CII Energy Efficiency Summit 2026: Energy Efficiency Emerges as Key Competitive Advantage in AI-Powered Race to Net Zero – Indian PSU
Energy efficiency is emerging as a critical competitive advantage for Indian industry as businesses navigate the twin imperatives of artificial intelligence-driven transformation and the transition towards Net Zero, speakers at the 25th Energy Efficiency Summit 2026 organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said on Wednesday.
The first day of the three-day summit, organized by the CII-Green Business Centre at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), brought together policymakers, industry leaders, technology providers and sustainability experts under the theme “Accelerating the transition to a Net Zero economy through energy efficiency, clean technologies, and sustainable practices.”
The inaugural day also featured the 22nd Power Plant Summit 2026 and the 20th PaperTech 2026, bringing energy efficiency, industrial decarbonisation, clean technologies, digitalisation, resource conservation and sustainable manufacturing onto a common platform.
Addressing the inaugural session, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Deputy Chief Minister, Government of Telangana, described energy efficiency as an economic competitiveness strategy and said the objective should be to expand economic activity without proportionately increasing energy consumption.
He said every megawatt of demand permanently avoided through efficient motors, cooling systems, intelligent buildings, smart industrial processes and digital energy management could reduce pressure on the electricity system while lowering operating costs and emissions.
Tejpreet Singh Chopra, Chairman, Energy Efficiency Summit 2026 and Founder & CEO, BLP-Industry.AI, highlighted the growing role of AI and digital technologies in accelerating energy-efficiency interventions.
“Energy efficiency is often called the ‘first fuel.’ It brings down demand, cuts costs, and creates room for cleaner sources of power to grow faster,” he said, adding that AI and digital tools could reduce the time between identifying an efficiency opportunity and acting on it, while enabling continuous monitoring of large numbers of industrial assets.
At the Power Plant Summit, Ajay Sharma, Chairman, Power Plant Summit 2026 and Executive Director (Operation Services), NTPC Ltd., said India’s energy transition should not be measured only by additional generation capacity but also by how efficiently existing capacity is operated and integrated with renewable energy and storage.
“As we move towards a net-zero economy, we cannot immediately do away with thermal power; we must make it more efficient, flexible and responsive while accelerating the integration of renewables and energy storage,” he said.
Ganesh Bhadti, Chairman, PaperTech 2026 and Executive Director (Operations and Projects), Seshasayee Paper & Boards Ltd., said energy efficiency and decarbonisation would determine the future sustainability of industry. He pointed to the paper sector’s renewable, recyclable and biodegradable characteristics as a strong foundation for its transition towards Net Zero.
The inaugural session was attended by Goutham Reddy, Chairman, CII Telangana and Executive Vice Chairman, Re Sustainability Ltd.; Y. Harish Chandra Prasad, Past Chairman, CII AP and Chairman, Mahalaxmi Group; C. Shekar Reddy, National Chairman, CII Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and Managing Director, CSR Estates Ltd.; KS Venkatagiri, Executive Director, CII Green Business Centre; and P V Kiran Ananth, Executive Director – Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Green Entrepreneurship, CII Green Business Centre.
Three publications were released during the inaugural session: The Energy Efficiency Imperative: Lessons from the Past, Leadership for the Future, documenting key lessons and priorities in India’s energy-efficiency journey; the CII Thermal Power Plant Benchmarking Report 2026, focusing on performance benchmarks and opportunities for improved efficiency and resource utilization; and Best Practice Manual in Paper Sector – Volume 14, featuring 11 replicable energy- and resource-efficiency practices from Indian and international paper-sector leaders.
The summit also marked the first day of the 27th CII National Award for Excellence in Energy Management, with 263 industries across more than 15 sectors sharing best practices, innovative technologies and approaches to energy efficiency.
More than 1,600 policymakers, senior industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, academics, energy professionals, startups and other stakeholders are participating in the event, with 60+ national and international speakers contributing to the deliberations.
An exposition featuring 75+ technologies and solutions is also showcasing emerging opportunities in energy efficiency, clean technology and sustainable industrial growth.
The discussions underscored that India’s Net Zero transition will depend not on a single technology or intervention, but on the combined deployment of energy efficiency, AI-enabled decision-making, operational excellence, clean technologies, renewable energy, resource conservation and circularity, backed by collaboration across industry ecosystems.
