During the Conference on Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) organized by ASSOCHAM, Ashwini Kumar, Economic Advisor at the Ministry of Steel, revealed that the Indian steel industry emits 2.5 tonne of CO2 per tonne of crude steel, attributed to limited gas resources and other factors. Kumar discussed the challenges of decarbonisation in light of India's developmental needs and emphasized the need for adopting green technologies despite their high costs and stringent intellectual property regimes.

Kumar asserted that India must prioritize decarbonisation alongside its developmental goals and advocated for the establishment of a Carbon Credit Trading System (CCTS) to improve decarbonisation efforts and production systems.

In his opening remarks, Sabyasachi Bandyopadhyay, Co-Chairman of the ASSOCHAM National Council on Iron & Steel, highlighted the economic implications of CBAM, which could result in additional taxes of 20-35 per cent, potentially affecting 0.5 per cent of India's GDP. He stressed the need for a strategic approach to adapt to these changes.

Devasish Mishra, Executive Vice President at JSW Steel, outlined the challenges of complying with new EU regulations designed to prevent carbon leakages and maintain industrial competitiveness. He remarked that the steel and aluminium industries would need to reassess their production processes to meet stringent environmental standards.

Manish Mishra of Tata Steel discussed the global impact of CBAM, focusing on its integration into business strategies and the difficulties of adhering to new carbon pricing mechanisms.

Dhiraj Nayyar from Vedanta emphasised the importance of strengthening India's manufacturing sector to reach significant economic milestones, including becoming the world's third-largest economy. He observed that a carbon credit trading scheme would help streamline carbon taxation and improve governance.

The conference also featured the release of a report prepared by ASSOCHAM and ICRA, which examined the increased exposure of the steel and aluminium sectors under CBAM and highlighted the urgent need for industry adaptation.