Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav chaired a meeting of the National Institute for Research & Application of Natural Resources to Transform, Adapt and Build Resilience (NIRANTAR), a collaborative platform bringing together institutions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), with the objective of strengthening coordination and institutional collaboration.

Highlighting the strategic importance of natural resources, Yadav said that contemporary geopolitics is increasingly shaped by access to and utilisation of natural resources. “Our strength lies in our natural resources, particularly bio-resources,” he said, adding that while India has made significant progress in manufacturing, data, software and other industrial sectors, the four essentials of life—food, medicine, energy and oil—ultimately originate from nature.

Emphasising that India possesses a vast repository of natural resources, the Minister underlined the need for their balanced, appropriate and judicious use. He said the country must pursue a policy framework that strikes a balance between environmental protection and industrial development.

Yadav noted that the four verticals of the NIRANTAR platform focus on different dimensions of research, outcome assessment and eventual utilisation. He highlighted the importance of India’s bioresources and said the platform could play a key role in ensuring their sustainable use for long-term development.

Referring to climate change challenges, the Minister said glaciers are shrinking and stressed that development in ecologically sensitive regions such as the Himalayas must be carefully balanced. He pointed out that institutions such as the GB Pant National Institute for Himalayan Ecology and the National Institute for Sustainable Coastal Management can contribute significantly through greater cooperation and collaboration.

The Minister said MoEFCC should actively contribute to national development while preventing over-exploitation of natural resources, noting that environmental preservation and conservation policies have far-reaching economic implications. He emphasised that NIRANTAR should focus on research, its role in policymaking and future pathways, supported by strong institution-building and capable human resources. Concluding, Shri Yadav stressed that a “Whole of Government” approach, backed by enhanced coordination, is essential to achieve meaningful outcomes from the NIRANTAR platform.