FICCI

Thank you partners for supporting the 98th Annual General Meeting and Annual Convention of FICCI. #FICCIAGM

FICCI announced the winners of the Second Edition of the Swachh Industrial Park Awards 2025 during its 98th Annual General Meeting and Annual Convention held at Bharat Mandapam on November 28, 2025. The second edition of Awards was launched in association with FICCI Centre for Sustainability Leadership, aimed at promoting cleaner, greener, and more sustainable industrial ecosystems across India. The evaluation framework, developed by FICCI in consultation with an independent jury with PwC as Knowledge Partner and GEPIL as Green Partner, assessed participating parks across three key categories: Environmental Sustainability, Waste Management, and Infrastructure. Based on rigorous assessment including site visits, 12 states were shortlisted for awards. The awardees were felicitated by the FICCI President Mr Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, President-Elect Mr Anant Goenka, Past President Ms Naina Lal Kidwai and DG Ms Jyoti Vij. FICCI congratulates all winners for their leadership and commitment to advancing sustainable, resilient, and future-ready industrial ecosystems across the country. Adani Ports and SEZ Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone Limited HSIIDC (Haryana State Industrial & Infrastructural Development Corporation Limited) Mahindra World City Jaipur Brandix India MIDC Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (A Govt. of Rajasthan Undertaking) Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA), Govt of Bihar GMR Aerocity Hyderabad Aequs Limited Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) Gopalpur Industrial Park TELANGANA STATE INDUSTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURE CORPORATION LIMITED Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority - (Gnida) Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) GEPIL-Gujarat Enviroment Protection & Infrastructure Ltd. PwC India State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT)      

Announcing the new FICCI Leadership for 2025-26: Mr Anant Goenka, President; Mr Vijay Sankar, Senior Vice President; Mr Puneet Dalmia, Vice President; Mr Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, Immediate Past President and Ms Jyoti Vij, Director General.

Mr Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, while addressing the 98th Annual General Meeting and Annual Convention, provided a governmental perspective on the energy mix and the grid challenge. He acknowledged that MNRE is in regular discussions with the Ministry of Finance on new schemes to support renewable energy expansion, with a particular focus on floating solar and agrivoltaic solutions that can be deployed without requiring large land parcels.  Shri Sarangi asserted that India’s energy demand will increase exponentially, necessitating a proper energy mix that includes RE, nuclear, and coal power to ensure baseload management and capacity addition. He cited the target of 500 GW of RE capacity by 2030 and a projected 1,800 GW by 2047, with solar accounting for the majority, underscoring the vital role of RE.  Shri Sarangi acknowledged that transmission remains a challenge due to the long gestation period of high-voltage lines (4 to 5.5 years) compared to RE projects (1 to 2 years). To address grid lag, he highlighted initiatives such as CERC regulations, splitting NIA, and encouraging distributed RE (e.g., agri-photovoltaics in agriculturally rich states and floating solar in the NER) to reduce land-related issues. He noted that the Green Energy Corridor scheme is adding circuit kilometres to upgrade state evacuation infrastructure. Ms Naina Lal Kidwai, Past President, FICCI and Chairman, Rothschild & Co India, while addressing the gathering, focused on the evolution of sustainability from a compliance issue to a business strategy and the need for circular-economy models.  Ms Kidwai affirmed that for listed companies, sustainability has moved “well beyond compliance” and is now an integral business strategy, noting that RE adoption is driven by price competitiveness rather than environmental benefits alone. She emphasised that leading Indian companies are global leaders in sustainability indices, focusing on critical issues beyond power, such as water efficiency in a water-scarce country and responsible community engagement.  Reflecting on sustainability amongst MSMEs, she highlighted the challenges related to initial capital expenditure, suggesting that industrial parks with high sustainability standards could be the solution, as companies are prepared to pay a unit cost for these shared services. Mr Vipul Tuli, Chair, FICCI RE CEOs Committee and President & CEO – Renewables West, Sembcorp Industries, in his remarks, analysed the macro challenges, particularly the grid, and proposed the next frontier for investment. He commended India’s “amazing” achievements in sustainability and renewables, noting that the models are commercially savvy, which has driven adoption, but stressed that demand growth is virtually unsatiated due to a large population, rising cooling demand, and data centre growth. #FICCIAGM

Relive the energy and insights from Day 1 of FICCI’s 98th AGM & Annual Convention! ✨ Ministerial addresses ✨ FICCI@100 logo unveiling ✨ Panel discussions on economy & sustainability ✨ Swachh Industrial Park Awards Watch the moments 👇 #FICCIAGM #98thAGMFICCI

