Sunil Bajaj - Group Director - CAD, ABG | Former Director - Essar Group

  The race toward renewable energy has never been more urgent. As climate change challenges grow, businesses and industries must act quickly to reduce their carbon footprints and adopt cleaner energy solutions. Leading the charge in India is Aditya Birla Group’s renewables arm, Aditya Birla Renewables . From humble beginnings, it has rapidly transformed into a clean energy powerhouse. With innovative thinking, a clear vision for the future, and bold steps, Aditya Birla Renewables is not only changing India’s green energy landscape but is also poised to be at the forefront of the worldwide shift toward a low-carbon economy. Green Beginnings: The Early Leadership by Aditya Birla Renewables Aditya Birla Renewables was founded in 2011, just as India launched its Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission , a transformative initiative that would shape the future of renewable energy in the country. From the very start, the company was one of the pioneers in this journey, helping launch India’s green...

It has transcended the realms of being an imperative but rather a necessity in saving a world facing an immediate climatic crisis. Solar and wind energy have reached maturity but only face one big challenge in its current stage: decarbonization for industries and sectors that could not be powered by electricity. Here is where green hydrogen fits into the new revolutionary paradigm for thinking about energy. What is Green Hydrogen? Green hydrogen is a clean fuel obtained by electrolysis, where electricity generated from renewable sources, such as wind, solar, or hydropower splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. Conventional hydrogen comes from natural gas and creates carbon emissions; on the other hand, green hydrogen creates no harmful emissions in the production process. The most exciting thing about green hydrogen is that it can be used in almost anything. It can be used to fuel vehicles, power industries that require high temperatures or energy density—industries that electricity al...

  For years, global supply chains were built around a fairly simple assumption: efficiency would outweigh almost everything else. If we take manufacturing to a faster, cheaper, and scalable pace, production would naturally be concentrated in a few geographic locations. This would have been very effective in the past. However, I believe 2026 marks a subtle yet important turning point. Based on the results of several studies on international trade and foreign investment, multinational corporations continue to expand their geographic exposure in manufacturing production, rather than concentrating too heavily on a single geographic location. It is interesting to note that China continues to contribute around 30% to total world manufacturing production, yet many major organizations are beginning to doubt the risks associated with it. That shift is changing the tone of global boardroom conversations The question is no longer just, “Where can we produce most efficiently?” Increasingly, it...

Not very long ago, energy was discussed largely in operational terms. Businesses worried about procurement costs. Governments worried about supply continuity. Beyond that, energy rarely entered mainstream economic thinking unless prices spiked dramatically. That is no longer the case. The importance of energy in the economy in 2026 is more extensive than we can think. According to the statistics by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and IEA, India depends upon 85-88% of the imported crude oil for its requirement. In the past, such numbers would probably sound like any ordinary statistic. However, with all the uncertainties prevailing in the world, their significance becomes even greater now. The old assumption was that global energy markets, despite periodic shocks, would eventually stabilise around commercial logic. What we are seeing now is something more complicated. Oil flows are increasingly influenced by strategic alignments, sanctions, production discipline from OPEC+, cu...

  The cement sector is one of the significant contributors toward the global carbon emission level in the world. It contributes to around 8% of total greenhouse emissions across the world. The urgency to combat climate change forces industries, particularly cement, to reduce their environmental footprint. Decarbonizing the cement sector is one of the critical steps toward achieving global climate goals, which involves all-inclusive measures incorporating innovative technologies, sustainable practices, and regulatory frameworks. We also discuss the emerging trends and green technologies that lead to the decarbonization of the cement industry, giving special importance to UltraTech Cement’s sustainability initiatives in this blog. The Challenge of Decarbonizing the Cement Industry Cement production is one of the most energy-intensive processes simply because the temperatures needed to break down limestone into clinker are so high and releases an enormous amount of carbon dioxide as a...

