PRESS RELEASE : Climate and Tech investment to supercharge UK-India development partnership ahead of G20 meeting [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 June 2023.

International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell is in India for the G20 and to announce new climate and tech partnerships.

• announcement of new climate and tech partnerships to benefit all by tackling global challenges, as Development Minister Andrew Mitchell attends the G20 Development Ministerial Meeting in Varanasi today (Monday)
• he will join India and G20 partners in calling for reinvigorated efforts to to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
• the new UK support includes funding for a tech start-up focussed on sustainable agriculture, including through growing vegetables in an environmentally-friendly way

International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell is in India for the G20 starting today (Monday) – and to boost UK-India cooperation on development including through climate and tech partnerships.

He will reinforce at the gathering in Varanasi how the UK’s partnerships and investments are having a multiplier effect in tackling the biggest shared challenges of today – including climate change, poverty and food insecurity.

The G20 Development Ministerial meeting in Varanasi is laying the groundwork to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals ahead of the G20 Leader’s Summit in New Delhi this September.

At the G20, the UK emphasised the need to redouble global efforts to tackle the climate crisis and shocks facing the most vulnerable countries demonstrating our position as a development leader set out earlier this year.

New UK programmes announced in India include an investment of £10 million in Avaana Fund, a women-led climate-tech fund which supports innovative businesses to develop solutions to climate change and create jobs for women in sectors such as clean energy, energy storage and agriculture.

An investment of £12 million from the UK government-supported Neev II fund will go to Nutrifresh, an Agri-Tech start-up enterprise focused on making agriculture more sustainable by growing vegetables in an environmentally friendly way.

Yesterday (Sunday), Minister Mitchell visited the Chakr Innovation research lab in Delhi, which is developing cutting-edge tech to tackle climate challenges.

The UK-supported lab is now developing innovative batteries for e-vehicles which do not need charging infrastructure and are fully recyclable, providing a cleaner and safer alternative to older lithium tech. The lab has previously developed devices that capture pollution-causing emissions and convert it to pigment for black inks and paints.

Targeted investments like these play a central role in tackling climate change and supporting sustainable development. They improve access to clean energy, create jobs and boost economic growth, all of which are vital to ending poverty.

UK Minister for Development Andrew Mitchell said:

We commend India for putting development and the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable at the heart of its G20 Presidency. The UK is committed to working with G20 partners to tackle the climate crisis and reduce poverty.

The UK’s new investments in India will deepen our collaboration, underlining the UK’s focus on mutually beneficial partnerships. Make no mistake: these investments benefit the British taxpayer while delivering world-changing solutions. I am proud that the UK is supporting such visionary and innovative endeavours that are needed to achieve development progress across the globe.

The investments will strengthen the UK’s trading relationship in the region and help drive growth – one of the government’s five priorities

Christina Scott, Acting British High Commissioner to India, said:

The investments highlight the UK’s commitment to delivering the 2030 Roadmap – a partnership that delivers for both our countries.

As set out in the UK’s International Development Strategy, we are focused on delivering clean and green infrastructure and creating opportunities for women and girls.

Further Information

• Minister Andrew Mitchell’s 2-day (11 to 12 June) visit to India will include engagements in Delhi and Varanasi
• the 2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations was launched in 2021. Since then, significant progress has been made, including on health collaboration, advancing the transition to clean energy, cyber-security cooperation and the expansion of our defence and security partnership
• the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor British International Investment helps to solve the biggest global development challenges by investing flexible capital to support private sector growth and innovation.  British Investment Partnership work with India towards green transition, investing in sustainable agriculture, reducing the pressure on natural resources and creating new jobs
• The Neev II fund invests in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that focus on limiting and increasing resilience to climate and environmental changes and are aiding India in meeting its carbon emissions reduction targets by 2030