GELS 2025 Concludes with Puri Declaration, Four Major MoUs to Accelerate India’s Clean-Energy Transition

Bhubaneswar, Dec 8: The Global Energy Leaders’ Summit (GELS 2025) concluded in Puri on Sunday with the presentation of the Puri Declaration and the signing of four strategic Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at bolstering India’s clean-energy transition and interstate coordination.

Positioned as India’s first COP-style interstate platform, the two-day summit brought together top policymakers, industry leaders, global experts, and researchers for intensive closed-door deliberations, panel discussions, technical sessions, and knowledge exchanges. The dialogue focused on emerging priorities such as AI-driven grid security, carbon markets, clean-tech financing, innovation, and energy-sector reforms.

Four MoUs to Strengthen Clean-Energy Deployment

A key outcome of GELS 2025 was the signing of four major agreements to accelerate research, pilot projects, and renewable-energy expansion in Odisha:

1. NTU Singapore–GRIDCO–IIT Bhubaneswar MoU:
   A trilateral partnership to collaborate on advanced renewable-energy pilot projects and applied research.
2. Green Hydrogen Centre of Excellence:
   GRIDCO, ReNew, IIT Bhubaneswar, and Avaada joined hands to establish a centre of excellence to support R&D, demonstrations, and skill development in green hydrogen technologies.
3. NIRL–OREDA–GEDCOL Tripartite MoU:
   NLC India Renewables Ltd, OREDA, and GEDCOL will jointly develop renewable-energy projects across the state.
4. SECI–OHPC–GEDCOL–OREDA Multi-Agency MoU:
   A coordinated push for integrated planning and faster renewable-energy development through national and state-level collaboration.

Puri Declaration Set to Shape National Energy Cooperation

A draft of the Puri Declaration, prepared with inputs from the Union Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, was unveiled at the summit. The document aims to create a long-term, cooperative framework for India’s clean-energy transition. It has been circulated to states for consultation to ensure collective ownership and alignment.

Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo thanked participating dignitaries and emphasised the importance of consensus-based progress, remarking that “no state can progress alone and none will have to.”

Leaders Endorse Annual Summit, Strong Coordination

NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam lauded Odisha for successfully hosting a summit of national significance and encouraged making it an annual event, noting that participation would grow as states realise its collaborative value.

Odisha Energy Secretary Vishal Dev said the summit demonstrated “a clear appetite for coordinated action, shared frameworks, and structural reforms needed over the next decade.”

GELS 2025 Achieves Carbon Neutrality

Reflecting its sustainability commitment, GELS 2025 was organised as per ISO 20121 standards for sustainable event management. An external sustainability partner conducted a full carbon-footprint assessment, measuring 45.33 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, including those from international flights.

To offset this, 1,130 trees are being planted in Nuapada, making GELS the first event in Odisha to achieve carbon neutrality.

Road Ahead

The Puri Declaration will guide future working groups, interstate coordination mechanisms, and annual reviews to ensure continued momentum. With Odisha taking the lead, India is set to advance a coordinated, inclusive, and innovation-driven clean-energy transformation, aligned with long-term development goals and the nation’s Net Zero ambitions.