The government is actively considering a harmonised infrastructure status to the hotel industry, a move that could unlock significant capital inflows and strengthen the country’s position in the global tourism market, Hon'ble Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mr Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, announced at the 98th AGM and annual convention of FICCI.   This is “a long-standing demand that will unlock capital, expand rooms inventory and strengthen our global price competitiveness,” the minister said.   The minister’s statement came as part of a comprehensive address outlining the government’s vision to transform tourism into a $1 trillion sector generating millions of jobs by 2047, when India marks its centenary of independence. Shekhawat emphasised that achieving this ambition requires substantial private investment and reimagined hospitality models to compete with regional peers.   The consideration of infrastructure status is part of a broader governmental push to position tourism as a structural engine of economic growth. The sector currently contributes 5.2 per cent directly to India’s GDP and supports 84 million livelihoods, according to FICCI President Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, who noted the industry could become a $250 billion opportunity by 2030 with appropriate policy support.   India has undertaken what Shekhawat described as “one of the largest tourism infrastructure programmes in the world”, with over Rs 12,000 crore invested in destination development. The government is developing 50 global-standard destinations under a challenge-mode framework, encouraging states to compete on infrastructure quality, user experience, and sustainability parameters.   Shekhawat highlighted the transformation of India’s connectivity infrastructure over the past decade, with operational airports expanding from fewer than 75 to 127, alongside 10 international-standard cruise terminals, 150,000 kilometres of new highways, 38 inland waterways for river cruises, and over 10,000 kilometres of metro lines across 23 tier I and II cities. The rejuvenation of temple corridors, including Kashi, Mahakal, Kedarnath, Puri and Ayodhya, represents “one of the most transformative tourism initiatives in modern India”, he added.   However, significant gaps remain. FICCI President Mr Harsha Vardhan Agarwal noted that, despite India’s civilisational depth and diversity, it attracts only 10 million international visitors, compared with France’s 90 million, Spain’s 84 million, and the United States’ 80 million. “This shows not a gap in potential, but a vast opportunity waiting to be unlocked,” he said.   President-elect of FICCI, Mr Anant Goenka, praised government initiatives, including Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive, noting they reflect a commitment to global standards and visitor experience whilst creating high-quality tourism assets. #FICCIAGM

Mr Piyush Goyal, Hon'ble Minister of Commerce & Industry, Govt of India today said that Prime Minister Modi brought the vision of self-reliance to the center of India's economic progress. “Atmanirbhar Bharat has now become a collective national mission, with every Indian contributing in their own way to this vision and journey,” he added.   Addressing the FICCI’s 98th Annual General Meeting and Annual Convention, Mr Goyal said that India has already concluded a very balanced, robust, fair and equitable agreements with Australia, UAE, Mauritius, UK, the 4 nation EFTA group. “At this point of time we are in talks with 14 group of countries collectively representing around 50 countries of the world. Our focus is on countries of significance where we complement each other. We are talking to Oman while Bahrain and Qatar want to enter into negotiations with India along with the GCC countries. We are also talking to New Zealand, simultaneously with Australia on second stage agreement,” he added.    Mr Goyal further stated that we are reviewing ASEAN and Korea FTA to bring more balance. We are also actively in discussion with the US and 27 nation European Nation. “We have recently started negotiations with Eurasia and working to start negotiations very quickly with Israel with whom Terms of Reference was finalized last week. Canada and India are looking at CEPA and next week we will kickstart conversation around that,” he added.    The Minister stated that in India’s growth story, self-reliance will be at the core. Prime Minister Modi has proved that the betterment of economy can also be the basis of politics, and this is evident from the recent Free Trade Agreements which India has signed or currently working on with other developed nations. “What you (industry) represent is a ‘PESTLE’ which includes ‘P’ with political situation with strong decisive leadership; ‘E’ with economic policies; ‘S’ with social fabric of the country with young population; ‘T’ standing for technological prowess of India with a focus on newer technologies and R&D and innovation; ‘E’ for environment along with energy self-sufficiency,” he emphasized.   Mr Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, President, FICCI said that world-scale manufacturing, bold innovation, empowered youth, and the full participation of women—together, they form the very architecture of India’s self-reliance. “When these pillars stand strong, India does not merely grow; it leads with confidence and purpose. This is India’s moment. Our moment to accelerate. Our moment to transform. Our moment to build a truly Viksit Bharat,” he added.    Mr Anant Goenka, President – Elect, FICCI said that we at FICCI reaffirm our commitment to supporting the government’s reform agenda, and we stand ready to work to prioritize innovation, skilling, ease of doing business, and the effective utilization of various FTAs.     #FICCIAGM

As FICCI approaches its centenary on 07 April 2027, we unveil the FICCI Logo—#FICCIAt100—symbolizing unity, continuity, and progress. A bridge between our rich legacy and forward-looking vision, it celebrates a century of contribution to India’s economic growth and reaffirms our commitment to shaping the nation’s future. #100YearsOfFICCI