Bengaluru: India-UK partnership for net zero transport system

An initiative between India and the UK that aims to facilitate a transition to net zero transport systems has been launched at the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

Innovating for Transport and Energy Systems (ITES) is a collaboration to develop greener, quicker and more affordable ways for people and goods to move around — in India, the UK and beyond, according to a news release.

The initiative has been backed by the Indian and UK governments, and is anchored at the IISc's Sustainable Transportation Lab.

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The partnership is led by Energy Systems Catapult, a UK-based not-for-profit centre of excellence.

It will bring together innovators, industry heavyweights, researchers, policymakers and investors from both countries to target the transport system’s toughest decarbonisation challenges such as developing an electric vehicle-ready infrastructure.

The initiative is one of the first to be announced after the Indian and UK science ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 26 to boost science and innovation and deliver economic growth across the two countries, the release stated.

The ITES will offer a "soft-landing" for UK SMEs interested in the Indian market, and opportunities for SMEs and start-ups in India, helping innovators to safely develop, test and export solutions that help decarbonise transport, thanks to low-risk, high-impact pilots with trusted partners. The collaboration will help SMEs tackle scalability with go-to-market support and access to potential clients, funders and investors.

Adopting a perspective across the whole transport and energy systems, ITES will consider the multiple solutions needed to deliver cleaner seas, skies, roads and railways.