India presents a huge potential market for Japanese firms that manufacture state-of-the-art low carbon technologies (LCTs). India is among the fastest growing economies in the world; but there is still enormous scope and need to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in every sector of its economy through LCTs—particularly the industrial sector, which accounts for nearly half of India’s commercial energy consumption.

Since 2010, IGES and TERI have in partnership successfully promoted LCT transfers from Japan to India, engaging entities in both public and private sectors, and involving intensive studies and activities in both countries. The two partners have evolved and successfully applied a model for LCT transfer, which comprises intensive studies and carefully planned interactions and activities in both countries, involving private sector players as well as state organizations and institutions. The Japanese technologies adopted by Indian users are yielding substantial energy savings: 20%– 40% in the case of 'hard' technologies (equipment/machinery + knowledge elements) and 5%–10% in the case of 'soft' technologies (only knowledge elements).

However, the significant gaps in information, knowledge, and expertise on both sides continue to present challenges to the smooth transfer, adaptation and adoption of LCTs. Financial support for the technology transfer process has to be backed up by strong technical assistance. In situ support is required at the Indian users' end during adaptation of the Japanese technologies to meet the local Indian needs and conditions, demonstration of benefits, and capacity building of entrepreneurs and operators.

The scaling up of Japanese LCT transfers to India therefore requires a framework of information, knowledge and expertise that covers all the Japanese and Indian stakeholders and facilitates interactions among them as well as field-level activities. It is in this backdrop that JITMAP has been created, as a multi-stakeholder platform on which Japanese and Indian entities can interact, formulate plans, and conduct activities that result in satisfactory, mutually beneficial transactions in LCTs.

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