Gujarat to become global hub for renewable energy innovation: Desai

19 Nov 2024 CW Team

At the COP29 conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, Gujarat's Energy Minister Kanu Desai announced the state's ambition to lead India's clean energy transition. Desai highlighted Gujarat's efforts to position itself as a global hub for sustainable growth, particularly in emerging sectors like green hydrogen, and emphasised the state's proactive approach to renewable energy innovation.

Gujarat has set ambitious renewable energy goals, with plans to achieve energy self-reliance by 2047, the centenary of India's independence. Desai spoke about the state's ‘Mission 100 GW’, an initiative aimed at significantly boosting Gujarat’s renewable energy capacity and establishing it as a key player in India's clean energy transition. He stressed the importance of fostering a business-friendly environment, attracting investments, and encouraging innovation to drive the mission forward.

Desai also discussed Gujarat's substantial offshore wind energy potential, estimated at 35-40 GW, during a bilateral meeting with representatives from the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) and other international stakeholders. He noted that global companies are partnering with Gujarat to invest in offshore wind projects.

Additionally, the Gujarat delegation engaged with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) at COP29, focusing on strategies to achieve zero emissions by 2047 through green technologies while ensuring a fair and inclusive energy transition. (ET)

Infrastructure Transport

07 Apr 2026

Tunnelling Begins for Thane, Borivali twin tunnel project

Tunnelling work has commenced for the 11.84-km Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel, set to be India’s longest urban road tunnel, marking a key milestone in Mumbai’s infrastructure development.As per a post shared by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority on social media platform X, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Nayak’—the country’s largest single-shield hard rock TBM for an urban tunnel—was launched by Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. The event was attended by Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, among other dignitaries. A second TBM, ‘Arjuna’, is expected to be launched so..

Large Format Store Planned At M G Road Metro Station

M G Road station in Bengaluru is set to host the city’s first large-format commercial and experience space, with planning led by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. BMRCL has invited proposals to develop and operate a central business district destination at the Purple?Pink Line interchange. The plan positions the station as a commercial hub designed to serve a broad commuter base across the city. The proposal is part of a broader effort to activate transit nodes commercially. Tender documents set a minimum monthly rental of Rs 0.944 million (mn), inclusive of GST, for the large-format..

Government Cancels Auction Of Eleven Critical Mineral Blocks

The government has cancelled the auction of 11 critical and strategic mineral blocks after receiving a poor investor response and failing to attract a sufficient number of qualified bidders. The decision represents a setback to plans to ramp up domestic exploration and production of critical minerals amid global supply chain disruptions and rising demand for materials used in clean energy and advanced technologies. The mines ministry issued an annulment notice setting out the reasons for the cancellations. The annulment notice indicated that the auction process for five mineral blocks was canc..