Mukundan Calls for Enhanced Clean Energy Cooperation
R. Mukundan, President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Managing Director & CEO of Tata Chemicals Limited, on Thursday called for deeper collaboration between India and Japan in electric mobility, battery storage, green hydrogen, carbon capture technologies, and renewable energy systems. He made the remarks while addressing the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum in New Delhi, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Mukundan emphasized that the India-Japan Clean Energy Partnership offers significant scope for expansion. "Building on this, we deepen cooperation in electric mobility, battery storage, green hydrogen, carbon capture technologies and renewable energy systems," he said.
Proposal for Clean Technology Working Group
To advance these ideas and projects, Mukundan proposed the establishment of a structured India-Japan Clean Technology Working Group under the India-Japan Business Leaders Forum (IJBLF). This group would focus on translating collaborative concepts into actionable initiatives.
He highlighted that India and Japan share a special strategic and global partnership founded on mutual trust, shared democratic values, and a common vision for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. According to Mukundan, this partnership is steadily expanding across economic, technological, and strategic domains, making it one of the most enduring and forward-looking bilateral relationships.
Digital Partnership and Emerging Technologies
Mukundan also pointed to the opportunity to expand the India-Japan Digital Partnership 2.0 in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing. He noted that India's strong IT ecosystem and talent base can complement Japan's technological leadership. The industry, he added, would continue connecting innovation ecosystems, facilitating venture partnerships, and supporting the adoption of Industry 5.0 and smart manufacturing solutions, particularly among micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Skill Development as a Key Pillar
Skill development was highlighted as another important pillar of the partnership, supported by initiatives such as the Technical Internship Training Program (TITP) and the Specified Skill Worker Framework. Mukundan said there is strong potential to scale these efforts further through structured industry partnerships aligned with future technologies.
Meetings between the leaders of the two countries have enabled businesses to advance cooperation in priority areas such as digital transformation, critical minerals, space, energy, and human resource development, he added.
