$467 Billion Needed to Decarbonise India’s Four Major Sectors by 2030

Overview: India needs $467 billion by 2030 to decarbonise its power, steel, cement, and road transport sectors, which contribute over half of the country’s CO2 emissions. Sector-specific investments in low-carbon technologies like CCS and electrification can help India meet Paris Agreement goals. Strategic financing and policy support are critical for this green transition.

Riyaz

Sep-01-2025

$467 Billion Needed to Decarbonise India’s Four Major Sectors by 2030

India will require an extra investment of 467 billion dollars in 2030 to decarbonise 4 emission-intensive areas: power, steel, cement and road transport. These industries make up more than half of the CO2 emissions of India. It is a bottom-up, sector-specific estimate, which is lower than past estimates of more than $1 trillion. According to the research, this mobilisation of finance may assist India in achieving the targets of the Paris Agreement and transition to low-carbon development.

Sector-wise Investment Needs

Sector	Additional Investment Needed	Notes
Steel	$251 billion	Hardest to decarbonise; requires technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS); covers existing and projected growth emissions.
Cement	$141 billion	Similar challenges as steel; CCS and other low-carbon tech required.
Power	$47 billion	The sector is already shifting rapidly towards renewable energy.
Road Transport	$18 billion	Limited data; investment would support electrification and other clean mobility solutions.

Total: $467 billion

Impact of Investment

Avoidance of 6.9 billion tonnes of CO2 in 2030 by decarbonising power and steel alone on top of cement.
The emission cuts of road transport are excluded because of the lack of data.

The Present Climate Development in India.

Half of the non-fossil electricity generation - goal already achieved.
Forests and trees absorb 2.53 billion tonnes of extra carbon - probably, and pending confirmation, they do.
Reduce intensity of emissions by 45 percent of 2005 levels - could be achieved before 2030.

Financing and Policy Implications

India is a supporter of international climate finance, according to Paris Agreement, but has struggled to access it.
It is proposed that internal funds can be raised to the tune of $467 billion, particularly by involving the private sector.
The macroeconomic analysis indicates that the investment could be fully felt without affecting exports, inflation, or the general economic stability in a negative way.

Conclusion

The biggest CO 2 emitters in India, steel and cement, will need most of the decarbonisation funding. There is also a need to invest specifically in power and road transport to achieve climate objectives. It is possible to decarbonise sectors strategically through financing and the adoption of technology. India has shown its readiness to develop low-carbon in the shortest time possible, but it will be based on the funding and the policy endorsement.