About the Forum Convening

The regional convening was organised by Vasudha Foundation with support from SED Fund on May 30, 2023, in Lucknow with an objective to deep dive into the emission reduction of the cooking sector in India.

The desired outcome of this regional Forum convening was to build the discourse around the challenges, local aspects and prospects prevailing in India’s electric cooking ecosystem. Especially focusing on innovative and bottom-up approaches to electrifying India’s end-uses.

The main highlights of the Forum convening were:

• Inaugural addresses: Focused on the importance of holding such a Forum across India, initiatives undertaken by the Uttar Pradesh State Government, and stakeholder collaborations to achieve government and industry emission reduction targets through deep electrification pathways.
• Presentation on introducing a web tool developed by Vasudha Foundation that facilitates regional comparisons and explores the benefits of transitioning to clean and electric cooking alternatives. It promotes health and safety by evaluating cookstove technologies, addresses environmental concerns for informed decision-making, and enhances energy efficiency and economic viability.
• Panel discussion on ‘Technologies, Policy and Financing Options for Clean Cooking in India’ to promote clean cooking. The key strategies include policy intervention for financing and distribution, carbon financing and demand aggregation for cost reduction, establishing a well-knit delivery system, and capacity building for stakeholders. Additionally, ensuring a market-driven approach and robust quality control mechanisms are crucial for sustaining clean cooking solutions.
• Panel discussion on “Opportunities, Challenges & Strategies” emphasised efforts that have been made to provide clean cooking solutions to women and challenges including electricity shortages, utensil compatibility, lack of infrastructure, and limited documentation. Highlighting the need for environmental friendly, economically feasible, and socially acceptable solutions.
• Fireside chat in a conversation with the Gram Pradhans & Secretaries highlighted the challenges related to the transition to clean cooking were discussed, including poor after-sales services, the exploration of biogas-based solutions, and the importance of awareness and communication.
• Panel discussion on “The Way Forward on Clean Cooking” covered the comprehensive approach needed to finance commercial kitchens for clean cooking technologies, including developing a support system and customised financing options for purchase and operating costs. The inclusion of electric cooking in the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and leveraging MFIs as distribution partners are suggested. Furthermore, nurturing entrepreneurs and providing incubation support through institutions like SIDBI and NABARD to contribute to scalable and customised clean cooking solutions in India.

Summing Up and the Way Forward

The discussions on electrification of the cooking sector helped the organisers and participants identify critical sectoral and regional aspects that need to be addressed to achieve the sectoral aspirations.

A compendium of the key insights received during the Forum convenings and from Forum members will be shared with key stakeholders including policymakers and decision-makers to take an informed decision on deep electrification pathways for emission reduction.