New Delhi: NITI Aayog on Tuesday released the final set of four reports under its multi-sectoral study on “Scenarios Towards Viksit Bharat and Net Zero”, outlining how India can meet its development goals while cutting net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2070.
The studies, unveiled at the Ambedkar International Centre, cover buildings, agriculture, waste and the social implications of the energy transition, and form part of an 11-volume, government-led modelling exercise integrating economic growth, development priorities and climate commitments.
One of the sharpest warnings comes from the buildings report, which notes that around 86% of the floor space that will exist in 2070 is yet to be constructed. With air-conditioner ownership projected to surge from about 10% today to over 80% by 2070, NITI Aayog said India risks locking itself into high energy demand and heat stress unless new construction prioritises passive design, super-efficient appliances and low-carbon materials.
“There is going to be a huge jump in the space that we occupy—office, commercial and residential,” NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam said, adding that future buildings must be planned with net-zero goals “from the outset”.
On agriculture, the report pitches a strategy of “strategic sequencing”, focusing first on resource efficiency measures such as micro-irrigation and fertiliser optimisation to raise farmer incomes and improve soil health, before shifting to large-scale energy substitution. NITI Aayog Member Ramesh Chand said the sector has a “two-way relationship” with climate change, as it is both a source of emissions and highly vulnerable to climate impacts.
The waste sector study calls for universal collection, 100% door-to-door segregation and large-scale adoption of bio-methanation, arguing that waste holds embodied energy and valuable materials that can reduce dependence on virgin resources. The push towards waste-to-energy could help generate Bio-CNG, compost and treated wastewater, supporting circular urban economies and soil health.
The fourth report, on social implications, frames the net-zero transition as a human-centric development project, not just a technical exercise. It flags significant shifts in land use, employment patterns and migration, while highlighting public health gains from cleaner air and the need to build climate-resilient health systems.
In a virtual address, NITI Aayog Member V K Paul said that while land and water requirements for the transition appear manageable in aggregate, they must be viewed against competing uses and rising climate risks, with nearly 40% of districts facing high climate vulnerability.
The 11-report series is India’s first integrated, government-led scenario modelling exercise of this scale, informed by ten inter-ministerial working groups across sectors ranging from power, transport and industry to financing, critical minerals, R&D and social transition. NITI Aayog said the findings are intended to guide long-term policy planning as India pursues the dual goals of Viksit Bharat 2047 and Net Zero by 2070.