World Environment Day: Industry Quote
1. Sandeep Chandna, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tech Mahindra, said, “World Environment Day underscores the urgent need for collective action, innovation, and accountability in addressing climate challenges. At Tech Mahindra, we believe technology is a key enabler in accelerating sustainability outcomes and driving responsible growth. As we progress towards our commitments of achieving SBTi-validated Net Zero by 2035, a 90% renewable energy mix by 2030 and Water Positivity by 2030, we remain focused on embedding sustainability across our operations. We are also actively supporting enterprises in their sustainability journeys by leveraging digital innovation to help them meet their ESG goals. By integrating technology with responsible business practices, we are committed to delivering long-term value for our stakeholders while contributing to a more resilient, inclusive, and resource-efficient future.”
2. Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), said, “As India accelerates towards becoming a digitally empowered economy, sustainability must remain central to how we build and scale telecom infrastructure. The theme of World Environment Day 2026 strongly resonates with the telecom sector’s ongoing transition towards greener and more energy-efficient networks. Across the industry, telecom operators are increasingly adopting renewable energy, AI-led network optimization, infrastructure sharing and green data infrastructure to reduce environmental impact while supporting growing digital demand. Telecom networks today are not merely communication infrastructure, they are becoming critical enablers of a more sustainable economy by powering smart energy systems, precision agriculture, intelligent logistics and digital public services. India has a unique opportunity to lead globally in building digital infrastructure that is both inclusive and environmentally responsible.”
3. Vibha Mehra, Country Manager, Nokia India, said, “As digital connectivity and AI reshape economies, the telecommunications industry has a unique opportunity to advance sustainable growth by investing in intelligent, self-optimizing and energy-efficient networks that adapt dynamically to demand while delivering greater capacity with a lower environmental footprint. At Nokia India, we are turning this industry imperative into real-world impact. Our advanced AI-powered energy management solutions are significantly reducing operational emissions in India without compromising network performance. By embedding renewable energy and circularity across our manufacturing operations and hardware lifecycle in India, we are helping ensure that the country’s digital expansion advances both sustainability goals and Nokia’s global ambition of achieving net-zero value chain emissions by 2040.”
4. Vasudha Madhavan, Founder & CEO, Ostara Advisors, said, “This World Environment Day, the signal from the market is unmistakable. India sold over 2.3 million electric vehicles in 2025, about 8 percent of all new registrations, and now runs over 100 compressed biogas plants (with a 5000 plant target by 2030) backed by a blending mandate that turns climate goals into guaranteed demand. Climate tech funding rose close to 2 billion dollars in 2025, up roughly 40 percent year on year, proof that capital is returning. But almost all of it stops early. Barely 3 percent of India’s climate tech startups reach Series B or beyond. The technology and the policy are ready. What the transition needs now is growth-stage, patient capital, and closing that gap is the work in front of us.”
5. Manisha Dubey, Head of IDEMIA India Foundation, said, “World Environment Day is more than a date on the calendar. It is a call to every industry, including ours, to examine not just what we build, but how we build it, and what we leave behind. At IDEMIA Secure Transactions, sustainability is not a parallel workstream or an annual commitment we revisit in June. It is embedded in the way we innovate. From eco-conscious payment cards to greener connectivity and SIM solutions engineered to reduce environmental impact, to Hardware Security Modules designed to deliver robust cryptographic protection while consuming significantly less power, we are constantly asking how secure digital experiences can be delivered with a lighter footprint on the planet. But responsible business cannot stop at that. We believe companies have a genuine obligation to the communities and ecosystems around them. That belief is what drove the IDEMIA India Foundation to transform 3.8 acres of industrial wasteland in Noida into a living biodiversity park, home to 15,000 trees spanning over 70 species. What was once barren ground is now a functioning urban ecosystem, built for future generations and maintained with the same rigour we bring to our technology. Across everything we do, the cards in people’s wallets, the SIMs connecting their devices, the land we have restored, the question is the same: are we creating something that lasts, and does it leave the world in better shape than we found it? That is the standard we hold ourselves to, and it is one we intend to raise further.”
6. Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India, said, “Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today, driving rising temperatures, extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, and increasing threats to food, water, and public health systems. In India, these risks are amplified by diverse climatic conditions, rapid urbanization, and dependence on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture and water resources. Addressing these challenges requires identifying vulnerable populations, understanding when and how they are affected, and determining where interventions can achieve the greatest impact. GIS provides this critical spatial intelligence by integrating environmental, social, and infrastructure data into a unified decision-making framework. Combined with AI and real-time monitoring, GIS enables proactive risk management, helping governments, businesses, and communities build resilience, optimize resources, and ensure that climate adaptation and mitigation efforts are targeted, effective, and equitable.”
7. Sriram Kannan, Founder & CEO, Routematic, said, “This year’s World Environment Day theme, ‘Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,’ is a powerful reminder that meaningful climate action requires us to rethink how we live, work, and move. As India accelerates its transition towards cleaner mobility through the growing adoption of EVs, it is equally important to focus on making transportation more efficient, accessible, and sustainable. The future of mobility will be shaped not only by electrification, but also by smarter utilization of resources through shared and technology-driven transportation models. At Routematic, we have been committed to advancing this vision by helping organizations optimize employee mobility through intelligent route planning, shared commuting, and data-driven fleet management solutions. By reducing the number of vehicles on the road and improving operational efficiency, we are enabling businesses to lower their carbon footprint while creating better commuting experiences. Building climate-resilient cities will require collective action, innovation, and long-term commitment, and we believe sustainable mobility will remain a critical pillar in creating a cleaner, greener future for generations to come.”
