India hosts a gathering of global research leaders at the RD20 summit

The 6th RD20 Conference in India focused on global collaboration for technologies accelerating clean energy collaboration among G20 Countries. RD20 provides opportunities for participants to exchange experiences of best R&D practices related to clean energy technologies across countries and regions, and to explore the potential for international joint research.

With leading minds coming together under one roof, the RD20 summit strengthened the foundation for international research cooperation. India has taken center stage as the host of the RD20 summit, a global platform uniting research leaders. It is the first time, the conference was held outside Japan, highlighting India’s leadership in global energy innovation. The 6th RD20 Conference for advancing clean energy technologies was organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in collaboration with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Over five days, leading research institutions, industry experts, and policymakers from G20 nations convened to explore innovative pathways for achieving carbon neutrality through enhanced international collaboration in the clean energy domain. 

Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, stressed the importance of innovation. “As a member of the RD20 institution, the RD20 Conference hosted in India is a significant milestone, reflecting TERI’s commitment to advancing research and deploying clean energy technologies. We follow the green path and want to show the world that development is possible along with reducing the carbon footprint,” she said.

PK Singh, Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the ‘Guest of Honour’ for the event expressed that MNRE has shaped the renewable energy space in the country and is helping India move towards the deployment of clean energy. “It is great to see India hosting the RD20 for the first time to focus on biofuel, bioenergy and green hydrogen, a subject we are passionate about. We intend to emerge as a global leader in this field and work together for a cleaner and greener world,” he further added.

Leading the session on hydrogen, Mr Pierre Serre-Combe, Deputy Director, CEA, France, said, “Green hydrogen is a unique solution to reach the challenging net zero goals. The goal is to identify technical barriers and challenges for hydrogen transportation, storage, end-use, R&D efforts to address those barriers, and potential collaboration opportunities.”

Dr Mitsuharu Oguma from AIST, Japan, discussed biodiesel, its feedstock, properties, and the importance of controlling fuel quality, emphasising its relevance in various countries. He remarked that ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia) is an international initiative for controlling pollution.

The RD20 Conference aims to build joint research initiatives, address shared challenges, and foster partnerships among academia, industry, and governments. The event culminated in a closed-door leader’s workshop, where G20 members charted actionable collaborations to overcome technical, policy, and economic barriers to clean energy.

TERI as India’s representative in RD20, continues to advance impactful projects, reinforcing the country’s leadership in the global transition to carbon neutrality. RD20 is an initiative for international research and development aiming to strengthen global collaboration by leading research institutes in G20 countries and regions that develop the world’s most advanced technologies for achieving carbon neutrality. The RD20 platform is a hub for exchanging ideas, research, and best practices to address pressing energy challenges. It facilitates international collaborations that accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies, particularly in domains such as green hydrogen, sustainable biofuels, life cycle analysis (LCA), and renewable energy.

The 7th RD20 Conference will happen on September 29-October 3, 2025, in Tsukuba, Japan and online.