Green Steel Technology Challenge

Innovative Technologies to Decarbonize Steel Manufacturing in West Bengal, India

CHALLENGE OVERVIEW

This challenge aims to identify, pilot, and validate innovative technologies that cut emissions from steel production in West Bengal by 50 to 80%, supporting India's net-zero pathway.

Steel is one of India's largest industrial emitters, responsible for around 12% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. Indian steel is produced today at a carbon intensity of roughly 2.45 tons of CO2 per ton of crude steel, well above the global average of 1.85 tons. Left on its current trajectory, the sector alone could consume 20 to 25% of India's total carbon budget by 2050. 

West Bengal sits at the heart of this challenge. The state produces around 10% of India's steel and is one of the country's most important industrial hubs. Manufacturers, policymakers, and industrial developers in the region are already investing in cleaner fuels, alternative production processes, and regional decarbonization frameworks. Yet steel is a hard-to-abate sector, and the shift to commercially viable low-carbon production requires new technologies.

 

How might we use innovative technology to transform how steel is made in West Bengal, so one of India's most emissions-intensive industries can grow without growing its emissions?

Join the West Bengal Green Steel Challenge and help decarbonize one of the country's largest emitters and setting a model for industrial transitions across Asia and the Pacific.

TIMELINE

  • SUBMIT
    CONCEPT NOTE

    Until 30 September 2026 (23:59 UTC -11)

    Register and submit your innovative solution.


  • SUBMIT FULL APPLICATION
    & PITCH YOUR PILOT

    1 October to 30 October, 2026

    Submissions will be reviewed based on the set selection criteria.


  • ANNOUNCEMENT OF SELECTED TECH PROVIDER

    November 2026

    The evaluation committee selects 1-2 proposals.


  • PILOT
    IMPLEMENTATION

    December 2026/January 2027

    Begin pilot implementation.

 

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

    • Grant funding of up to USD 450,000 per pilot project (10% co-financing is required).
    • The opportunity to test and validate your solution in a new market/ context.
    • A collaboration with ADB and connections to the key local and international stakeholders behind the initiative.
    • Visibility for you and your solution among key players in the field, including governments and financiers across Asia and the Pacific.
    • Opportunity to create real and tangible impact!

 

APPLY NOW
 
 

INFORMATION SESSION RECORDING


Missed the Green Steel Technology Information Session?

The recording of the Information Session, held on 31 August 2026, is now available.

Watch the session to learn about the challenge, hear insights from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and get answers to common questions from prospective applicants.

 

 
 
 
 
 
Participate