gaps, best practices and opportunities to improve efficiency, emissions and resource utilisation.

The 20th edition of CII PaperTech 2026 explored technology, innovation, sustainability and operational excellence in the pulp and paper sector. The Best Practice Manual in Paper Sector – Volume 14 was also released, featuring 11 case studies from leading paper manufacturers and technology providers in India and five other countries, showcasing replicable energy- and resource-efficiency solutions.

Under the India Green Steel Coalition, stakeholders discussed pathways for scaling green steel, strengthening demand and enabling the transition towards lower-carbon steel production.

The CBAM Awareness programme examined the implications of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for Indian industry and exports, as well as the transition towards low-carbon production.

Sessions on Digitisation and AI explored how artificial intelligence, data and digital technologies can transform energy management, improve industrial performance and accelerate energy-efficiency gains.

The Industrial Electrification platform focused on accelerating the shift towards electricity-based industrial processes as a pathway to reduce fossil-fuel dependence and support industrial decarbonisation.

The CII Heat Pump Alliance brought industry and ecosystem stakeholders together to discuss pathways for scaling industrial heat-pump adoption. The India Heat Pump Atlas was launched alongside a web-based tool drawing on installation records contributed by 13 technology partners. It covers more than 2,200 installations mapped across industrial and commercial applications, representing around 288 MW of thermal capacity.

The Industry-Academia Bridge connected researchers and academic institutions with industry to explore opportunities for research collaboration, technology pilots and the application of innovations to industry challenges.

The inaugural CII-GEC Cleantech Nexus 2026 brought together startups, industry, investors and technology stakeholders to explore pathways for taking sustainable innovations from pilots to scale.

The Greening of MSMEs platform focused on accelerating the adoption of resource-efficient and cleaner production practices among MSMEs to improve competitiveness while reducing energy and environmental impacts.

The Summit also saw the launch of the MSME Marketplace and the India Heat Pump Atlas, alongside the CII-JK Cement Industrial Innovation Accelerator, aimed at strengthening industry collaboration and accelerating technology adoption and deployment.

The publication The Energy Efficiency Imperative: Lessons from the Past, Leadership for the Future was also released at the Summit. It brings together insights from more than 30 policymakers, industry leaders, regulators and institution-builders, reflecting on India’s energy-efficiency journey, key lessons and priorities for the future.

The Summit recorded participation from over 2,500 stakeholders, with more than 60 national and international speakers contributing to the deliberations. An exposition featuring over 75 innovative technologies and solutions highlighted emerging opportunities in energy efficiency, clean technology and sustainable growth.

Discussions across the three days reinforced the need for India’s next phase of energy efficiency to become smarter, more connected and more action-oriented. Scaling proven technologies, accelerating electrification, deploying AI and digital tools, improving industrial productivity, strengthening industry-academia collaboration and enabling access to innovative finance were identified as critical to translating India’s Net Zero ambition into measurable outcomes.