AEEE’s FEED 2026 Positions Energy Efficiency as the Core Driver of India’s Decarbonisation Journey

The Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) today concluded the sixth edition of its annual flagship industry conclave, ‘Forum on Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation (FEED 2026)’, an event that positioned energy efficiency as the fundamental engine for a Viksit Bharat. The two-day conference served as a catalyst for India’s transition from ambitious intent to rigorous implementation, convening a robust collaborative ecosystem through AEEE’s unique triple sector leadership model, bringing together the strategic foresight of government, the innovation and action of the private sector and the grounded expertise of civil society. Convening over 370 stakeholders and featuring insights from more than 80 leading experts, the forum drew participation from over 400 diverse organisations across the public and private sectors, establishing a unified front to promote efficiency and decarbonisation as a primary lever for an Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat.

The conclave highlighted AEEE’s proactive role in bridging the critical execution gap between national policy and tangible on-ground impact. Dr. Satish Kumar, President and Executive Director, AEEE, stated, “AEEE’s mission is to forge a practical bridge for industries, leveraging data and technology to demonstrate that energy efficiency is a direct pathway to profitability rather than a mere compliance or conceptual goal. This commitment is further strengthened by the strategic tailwinds from the Union Budget 2026, which introduced pivotal schemes to enhance systemic efficiency and energy productivity.”

The forum also noted that these fiscal changes are essential for scaling interventions across key sectors as cold chains, transport, the built environment and infrastructure, MSME’s, national grid, hard-to-abate sectors, cooling and others, ensuring that the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of energy productivity are deeply embedded across the Indian economy. A central focus of the forum was the imperative to deliver energy-efficient solutions across India’s high-growth sectors, supported by new research that maps transformative pathways for aviation and e-mobility. 

The compendium, titled "Technologies for Net-Zero Airports: India's Blueprint for Sustainable Aviation Infrastructure," was released as a comprehensive technical guide for transforming India's rapidly growing aviation sector into a climate-resilient, low-carbon industry aligned with national goals of net-zero emissions by 2070. The report outlines a structured, phased roadmap focusing on three primary operational domains, Airside, Terminal and Landside to sequence the implementation of advanced technologies such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), automated baggage handling and radiant cooling. By analysing global and domestic case studies, the compendium demonstrates how strategic investments in energy efficiency can deliver simultaneous operational, financial and environmental benefits.

Collaborating with Kazam for the study on “Residential EV Charging in India: A Systems Perspective,” AEEE highlighted the vital role of strengthening home charging, which fulfils 70-80 percent of daily EV energy demand at two-to-four times cost advantage over public charging. The study emphasises the regulatory and infrastructure barriers in housing societies, technology and policy enhancements and how enabling residential charging can boost fleet efficiency, reduce costs and accelerate last-mile logistics electrification.

FEED 2026 reinforced the conviction that energy efficiency is the ‘first fuel’ that will power India’s ascent to an energy secure and climate-resilient future. Systemic transformation across key sectors ensures that as India moves towards the Viksit Bharat vision, it does so as a global leader in sustainable innovation, with a flourishing economy underpinned by an unbreakable commitment to energy productivity and a net-zero future.