Climate Asia Annual Conference 2026

Our colleagues, Saanya Sodhi and Sowmia Philip, attended the Climate Asia Annual Conference 2026, held on 22 April 2026 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The roundtable, focused on “Mainstreaming Clean Energy Livelihoods in Rural India: How Catalytic Capital Can Shape India’s 37 Million Livelihoods Opportunity,” brought together 22 stakeholders from across sectors to examine the systemic barriers and enabling pathways for scaling decentralised renewable energy (DRE) solutions. While there is clear demand for DRE technologies, discussions highlighted that adoption continues to be limited by financial, institutional, and ecosystem-level challenges.

A key concern was the lack of accessible and appropriate financing, with current models often centred on upfront technology costs rather than the broader livelihood systems these solutions support. Participants emphasised the need for financing approaches that prioritise income generation and long-term economic viability. In addition, gaps in after-sales service, maintenance, and last-mile support were identified as critical barriers, as weak service ecosystems reduce user confidence and hinder sustained utilisation. The importance of context-specific, user-centric product design also emerged strongly, with a need for co-creation approaches that reflect local realities and livelihood needs.

The discussion further pointed to a disconnect between innovation and large-scale adoption, as many solutions remain confined to pilot stages due to limited pathways for commercialisation, weak market linkages, and inadequate investment in enterprise development. Challenges related to awareness, trust, and informed decision-making were also noted, with many potential users lacking access to reliable information and confidence in the technologies. Participants underscored the importance of strengthening local ecosystems through capacity building, technical training, and improved access to support services, alongside adopting data-driven approaches to inform deployment and scale.

Overall, the roundtable reinforced that scaling DRE-based livelihoods requires a holistic, ecosystem-driven approach. Addressing financing, product design, service delivery, and capacity gaps in an integrated manner will be essential to enable sustained adoption and unlock the full potential of clean energy for rural livelihoods in India.