In 2023, WRI India organized a series of roundtable discussions titled “Financing clean energy technologies in SMEs in India”. The discussions centered on the key barriers and challenges that currently restrict the flow of finance for clean energy technologies in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The focus of the discussions was on identifying gaps in existing financial systems and institutional arrangements for financing clean energy technologies in SMEs and exploring innovative financial mechanisms to de-risk investments and strategies to accelerate financing and thereby scale up the uptake of clean energy technologies in SMEs. 

The roundtable discussions were attended by around 30 experts representing multiple stakeholders involved in financing clean energy technologies in SMEs, such as banks and financial institutions; development financial institutions (DFIs); nodal agencies for clean energy and energy efficiency in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), international organizations; multilateral development banks; MSME cluster associations; MSMEs, industry associations; and think tanks. The roundtable discussions revealed that despite multiple challenges, there are opportunities to increase financing for clean energy technologies in SMEs, which can facilitate their uptake.