  India, home to over 1.4 billion people and the world’s fastest-growing major economy, can’t afford being in a continuous election cycle. Year after year, several states go to the polls, derailing governance, resources, and political attention. It is now time for an overdue change and this is with ‘One Nation, One Election’, an idea whose time has come. Revival of an Established Model Simultaneous elections are nothing new to India. India did manage to successfully hold elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies together from 1951-52 to 1967. It was only in 1968-69 that the cycle was disrupted, as certain assemblies were prematurely dissolved. Reintroducing this system is not a radical overhaul but a restoration of an efficient electoral model that once worked seamlessly. Economic and Governance Gains The most significant reason to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’ is the huge savings in election expenditure. Elections are a costly affair as it involves thousands of crores...

The Union Budget for 2025 has introduced significant reforms, especially in relation to growth in household consumption driven by higher disposable incomes and tax simplicity. Key revisions in income tax slabs, standard deductions, and further rationalization under TDS and TCS are expected to impact the middle class and small taxpayers. However, the question remains: do these reforms genuinely provide increased tax benefits? Let’s delve deeper into the details. Income Tax Reforms: More Gains for the Middle Class One of the most striking announcements in the budget was the increase in the tax-free income threshold to ₹12 lakh, which, with the standard deduction of ₹75,000 under the new tax regime, brings the threshold to ₹12.75 lakh. This is a significant leap from previous tax exemptions and aims to alleviate the financial burden on the middle class. Source Url

Consumerism is undergoing a sea change. No longer is the modern shopper moved by price or convenience; increasingly, he or she is motivated by values—specifically, sustainability. As consumers become increasingly aware of the environmental, social, and ethical implications of their purchases, businesses must change in response to these new trends. The rise of sustainable consumerism isn’t just a trend but a movement reshaping the very fabric of retail. It is retailers who act now to embrace this transformation who will be able to satisfy today’s more eco-conscious shopper and then secure their position in tomorrow’s world, when sustainability alone will be sufficient to create value. Knowing the Drivers Behind Sustainable Consumerism Sustainable consumerism is about the creation of a market in which thoughtful, responsible choices are made, not just “green” products. It is driven by four key factors: Growth in Demand Due to Increasing Environmental Concerns Consumers take the power of ...

  For many businesses, geopolitical developments rarely make it into quarterly reviews. Interest rates do. Consumer demand does. Commodity prices certainly do. Yet increasingly, all three are being shaped by geopolitics. That is one reason why 2026 could turn out to be a more consequential year than many expect. India will assume the BRICS presidency next year. Around the same time, France will chair the G7. On paper, these are routine transitions. Leadership of these forums changes hands periodically. But the timing is interesting. The global economy is going through a phase where countries are trying to reduce vulnerabilities without reducing engagement. Supply chains are being diversified. Technology partnerships are being reassessed. Capital is becoming more selective. At the same time, nobody wants a world that is divided into competing economic camps. That is where India enters the conversation. Sitting At An Unusual Intersection India’s position today is different from what ...

  A 20-minute engine test does not usually attract much attention outside technical circles. But DRDO’s recent 1,200-second scramjet test stayed with me for a different reason. Not because I understand every technical detail behind a scramjet engine. I don’t. What caught my attention was a simple thought: countries do not wake up one morning and suddenly become capable of doing things like this. Years of work sit behind a headline like this. Probably years that most of us never hear about. A failed experiment. A design that didn’t work. A test that produced more questions than answers. Then another attempt. And another. The successful test makes the news. Everything else usually doesn’t. Capability Is Built Quietly I sometimes think we underestimate how progress actually happens. We like breakthrough moments because they are visible. They are easy to celebrate. The less visible part is the slow accumulation of knowledge. A team learns something this year. Another team builds on it ...

  There was a time when conversations about Artificial General Intelligence belonged largely to research labs and technology conferences. That is no longer the case. Demis Hassabis’s recent remark that humanity may have only a few years to prepare for AGI caught my attention. Not because it was a prediction. Predictions come and go. Anyone who has spent enough time in business learns to treat forecasts with caution. What stayed with me was the word “prepare.” Prepare for what, exactly? That question has been on my mind. Most discussions about AGI focus on what machines may eventually be capable of doing. They focus on computing power, reasoning ability, automation, and productivity. Important subjects, certainly. Yet I find myself thinking about people. Over the years, I have seen organisations invest heavily in technology and still struggle to create meaningful change. I have also seen organisations with fewer resources adapt remarkably well because their people were willing to le...