UK stands up for working people by boosting economic, clean energy and climate links with India

The UK and India joined forces this week to unlock economic growth from the clean energy transition, supporting new jobs, creating export opportunities and tackling the climate crisis. 

During a visit to New Delhi, the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband backed British businesses at India Energy Week – a major international energy event. He met with UK companies who are using their expertise to speed up India's transition from fossil fuels to clean power, including offshore wind, solar, battery storage and hydrogen.  

He met a number of UK companies who are using the UK's world leading technology to speed up the global clean energy transition, create job opportunities and protect the climate. These include:

• Sherwood Power – Sherwood Power has developed energy storage technology that converts excess, low-cost, renewable energy into compressed air and heat. When demand is high, this stored energy is released to generate electricity, reducing grid load and customer costs. The company is based in Richmond, North Yorkshire.  

• Oomph EV – Oomph EV designs and manufacture a range of rapid, mobile, electric vehicle charging solutions. They are addressing the Indian market with a view to local manufacture. They offer hardware, software and data services to the global EV market and are based in Cambridge.  

• Flock Energy – London based Flock Energy is building the digital infrastructure for the global energy transition. Using advanced AI, Flock Energy enables energy providers to analyse customer energy data usage in detail, all on one digital platform, to improve demand forecasting, demand-side management and energy efficiency. 

• Venterra Group – Venterra Group, established in 2021, is a London based offshore wind services company. Venterra operates globally with over 700 employees and specialises in providing comprehensive technical services across the wind farm lifecycle to reduce project risks, time, and costs.

India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and one which is projected to be the fourth largest global importer by 2035. Delivering on the UK Government's Plan for Change, the Energy Secretary used his visit to increase UK clean energy investment opportunities and place British businesses at the forefront of the global race for renewables.  

As one of the world's biggest emitters, working with India on clean energy and climate is crucial to protecting British families and businesses from the threat of climate change. Increasing investment in renewables and clean technology supports the government's mission to become a clean energy superpower, protecting households from unstable fossil fuel markets and helping keep bills down for good.  

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: 

We are standing up for the British people by fighting for investment into our country, and setting the example for all countries play their part in protecting our planet for future generations.  

The UK and India are strengthening our partnership under our Plan for Change to unlock investment and accelerate the global transition to clean, secure, affordable energy.  

Both our countries are determined to address the climate emergency to protect our way of life, while reaping the rewards of the industrial and economic opportunity of our time.

The  Energy Secretary took part in the fourth UK-India Energy Dialogue with India's Minister of Power Manohar Lal Khattar, and met with G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant.  

Both countries agreed: 

• a new shared ambition on offshore wind, including a UK-India Offshore Wind Taskforce to drive the progress needed across the offshore wind supply chains and financing models

• funding to reform in India's power sector to support decarbonisation through UKPACT, which aims to deliver grid transformation as part of India's renewables rollout

• an extension of the bilateral Accelerating Smart Power and Renewable Energy in India (ASPIRE) programme, which will work to deliver round-the-clock power supply, accelerate industrial decarbonisation and roll out renewables 

This builds on the UK and India's close collaboration to tackle climate change through innovation agreed as part of the Technology Security Initiative in 2024, from using AI to increase resilience, to bringing together experts to safeguard the critical minerals needed for renewable technologies like wind turbines and batteries. 

Talks come ahead of expected negotiations with India on a Free Trade Agreement and Bilateral Investment Treaty, led by the Business and Trade Secretary, at the end of the month.  
 
Striking a deal would increase economic growth across both countries, facilitating the trade of renewable technologies and sustainable materials, supporting the government's mission to become a clean energy superpower. 

There are over 950 Indian-owned companies in the UK and over 650 UK companies in India supporting over 600,000 jobs and driving innovation across both economies. 

Engagement with India comes ahead of COP30, due to take place in Brazil later this year, where both countries will be pushing for ambitious outcomes to address the climate emergency.