Andhra Pradesh’s clean-cooking initiative covering 55,746 Anganwadi centres will be showcased as an Indian success story at an international programme in Ravensburg, Germany, from September 28 to October 2. The initiative has replaced conventional cooking methods with energy-efficient induction stoves and modern utensils.

Energy Efficiency Services, operating under the Union Ministry of Power and known as EESL, will participate in the programme at the invitation of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. EESL chief executive officer Akhilesh Kumar Dixit is scheduled to present the Andhra Pradesh programme and share India’s experience in energy efficiency, clean-energy solutions and sustainable development.

Implemented in collaboration with the state Women and Child Welfare department, the initiative has reduced cooking costs by around 30 per cent, according to EESL. It has also created smoke-free kitchens, improved indoor air quality and avoided an estimated 28,327 t of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

The German programme will bring together policymakers, technology providers, industry experts and development partners from several countries. Participants will exchange experience on energy-efficiency interventions, emerging technologies and climate-resilient solutions.

EESL said the Andhra Pradesh initiative, implemented with the support and guidance of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, would receive special attention as an example of combining social welfare, nutrition services, energy efficiency and environmental sustainability at scale. The organisation will also present initiatives from other Indian states, including decentralised solar systems in Maharashtra, energy-efficient buildings in Gujarat, smart metering in Bihar, street lighting in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, electric mobility in Odisha, micro cold-storage systems in Himachal Pradesh, and energy-efficient water-pumping systems in Kerala.

EESL said the Ravensburg experience would help participants understand global best practices and strengthen knowledge of climate-resilient energy solutions. It added that the Anganwadi programme showed how clean-energy interventions could improve essential social-welfare institutions while supporting energy conservation and climate action.