Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav held an interaction with industry representatives from hard-to-abate sectors and academic research institutes in New Delhi on November 12, 2026, in preparation for UNFCCC COP31 in Antalya, Turkiye. The meeting brought together Indian member companies of the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT), including Tata Steel, JSW Steel, SAIL, Synergy Advanced Metals, Adani Ambuja Cement, Dalmia Cement, JK Cement, JSW Cement, UltraTech Cement, Volvo Group, and Spicejet. Additionally, project partners under the India-Sweden Industry Transition Partnership participated, including Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Prism Johnson, Höganäs India, and MyHome Industries, along with research institutions such as National Council for Cement and Building Materials, IIT Bombay, IIT Bhubaneshwar, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, IIT Hyderabad, and IIT Kharagpur.
Minister Yadav emphasized India's commitment to climate action through multilateral collaboration, stating that "LeadIT 3.0 will be an implementation-oriented platform, translating ambition into tangible impact." He highlighted India's approach to climate action as firmly rooted in collaboration among government, industry, and academia through ambitious policies and programs. Industry members shared their experiences with LeadIT and highlighted the importance of collaboration with government and academia, appreciating the platform's support in formulating project partnerships, assessing technology feasibility, and knowledge sharing. They expressed need for further support in pre-competitive project preparation, pilot projects, and capacity building.
The Governments of India and Sweden originally launched LeadIT in 2019 at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York with World Economic Forum support. The Prime Ministers of India and Sweden announced the renewed mandate for LeadIT in May 2026, and it now comprises 19 countries and 33 companies as members. Minister Yadav and the Swedish Ministry of Climate and Enterprise will launch the third phase, LeadIT 3.0, on November 17, 2026, at the LeadIT Industry Leaders Roundtable during COP31 in Antalya.