News In Shorts 19 September 2026: IEMI, Bharat Vann Green Initiative & More

India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025

Context: Delhi topped the NITI Aayog’s 2nd edition of the India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) 2025.

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About IEMI

• India Electric Mobility Index (IEMI) is a composite index developed by NITI Aayog in collaboration with World Resources Institute (WRI) India to assess state-level policy frameworks and implementation outcomes for e-mobility.
• It evaluates three areas:
  • Transport Electrification Progress – 50%
  • Charging Infrastructure Readiness – 30%
  • EV Research & Innovation Status – 20%
• It covers all 36 States and Union Territories.

State And UT Performance In IEMI 2025

• Top Performers: Delhi (84), Maharashtra (78), Karnataka (73), Chandigarh (71), Goa (65).
• Frontrunners among large states (50–64): Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
• Emerging Performers (35–49): Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Bihar, Kerala, Jharkhand, Punjab and Gujarat.
• Madhya Pradesh: Improved from 23rd to 7th rank.
• Theme-Wise Performance:
  • Transport Electrification: Delhi, Chandigarh, and Maharashtra were the only top performers.
  • Charging Infrastructure: Karnataka (97), Goa (92), and Maharashtra (91) led.
  • EV Research & Innovation: Delhi led with 94.

EV Adoption In India

• Rising EV Penetration: EV penetration rose from 0.5% (2018) to 8.25% (2025–26).
• EVs on Roads: 8.7 million+ EVs were on Indian roads by 2025–26.
• New EV Registrations: Nearly 2.5 million EVs were registered in 2025–26, up ~25% from the previous year.
• Dominance of Two-Wheelers: Two-wheelers accounted for the largest share, with 1.3 million units.
• Growth in Electric Commercial Vehicles: EV share among commercial goods vehicles increased from 0.6% (2024) to 1.4% (2025).
• E-Bus Adoption: E-bus adoption has gained momentum since 2021.

Bharat Vann Green Initiative

Context: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated the ‘Bharat Vann’ green initiative to promote urban ecological restoration and expand green cover. 

About the Bharat Vann Green Initiative

• ‘Bharat Vann’ is a dense urban ecological restoration project aimed at increasing green cover, enhancing biodiversity and improving the urban environment. 
• Implementing Body: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
• Funding: Developed under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL).
• Aim: Promote urban ecological restoration.
  • Help combat Delhi’s particulate air pollution.
  • Reduce urban heat island (UHI) effects.
  • Create accessible community spaces for wellness and physical activity.
• Key Features:
  • Miyawaki Plantation: Over 10,000 saplings are being planted across approximately 1 acre (around 3,000 sq m) using the Miyawaki method, a Japanese afforestation technique that creates dense, fast-growing native forests through closely spaced planting.
  • Native & Climate-Adapted Flora: The plantation includes 76 indigenous and climate-adapted species, comprising fruit-bearing trees, shrubs, flowering plants and large canopy trees, to create a diverse, multi-layered urban ecosystem.
  • Community Participation: The initiative integrates ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’, involving schoolchildren and women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in planting and adopting saplings to promote community ownership and long-term stewardship.
  • Integrated Wellness Spaces: The green space incorporates walking tracks, yoga and pranayama areas, and open-air meditation spaces, linking ecological restoration with public well-being.
  • Long-Term Maintenance: A 36-month maintenance and nurturing protocol, supported through IIFCL (India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited)’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Framework, is designed to improve sapling survival and help the plantation eventually become self-sustaining.

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Global Business Climate Survey 2026

Context: India ranked 1st among 41 global markets in the Global Business Climate Survey 2026, jointly published by Business Sweden and the Swedish Chambers of Commerce.

About the Survey

• Nature: Annual benchmark assessing the business environment and investment outlook for Swedish multinational companies.
• Instituted: 2020.
• 2026 Coverage: 41 major economies across Western Europe, APAC, MEA+ and the Americas.
• Purpose: To assess macroeconomic conditions, regulatory challenges, ease of doing business, profitability and investment sentiment.

Key Findings

• Top 3: India, Ireland and Vietnam.
• India: Ranked 1st overall; remained among the global top three for the fourth consecutive year.
• Investor Sentiment: 73% of surveyed Swedish companies rated India’s business climate as good or very good.
• Growth Outlook: India, the Philippines and Poland recorded the highest revenue and growth projections.
• Global Profitability: 64% of Swedish companies reported profitability, while 80% maintained a neutral or positive operational outlook.

India’s First Soil Carbon Payments

Context: India’s agricultural carbon market has reached the farm level, with 2,550+ smallholder farmers in Punjab and Haryana receiving over ₹2.9 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for verified soil-carbon sequestration and emission reductions.

About India’s First Soil Carbon Payments

• Carbon-to-Income Mechanism: The initiative creates a market linkage between verified soil carbon sequestration, greenhouse-gas (GHG) reduction and farmer income, providing financial incentives for sustainable farming.
• Implementing Entity: Grow Indigo, a joint venture of Mahyco and Indigo Ag, implements the ‘Aadi’ farmer-carbon programme.
• Programme Origin: Launched in 2019 to address stubble burning, groundwater depletion and climate vulnerability in northwestern India.
• First Payment Cycle: Covers 2019–2022 practices; the initial tranche covered around 30,000 acres and generated 50,000+ carbon credits.

How the Carbon Payment System Works

• Adoption: Farmers implement Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), reduced tillage, cover crops and crop-residue management.
• Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV): Soil sampling, satellite monitoring and digital models assess changes in soil carbon and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, followed by independent verification.
• Carbon Monetisation: Verified credits are sold in the voluntary carbon market, with farmers receiving a share of the revenue.
• Payment Choice: Farmers can choose an assured upfront payment or 75% of net carbon revenue after credit sales.

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Key Outcomes & Significance

• Farmer Income: 2,550+ farmers received digital payments of about ₹3,000–₹15,000 each.
• Carbon Framework: Credits issued under Verra’s VM0042 methodology for agricultural carbon projects.
  • Verra’s methodology for Improved Agricultural Land Management, used to quantify GHG emission reductions and soil-carbon gains from sustainable farming practices for generating carbon credits. 
• Resource Conservation: Estimated 45 billion litres of water saved and 2 lakh+ tonnes of crop residue diverted from burning.
• Air Quality: Avoided burning is estimated to prevent ~1,000 tonnes of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions.
• Agricultural Transition: Links regenerative agriculture, climate action and farmer incomes, offering a potential model for carbon finance in smallholder farming.

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