8INDIAREVIEWMARCH, 2026AUSTRALIA-INDIA GREEN STEEL PUSH WITH AGRI WASTE TRIALAustralia and India have partnered together to develop green steel production through their first commercial-scale trial which uses agricultural waste as a new steelmaking method.The CSIRO and Indian Institute of Science researchers created an effective technique to decrease emissions through the use of rice husk pellets which they collected from nearby locations as a coal substitute.This solution provides an expandable method to eliminate carbon emissions from one of the most rapidly developing industrial nations which produces about 10 percent of worldwide carbon emissions through its steel production.The Jindal Steel testing operation involved a research team who worked with RESCONS Solutions Pvt., a leading commercial steel innovation company to test 5 percent and 10 percent rice husk pellet mixtures in their commercial gasifiers.The gasifiers maintained their ability to produce syngas throughout the testing process without any decline in performance. Professor Govind S. Gupta showed how biomass can assist India in reaching its goal for environmentally sustainable industrial development while Damodar Mittal said that using biomass together with renewable energy sources creates an industry standard for producing steel with low emissions.India's steel industry generates 2.55 tonnes of CO emissions for every tonne of steel production because its emission level exceeds the global standard which permits 1.8 tonnes of CO per tonne of steel.The CSIRO-led team estimates that wider adoption of this biomass process could cut sector emissions by up to 50%, which represents 357 million tonnes of CO reductions for the annual period. The Indian Ministry of Steel supports the initiative which creates an interactive online map that connects steelmaking facilities to nearby sources of biomass.The upcoming project stages will evaluate biomass replacement rates while assessing their effects on direct reduction processes which will establish a sustainable method to power India's steel manufacturing operations without using coal. IMRFinnish President Alexander Stubb and Prime Minister Narendra Modi used their State Visit to India to demonstrate the strong opportunities which exist between their countries for sustainable development and clean energy partnerships, which cover low-carbon transition, energy efficiency, biofuels, smart grids and green hydrogen technologies.Both the countries are strengthening ties through India Finland clean energy cooperation, India Finland sustainability partnership, India Finland renewable energy collaboration, India Finland climate cooperation, and India Finland green technology initiatives to advance sustainable development and innovation.The leaders focused on establishing stronger partnerships to develop circular economy solutions, sustainable water management techniques and meteorological systems.The Ministry of External Affairs announced that both countries would establish a Joint Working Group, which aims to develop sustainable practices through their joint efforts.The leaders confirmed their intention to execute the MoU on renewable energy, which includes bioenergy, waste-to-energy, power storage, green hydrogen, wind, solar and small hydro power technologies. They also acknowledged the renewal of the MoU on environmental cooperation and ongoing collaboration under the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT).The two countries agreed to advance resilient smart grid systems while addressing cybersecurity risks. President Stubb expressed gratitude for India hosting the next World Circular Economy Forum in 2026, and Modi highlighted Finland's role in the Indo-Nordic Water Forum for water management collaboration.The Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Indian Meteorological Department maintain their meteorological cooperation through a Virtual Research Center with IIT Madras and multilateral projects that exceed 11 million in funding.The "Land Stack" GIS platform exists as one of the projects, while official statistics collaboration and the Migration and Mobility Partnership for professionals and students serve as additional initiatives.The focus on education and skills development led to Finnish models being used for implementing early childhood education and teacher training programs in India. The parties held discussions about creating a bilateral agreement for audiovisual co-production.President Stubb will visit New Delhi and Mumbai between March 4 and March 7 after Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo came to the country for the AI Impact Summit. IMRTOP STORIESINDIA, FINLAND DEEPEN CLEAN ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY TIES
< Page 7 | Page 9 >