COP30 has wrapped up with its usual mix of urgency, optimism, and unfinished business. Yet for those of us who operate in the real economy—where materials are sourced, products are made, and supply chains move every minute, the implications are far more practical than diplomatic. These global negotiations set a clear signal, the world expects transformation, not incremental change. India, as an economy accelerating towards the $5 trillion mark, cannot afford to ignore this momentum.
From logistics to technology to packaging, my own journey has repeatedly shown that sustainability is not a standalone function. It is a design principle that shapes everything from procurement to warehousing, and from last-mile delivery to consumer experience. Post-COP30, four priorities stand out for India—priorities that will determine whether we build a truly circular future or remain locked in a linear, waste-intensive model.
Material transition must lead the way
One of the clearest messages from COP30 was the global push for material transition, reducing dependence on high-emission substrates and shifting towards recyclable, reprocessable, and bio-based alternatives. This is urgent for India.
Our consumption economy is expanding far faster than our waste-management capacity. The “take-make-dispose” model is no longer only an environmental challenge; it is an economic inefficiency that locks value into landfills. The next industrial leap for India will come from low-carbon, recoverable materials that are designed to circulate back into the value chain.
Packaging, construction, textiles, agriculture, and consumer goods all need to rethink the fundamentals of what they use. If India wants to lead, the shift in materials must begin immediately, not as compliance, but as competitiveness.
Circularity requires collaboration, not just compliance
COP30 reaffirmed that circularity is a systems issue. Regulation alone cannot deliver it, and innovation in silos will not scale. Circularity demands collaboration across waste collectors, recyclers, processors, brand owners, technology providers, and local communities.
India’s true climate opportunity lies not only in circular products but in building circular infrastructure. Reliable networks for collection, segregation, and material recovery supported by digital traceability can dramatically change the economics of sustainability. When recovery becomes predictable, circularity becomes cheaper than linearity.
For this to happen, policymakers and businesses must co-create solutions instead of working in parallel tracks.
Technology will be the backbone of climate action
From my years in supply-chain and logistics leadership, one truth has stayed constant: transformation is impossible without measurement. COP30 echoed the same sentiment.
As supply chains grow more global and complex, India will need deeper deployment of climate-tech tools, including:
- AI for demand forecasting and resource optimisation
- Automation to reduce storage and transit waste
- Digital twins to identify carbon hotspots
- Data platforms for traceability and EPR compliance
Without data, sustainability remains guesswork. With data, it becomes strategy. India’s next phase of climate action cannot be manual; it must be digital.
MSMEs must be at the heart of the transition
COP30 underscored the need for inclusive climate ambition, a message that hits home in India, where MSMEs contribute nearly a third of GDP and half of exports. Yet they face the steepest barriers: costly eco-materials, complex certification requirements, and limited access to technology.
If India wants a successful climate transition, sustainability must be accessible for MSMEs, not aspirational. This requires affordable alternatives, simplified compliance, scalable supply chains, and digital tools that reduce friction rather than add to it. A transition that leaves MSMEs behind is destined to fail; a transition that empowers them can redefine India’s growth trajectory.
Sustainability is now a survival strategy
Having built and led businesses from the IT revolution to the AI-enabled supply chains of today, I can say with certainty that sustainability is no longer optional. It is the operating philosophy that will separate companies that thrive from those that fade away.
India has the talent, technology, and entrepreneurial drive to lead the world in material innovation and circular supply chains. But post-COP30, the next chapter demands clarity, collaboration, and courage from industry, government, academia, and civil society.
If we get this right, India will not merely meet global climate commitments.
We will set global benchmarks.
