Credit lines targeted for investment loans for energy efficiency

Ludhiana, September 8, 2012: The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and its collaborating partners Adelphi Consulting, International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC), Triodos Facet Consulting in association with Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertakings (CICU) today organised Workshop on Financing of Clean Production (EE&CP) measures in Indian Engineering and Auto Sector at CICU Complex, Ludhiana. This workshop was attended by 130 industrialists representing various sectors of the industry from different parts of Punjab.  

Balbir Singh, Deputy General Manager, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) informed that in the framework of the Financial Cooperation between India and Germany, KfW (a German development bank) is providing an energy efficiency credit line (worth EUR 50 million) and an environmental credit line (worth EUR 38.5 million) to the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). The credit lines are targeted for investment loans for energy efficiency and cleaner production measures in existing micro, small, and medium industrial enterprises (MSME).

Avtar Singh, General Secretary CICU said that Energy efficiency is associated with capital productivity and includes technological, behavioral and economic changes. Industries have started realizing and adopting efficient practices of energy use. Efficient use of energy, sometimes simply called ‘energy efficiency’, is using less energy to provide the same level of output. It is noted that improving energy efficiency has many benefits, like lowering energy bills, increasing our energy independence in the long run, reducing air and water pollution that leads to cutting carbon emissions that cause global warming.

Upkar Singh Joint Secretary CICU said that the objective of the workshop is to promote CP Lines of Credit, to showcase advantages of the credit lines, to provide information on EE& CP loan procedures and to train on EE&CP measures applicable to Engineering and Auto Sector and to share the  Best Practices through case studies and experience sharing. The participants were apprised in detail for adoption of Energy Efficiency measures and the features of the innovative cleaner technologies through interactions with the equipment manufacturers and service providers in implementation of such projects by Shishir Athale Director (Programs)-IIEC, G. Anil Kumar, Senior Consultant-IIEC and Kailash Mahajan, Senior Associate-Adelphi. The use of energy efficiency measures will enhance production, improve quality and reduce costs to a great extent.