The U.S.-India Emerging Climate Leaders Program culminated in a transformative five-day study trip to New Delhi, India, integrating 19 emerging leaders from both countries. Participants engaged in discussions with diverse experts, practitioners, academics, and government officials, addressing pressing climate challenges and highlighting the importance of amplifying diverse voices within the climate dialogue.
Key highlights included visits to renewable energy facilities, interactions with think tanks, and networking opportunities with local organizations, which enhanced participants' understanding of climate policy initiatives. The trip strengthened the connections among the leaders and fostered ongoing U.S.-India cooperation on climate action, empowering them to advocate for sustainable solutions.
Building on the nine-month professional development program and insights from the New Delhi trip, the Emerging Climate Leaders will publish a co-authored volume of short working papers in December. The papers will outline collaborative ideas for climate action in different sectors and strengthen communication between the United States and India, advancing their joint efforts to tackle climate change.
Study Trip Wrap Up
Day 1
The group visited the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and met with members of the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) and stakeholders. The cohort learned about India’s energy potential and requirements, viewed climate infrastructure such as smart grid and solar panels and earth air tunnels, and discussed how to scale up renewable energy.
Speakers:
Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP)
Dr. Rajesh Chadha, Senior Fellow
Dr. Shreekant Gupta, Visiting Senior Fellow
Dr. Renu Kohli, Senior Fellow
Janak Raj, Senior Fellow in Growth, Finance and Development
Dr. Pooja Ramamurthi, Associate Fellow
Dr. Sharath Rao, Research Fellow
Dr. Rajat Varma, Associate Fellow
Dr. Constantino Xavier, Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy and Security Studies
Observer Research Foundation (ORF)
Gopakila Arora, Associate Fellow – Centre for Economy and Growth
Gautam Chikermane, Vice President
Mannat Jaspal, Associate Fellow – Geoeconomics Studies Programme
U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC)
Jahaanvi Agarwal, Manager, South Asia, U.S.-Bangladesh Business Council
Megha Biswas, Senior Associate, Chase India
Alak Desai, Manager of Public Policy, Chase India
Sidhanta Mehra, Director, U.S.-Bangladesh Business Council, Energy, Environment, and Infrastructure vertical at USIBC
Ramit Raunak, Associate, Rocky Mountain Institute
Reena Suri, Executive Director, India Smart Grid
Saumya Varma, Director, Albright Stonebridge Group
Day 2
The group visited the U.S. Embassy in India, the Ananta Aspen Centre, and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), participated in a writing workshop with senior climate experts, and attended a young professional networking hour. The cohort learned about the state of U.S.-India climate cooperation and think tanks' contribution to Indian climate policy, explored collaborative opportunities for climate initiatives, and worked on their policy papers.
Speakers:
U.S. Embassy in New Delhi
Damon DuBord, Energy Unit Chief
Dylan Jones, Attaché, Department of Energy
Chandini Kumar, Political Section Officer
Anastasia Mukherjee, Commercial Attache, Foreign Commercial Service
William O’Connor, Deputy Counselor for Educational and Cultural Affairs
Monali Zeya-Hezra, Regional Energy and Clean Energy Specialist, Indo-Pacific Office, USAID/India
Ananta Aspen Centre
Indrani Bagchi, Chief Executive Officer
Prerna Bountra, Deputy Director
Richa Kumaria, Programme Executive in International Relations
Harshit Sehgal, Senior Director for International Relations
Working Lunch Climate Experts
Shuva Raha, Fellow and Lead of the Council for International Cooperation, Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW)
Anirudh Suri, Non-Resident Scholar, Carnegie India
Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW)
Disha Agarwal, Senior Programme Lead, Power Markets Team
Richik Bandhyopadhyay, Global South Fellow, Power Markets Team
Vishwas Chitale, Senior Programme Lead, Climate Resilience Team
Arjun Dutt, Senior Programme Lead, Centre for Energy Finance
Sabarish Elango, Programme Associate, Industrial Sustainability
Shuva Raha, Fellow and Lead of the Council for International Cooperation
Bhawna Tyagi, Programme Lead, Renewable Energy Team
Ardra Venugopal, Member, Sustainable Food Systems Team
Day 3
In Agra, the cohort spent the day touring and learning about the history of the Taj Mahal. Upon their return to Delhi, they continued with more climate talks and meetings.
Day 4
The group made their last site visits to the Clean Energy International Incubation Centre (CEIIC) and NITI Aayog, participated in meetings with members of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, and attended a reception with the U.S. Embassy in India Deputy Chief of Mission Jorgan Andrews.
The cohort learned about how renewable energy technology can be incorporated into markets as well as how India conducts its economic policymaking. They also discussed the kinds of sustainable and equitable developments that can balance socioeconomic and geopolitical interests in the U.S.-India energy and climate relationship as a whole.
Speakers:
NITI Aayog
Suman Bery, Vice Chairperson
Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister
Dr. Shamika Ravi, Member
Sanjeev Sanyal, Member
Closing Reception
Jorgan Andrews, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy in India
Mridu Jhangiani, Founder, Terrarium
Dr. Vivek Mishra, Fellow with ORF’s Strategic Studies Programme, Non-Resident Fellow at ORF America
Medha Prasanna, Energy and Climate, ORF America
Ishan Sharma, Senior Advisor, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Day 5
The group concluded the week-long study trip with reflections of their experiences and the knowledge they gained from experts, government officials, and stakeholders.
